You're reading this article, which means one of two things: you’re either looking for a job, or you plan on looking for one soon.

Did you know that 71% of hiring managers view a candidate’s background on LinkedIn before they actually decide to schedule an interview? Did you know it’s cheaper to find a candidate on LinkedIn rather than go through a job board such as Monster or CareerBuilder?

Either way, you have to be on LinkedIn. Consider it the Facebook for professionals looking to network. You add different friends, colleagues, family, and managers to reach out into their networks connecting yourself to tens of thousands of people with just a couple hundred connections.

Mistake #1: Copy and paste? Booooring

Hiring managers have likely already seen your resume, that’s why they’re on your profile. Give them something completely new and bold to look at. Provide them with a convincing reason to call you for the interview instead of the other candidate, and aim to impress with every section of your profile.

Because LinkedIn is a social service, it gives you the opportunity to add in information about your personality. Add in your hobbies, interests, and paint your summary with multiple colors, but never make the mistake of just copying and pasting your resume.

Mistake #2: Congratulations: You’re part of a clique on and offline

Try searching LinkedIn for any profession. You know what comes up first? People in your network, then people in the second circle, then people in your third circle, and people who are in the same groups as you.

That’s right. The closer you are to the person searching for someone just like you in terms of connections, the higher you’ll come on their results page. The larger your network, the larger your chance of being found.

Mistake #3: You’re not using it

It’s not enough to be on it, you have to use it as well. Endorse and recommend friends and colleagues, and even post updates in Groups. The best feature overall is InMail, LinkedIn’s messaging service. Consider it email with a read receipt feature. You purchase InMail credits, send a hiring manager a thoughtful appeal, and you get a little note the moment they open it. If they don’t open it in 7 days, you get a credit.

That’s right. Sending hiring managers messages with a guarantee that it’ll be read. Now think about the possibilities. ☺