You've heard of LinkedIn, or even have an account yourself, but what's next? Take these next steps to ensure that your LinkedIn account doesn't push you out of potential jobs.

As a Millennial, the name given to members of my generation, I have the urgent fear that I am never doing enough to prepare myself for the next stage of my life... AKA, the real world. Millennials are even known for inventing the acronym, FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out. Whether this is simply caused by missing your best friend's 21st birthday, or missing out on a great internship opportunity, the feeling is never pleasant. 

My FOMO is increased exponentially when I see my peers posting about the mission trips they are going on, the Master's program they just got accepted into, and the innumerable other experiences that are filling out their LinkedIn profiles and resumes. So in order to alleviate some of my FOMO, I've researched some of the best ways to better your LinkedIn account in order to highlight experiences... without having to study abroad.

1. Take the Time. After signing up, don't just fill out each section of the LinkedIn prompts half-heartedly. A well-edited profile with carefully chosen words will look much better than a profile in which everything is thrown in.

2. Build Your Connections. I've always wondered whether I should accept invitations from people that I share a connection with, but have no idea how they know me. From what I've seen, it is beneficial to hit the "500+ connections" mark because if you don’t have a large network, then you are limited in the number of profiles you can view when searching. If you have not reached the highest number of viewable contacts, then your profile is less valuable than someone who has. You want potential employers to think you're a big deal.

3. Make Sure You Look Picture Perfect. It's especially important to pick a photo that eludes to the type of person who could fit your desired job. One blogger tried out several different profile pictures to see what sparked profile views. His thoughts afterward were that, "a photo can go a long way to convey passion, energy, charisma, empathy, and other soft skills that are hard to write about.” 

4. Don't Post Statuses. While Facebook may have created the need for all social media platforms to provide an ability to post statuses, do not substitute LinkedIn for Facebook. It is not necessary to post every time you edit a portion of your profile, so instead try disabling this function. When in edit mode, check your privacy controls and turn off activity broadcasts by changing the setting for “select who can see your activity feed” to “only you.” However, it is beneficial to post about a promotion or job change.

5. Headline Yourself. Whether you are looking for a job or not, everyone needs a headline. In the case that you are looking for a job, you shouldn't include your current job title but instead include that you are actively searching for a position in a certain field. Headlines should also refrain from mentioning these overused "buzzwords."

6. Join Groups. Join groups that relate to your place of University, or other places that your target audience might be searching. Even if it is a large group with thousands of people, the additional connections might lead a headhunter to your profile.

7. Edit Your Endorsements. If your best friend is endorsing you in every field possible, consider editing the endorsements that are viewable on your profile. You want to highlight the unique fields that pertain to your job search, not your "powerpoint skills."

8. Check Your Spelling. While this does apply to editing your profile, that is not what I mean. What if your name is Jacob but you go by Jake? How about William, but you go by Will, Bill, or Billy? The name changes can cause your connections to have trouble finding you. Instead, you should include all known spellings, nicknames and previous names in your summary. 

9. Be Picky. While you shouldn't be picky about who you connect with, you should be picky about what you share with those people. If you have been in the real world for a while now, you have probably racked up quite a resume. Instead of separately sharing your first few jobs, consider editing them all into one category called "Career Training" or "Apprenticeships." This is also applicable with volunteer experience, so try grouping similar places together.