LinkedIn’s not just for job seeking any more.

A fresh, up-to-date, and compelling LinkedIn profile may help you get that apartment you want to rent, get approval for a car loan or mortgage or even distinguish you from another person who may share the same name as you.

Sound unlikely? You’d be surprised.

Many still perceive LinkedIn as a job search tool only, but it’s actually one of the, if not the, most effective personal branding tools out there. If you don’t know what to do with your LinkedIn profile, read on.

THAT’S RIGHT, IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU.

The LinkedIn summary section of your LinkedIn profile should address three main points: 1) a conversational way to present who you are, 2) the ‘pain point’ your reader may be experiencing, and 3) how you resolve that pain point.

LinkedIn is THE place to be if you’re a professional and want to connect online with others in your industry.

Sadly, it is also loaded with people claiming to be the professionals they are not. In fact, they don’t even exist; these fake LinkedIn profiles are used for spamming, scamming, and phishing. In other words, the people behind those profiles’ creation are deceitful no matter their intent.

There are two questions I am frequently asked about LinkedIn. One, what is more valuable, endorsements or recommendations, and, second, do people really pay attention to endorsements?