For people looking to build working relationships with professionals, including students at San Diego City College, LinkedIn matters.

87 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn and employees are 40% less likely to leave within the first 6 months of joining when found on LinkedIn, according to the presenters at a recent San Diego Press Club event.

At the event, called LinkedIn Tips and Tricks, it was shared that profiles with a verified badge are 30% more likely to be hired and the ability to apply as a professional allows employers to find profiles through Profinder, LinkedIn’s integrated professional search engine.

Fully completed profiles are 40% more likely to be presented in a Google search.

 Jaz Adams who is Director of Strategy at Wayward Kind, emphasized how standing out on the platform is important.

Here are some tips to do that.

Include your most relevant work

Serving NBC San Diego as an executive producer for 12 years, Sage Pierce gave her perspective on what she looked for during hiring. Pierce stressed that including anything in a profile to stand out or demonstrate a skill should be included.

Alternative forms of storytelling such as videos or graphics would be a great choice.

Share you ability to adapt

A key factor on profiles should be how you’ve adapted to the pandemic. Remote coordination, communication and adaptation due to the pandemic should all be highlighted as it shows employers that you are willing to adapt during unprecedented conditions, Pierce said.

Make your profile picture, headline pop

Adams said your profile image  should always be you because people connect with people.

The banner is also a great place to show any branding you may have worked on, also it is important to keep banners and branding consistent between all social pages.

The headline might be the most important aspect, as it follows you across the platform and will be what most people see.

Bring the passion to your projects

Make sure your page includes any titles or awards you have received but most importantly the passion behind what you are doing

 The summary section is the place to share the story behind you or your brand. Anything to show credibility in your work should be on your profile. Make sure to include keywords to make it discoverable.

Leave some way to begin a relationship with clients, such as welcoming anyone to reach you at your contact information.

Help others help you

Always leave endorsements after others have endorsed your work and always personalize recommendations. People respond to and understand feelings, so make sure to include how the person made you feel while working with them. A good time to ask for them is after you have helped someone out of a tough situation.

Lucas is on Twitter, @LucasBCityTimes.