SUCCESS SPECIAL ............Why Successful People Take 10 Years to 'Succeed Overnight'

Why Successful People Take 10 Years to 'Succeed Overnight'

There's a reason why this 10-years-to-overnight-success pattern shows up over and over. And it's not just about working hard.

This is a guest post from Ramit Sethi, the New York Times best-selling author of  I Will Teach You to Be Rich. Fortune magazine recently called him the "new finance guru on the block." He writes for more than one million readers each month on business, careers, negotiation, and psychology.

There's a reason this 10-years-to-overnight-success pattern shows up over and over. And it's not just about working hard over a long period of time.

I know from personal experience. In 2004, I started a personal-finance blog while I was a college student. Today, that "hobby" is a multimillion-dollar business. For the first three years, we made no money (literally). In 2014, 10 years later, we had our first $5 million week.

I've also studied the backstories of hundreds of successful entrepreneurs before they became known to the world.

Here's the deeper strategy used by successful people to level up that almost no one talks about.

The underappreciated power of sequence

We all have these big goals to attain a rich and meaningful life.

The challenge is that we start our careers with few resources. We have little to no money saved up. We don't know a lot about how the business world really works. We don't have a large professional network.

So the question is, how do we close this gap over time? What's the best strategy?

Conventional experts tell you, "To go big, you need to start big." They tell you a thousand and one things you "need" to do all at once, like SEO, picking the right résumé font, building a business Facebook page, starting a podcast, and on and on.

Forget about all of that.

The strategy that works over and over for successful people is the Domino Strategy.

The Domino Strategy is simple.

First, start so small that you can easily knock over the first domino. For example, the first step in starting a business is brainstorming the business idea. The first step to anything should be deceptively simple.

Second, put the dominoes in just the right sequence so that each small step makes the next, bigger step possible. The second step in starting a business is to find one paying customer to test if the idea has potential. Doing this can be as simple as sending an email. Once you have the first customer, next plan how to get five, etc. If you start small and level up in the right order, you'll never think to yourself, "I don't have time or money to do this."

The real key here is sequence. Creating a plan to get 10,000 customers is great, but your initial step should be to get one customer, not 10,000. Similarly, creating a podcast might be the right thing to do. But if you try to do it at the wrong time, then it's basically the same thing as taking the wrong step. The dominoes won't fall, and you'll fail to reach your goal. Most people miss this.

Gary Keller, the founder of one of the largest real estate franchises in the world, Keller Williams, drives this point home in his book, The One Thing:

"When you see someone who has a lot of knowledge, they learned it over time.
When you see someone who has a lot of skills, they developed them over time.
When you see someone who has done a lot, they accomplished it over time.
When you see someone who has a lot of money, they earned it over time."

How the Domino Strategy helped Elon Musk become Elon Musk

The Domino Strategy shows how a tiny amount of energy can be converted into something 1,000 times or even a billion times larger.

With just 13 dominoes, this YouTuber created a two billion times amplification in energy. The first domino is just 5mm high. The largest domino weighs 100 pounds and is more than a meter tall. With 16 more dominoes, there would be enough force to knock over the Empire State Building.

The power of dominoes explains how a 15-year-old could leave South Africa with no money and no connections and end up becoming the Elon Musk we know today.

Most people have only heard of Musk in the past few years. To many, he seems like an overnight success. This is hilarious--we look at others and compare our day one with their day 500. I do it; you do it; we all do it.

When you learn his story, though, you see how Musk has been focused on the same vision since he was a teenager, and he's been consciously leveling up for decades.

Throughout his teenage years, he read two books per day, according to his brother, Kimbal Musk. More than a decade before he started Tesla, Musk was studying physics at the University of Pennsylvania and then battery technology at Stanford, both key fields for learning how to build an electric car.

He shows his early obsession with electric cars in a recent interview. He tells the story of what was on his mind during a first date when he was in college more than 20 years ago.

Musk is not alone in using the Domino Strategy. Many of the world's top entrepreneurs are masters of it. Here are a few examples:

	Paul Graham, founder of Y Combinator, the largest accelerator in the world: "Empirically, the way to do really big things seems to be to start with deceptively small things.... Want to make the universal website? Start by building a site for Harvard undergrads to stalk one another." --Source
	Verne Harnish, co-founder of Entrepreneurs' Organization, the largest association of top entrepreneurs in the world: "Your job is to find that front domino, that number one thing that if you could accomplish, [that] will knock over the other 98 and get more done than the other 98 combined." --Source
	David Sacks sold his previous company, Yammer, to Microsoft for $1.2 billion: "Good strategy = Find an edge, win small victory or foothold, assimilate new resources, level up, repeat. Bad strategy = Attack everything at once. Don't prioritize. Bleed strength ... " --Source

Why we miss the power of dominoes

If the Domino Strategy is so powerful, why don't more people use it?

Over the past 12 years, I've studied the psychology of what stops people from becoming world-class performers.

One of the biggest obstacles is invisible scripts. These are the assumptions so deeply embedded in our psyches that we don't even realize they guide our behavior.

What's the biggest invisible script?

All or nothing, the idea that you need to go all-in or you should just not do anything at all. Here are a few examples:

·         Money: "I don't want to have to track every penny of my spending for the rest of my life!" (You don't, but that invisible script allows you to not track anything at all.)

·         Health: "I don't want to have to watch every single thing I eat forever. I like having a treat now and then!" (So you just keep doing exactly what you've been doing.)

·         Relationship: "So you want me to communicate better. You're saying I have to tell you every single thing I'm thinking. That's just not how I'm built!" (Nobody wants to hear every thought you have. They do want you to communicate better.)

·         Business: "I don't have enough time or money to start a business!" (Starting a business requires one thing, a customer. You can get a customer in a few hours, for free.)

Let's unpack this a little bit more. If you believe the "all or nothing" invisible script, you probably respond in one of two ways.

Either you go looking for a magic bullet--like a fad diet or a get-rich-quick scheme--that will knock over the final domino, but skip the preceding, critical dominoes; or you just throw a lot of spaghetti on the wall and hope something sticks.

Just like a lottery ticket, the magic bullet and spaghetti-on-the-wall strategies indulge our need for fantasy and immediate gratification. You think to yourself, "If just one of these hits, I've made it."

But, just like a lottery ticket, they don't actually make sense for accomplishing big goals. They are forms of escape.

Escape is for entertainment, not success.

Escaping the treadmill of disappointment

What makes the magic bullet and spaghetti-on-the-wall strategies so ineffective? You keep on losing momentum and having to start over.

I call this the treadmill of disappointment.

Here's what happens:

First, you work really hard for a long time, but you're not seeing the progress you expected owing to overnight-success stories. You're not sure if things will work out if you keep going forward. 

So, you assume that what you're doing is not working, and you start over. But once you start over, you have to start from close to scratch.

What you didn't factor in is that dominoes are exponential. Just as you were about to see real progress, you gave up.

To escape the treadmill of disappointment, you need to start using the Domino Strategy and have the patience to stick with it in the beginning.

All you have to do to get started with the Domino Strategy is take Gary Keller's advice and ask yourself one key question over and over:

What's the One Thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?

http://www.inc.com/empact/why-successful-people-take-10-years-to-succeed-overnight.html

BOOK SPECIAL ....Overall Favorite Books of 2016 (9)

Overall Favorite Books of 2016

9.      UNFORBIDDEN PLEASURES

The English psychoanalytical writer Adam Phillips has written with beguiling nuance about such variousness of our psychic experience as the importance of “fertile solitude,”the value of missing out, and the rewards of being out of balance. In Unforbidden Pleasures, he explores our paradoxical desires and the topsy-turvy ways we go about pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain.

In the collection’s standout essay, titled “Against Self-Criticism,” Phillips reaches across the space-time of culture to both revolt against and pay homage to Susan Sontag’s masterwork Against Interpretation, and examines “our virulent, predatory self-criticism [has] become one of our greatest pleasures.” He writes:

In broaching the possibility of being, in some way, against self-criticism, we have to imagine a world in which celebration is less suspect than criticism; in which the alternatives of celebration and criticism are seen as a determined narrowing of the repertoire; and in which we praise whatever we can.

But we have become so indoctrinated in this conscience of self-criticism, both collectively and individually, that we’ve grown reflexively suspicious of that alternative possibility. (Kafka, the great patron-martyr of self-criticism, captured this pathology perfectly: “There’s only one thing certain. That is one’s own inadequacy.”) Phillips writes:

Self-criticism, and the self as critical, are essential to our sense, our picture, of our so-called selves.

[…]

Nothing makes us more critical, more confounded — more suspicious, or appalled, or even mildly amused — than the suggestion that we should drop all this relentless criticism; that we should be less impressed by it. Or at least that self-criticism should cease to have the hold over us that it does.

BRAIN PICKINGS

HEALTH SPECIAL------ Rice above white

HEALTH SPECIAL  - Rice above white



Weightwatchers are trading milled and polished white rice for healthier red, black and brown varieties...

Evolved eating patterns are slowly doing away with the whites on your plate and adding more hues to it. The idea being ­ more the colour in your dish, more vibrant your health will be. Colour means nutrients, colour means antioxidants, colour means fibre.And the latest food item to turn tinted is rice.Studies support the fact that eating whole grain rice varieties such as red and black rice is healthier than the good old white. Black rice, an Asian staple that's always been part of northeastern cooking in India, is making a huge comeback and so is the nutty-flavoured red rice. Red rice risottos and black rice sushi and puddings are raiding the net.

MAKE THE SHIFT

White rice is good but not the best. It is milled and polished, its flavour, texture and appearance altered... all to extend its storage life. The refining process strips white rice of iron, vitamins, zinc, magnesium and many other nutrients. Even when it is nutrient-fortified, it doesn't match the nutritional density of whole grain rice. And yes, the super healthy bran is also missing! “Too much of short grain white rice -the sticky va rieties -have a higher glycaemic index that tend to spike the sugar levels in the body. In comparison, brown and red rice are both rich in fibre content and have a lower glycaemic load,“ says nutritionist Dr Taranjeet Kaur.

RED HOT

Red rice is a special variety of rice that's packed with antioxidants. It's nutty flavour and earthy texture have made it a favourite of chefs and food photogra phers. Switching from white to brown or red rice has shown a lowered risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cholesterol and lowered blood pressure levels as well. It even provides protection against inflammation and cancer.

BLACK IS BACK

Black rice is gluten-free, gut-friendly, a nat ural cleanser and heart-savvy. The Asian basic, also called Chakhao in Manipur, is popping up at supermarts all over the world as the superfood to get hold of. The bran hull of black rice, which is the outermost layer of the rice grain, contains one of the highest levels of the antioxidant anthocyanin found in any known food. “Black rice is lower in calories but higher in protein content as compared to brown, red or white rice. Its antiox idant content is almost six times higher than other varieties of rice,“ o confirms Dr Kaur.

Not all white rice is unhealthy.

An exception is whole grain and white long grain basmati rice that's low in glycaemic load and is nearly equivalent to brown rice in these terms.It is digested slowly, thus keeping the blood sugar levels controlled. Basmati rice is also nutrient dense. It contains high amounts of vitamin B, cop per and magnesium, which help in controlling blood sugar levels. These combined with antioxi dants and anti-carcinogenic properties found in its bran and germ, make basmati rice a wise choice.

Supriya Sharma2



TL22JAN17 

APPS SPECIAL... .How Smartphone Apps Influence the Way We Shop

How Smartphone Apps Influence the Way We Shop

Bottom Line: Consumers who use mobile apps tend to make more-frequent purchases, spend less per transaction, and return items more often than those who don’t.

It’s hard to overestimate the impact smartphones have had. They’ve fundamentally transformed the way we interact with friends and colleagues, consume media, and live day-to-day. But despite their ubiquity — roughly 2 billion people around the world use a smartphone and it’s thought that more than 70 percent of the global population will own one by 2020 — there is plenty we don’t know about how they have changed our behavior.

Take shopping. Some of the attributes that make a smartphone appealing — portability, interactivity, and location awareness — also make it the ideal shopper’s companion. Studies have shown that more than 80 percent of U.S. shoppers turn to their phones for help. With the swipe of a thumb, consumers can access product descriptions, reviews, and price comparisons, upending much conventional wisdom about how marketers should lure customers.

U.S. companies spent more than $28 billion on mobile advertising in 2015 and are set to double that by 2018. Much of this outlay is aimed at users of mobile apps, which account for about 87 percent of people’s smartphone usage.

A new study seeks to isolate the effects of mobile apps on some important retail metrics, including how much each customer spends, the number of products they return, and the relationship between various app features and purchase decisions.

The authors obtained data from a large, U.S.-based retailer of consumer electronics, video games, and wireless services. In addition to transaction-related records from the chain’s 4,175 stores and its website, the authors also examined data on the more than 2 million customers — among the company’s 32-million-strong customer base — who adopted the mobile app.

In an attempt to generate traffic both online and in stores, the company launched an app that allows users to browse its catalogue; see special deals and promotions; visit the website; and view store hours, locations, and driving directions. The authors’ data spanned from the month of the app’s inception, July 2014, through June 2015, and enabled them to gather the number and monetary value of all purchases and returns.

The analysis showed that, compared with non-adopters, people who used the app bought products 21 percent more frequently in the month after they downloaded it, but spent 12 percent less per purchase. They also returned items 73 percent more often than people who didn’t use the app. Although app users spent less per purchase than did non-users, they still spent more in aggregate because they made more purchases: Overall, app adoption resulted in a 24 percent increase in the net monetary value of the purchases made.

Why do app users make more purchases? The app features may provide the answer. People most commonly used the features related to special offers (for example, clicking for a deal on a particular product) and loyalty rewards (checking up or cashing in on the points they’ve accrued). These features, the authors note, are highly interactive. As others have observed, people have embraced smartphones so eagerly, in part, because the interactivity gives users a feeling of control and the sense that they’re experiencing the world around them through their technology. Activities such as redeeming reward points and responding to special deals play right into this psychological phenomenon. Higher engagement with the interactive features of an app is likely to make people buy things more often.

Part of the reason app users spend less per purchase, the authors note, is because so many of them are drawn to these discount-laden interactive features. Indeed, consumers who did not use the app’s special offers or loyalty programs spent roughly the same amount before and after downloading the app, but those who did use these interactive features spent 16 percent to 20 percent less per average purchase. The authors also examined how people used apps the day before and the day of a purchase.

If the increased exposure to offers and rewards helps explain why consumers who use apps tend to make more purchases, it also partly accounts for their higher returns, the authors posit. Purchases made through an app rather than in-store may be more impulsive, and people tapping a button may feel less inhibited than they would if they had to wait in line at a register and physically hand over cash or a credit card. This can lead to a higher rate of buyer’s remorse, the authors suggest.

Further, many returns probably stem from the disconnect between the product the consumer expects and the one that actually shows up on their doorstep. So the authors advise retailers to provide clear pictures, videos, and descriptions of products on their app.

The authors also suggest that, with the scope of information available in the palm of a shopper’s hand, interacting with salespeople or online agents may be less important than it used to be, meaning the key job for sales associates should be to make the shopper’s experience as quick and efficient as possible and then encouraging them to visit again.

Source: “The Effects of Mobile Apps on Shopper Purchases and Product Returns,” by Unnati Narang and Venkatesh Shankar (both Texas A&M University), Mays Business School Papers, Dec. 2016

Matt Palmquist

http://www.strategy-business.com/blog/How-Smartphone-Apps-Influence-the-Way-We-Shop?gko=8703e&utm_source=itw&utm_medium=20170124&utm_campaign=resp

BOOK SUMMARY 312 The Inner Game of Tennis

BOOK SUMMARY 312 The Inner Game of Tennis

·         Summary written by: Justin Gasbarre

“Mankind has been so absorbed with overcoming external challenges that the essential need to focus on inner challenges has been neglected.”

- The Inner Game of Tennis, page 134

The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey is a book that is focused on how to develop the inner skills required to attain high performance. The author has written several books discussing and teaching his methodology for coaching and developing “the inner game.” The book discusses and teaches the principles through the metaphor of tennis, so if you play tennis or are a fan of the game, the examples will resonate clearly. If you aren’t familiar with tennis (I am not), don’t worry—the methodology and principles that are discusses can easily be applied to business, and all other areas of life.

The Golden Egg

Our Two Selves

"Harmony between the two selves exists when this mind is quiet and focused. Only then can peak performance be reached."- The Inner Game of Tennis, page 14

In everything that we do we have two selves that we have to be aware of. Self One, is the name given to the conscious ego-mind. Self Two, is you and your potential (your natural capabilities).  Think of them as two separate people.  

To explain this using an example: Self One is the inner dialogue that is constantly going on in your head – “OK, Justin, hold your follow through on your shot.” Self Two is the part of you that executes that act of “following through on your shot.” Here is where we run into trouble—when consciously Self One is telling Self Two to perform the act, the conscious mind interferes with the execution of the task.

When we are consciously communicating from Self One to Self Two, we are not acting in the moment. After we are taught a skill, Self Two instinctively knows what to do. This is our unconscious mind, our nervous system taking over, reacting to whatever it is that we are doing. When our internal mind (Self One) is communicating to Self Two, it causes us to overthink and overanalyze the situation. If we fail in what we’re attempting to do, we just placed an enormous amount of stress and tension on ourselves, causing our results to be less than we hoped.  

Being aware of both of our inner selves and knowing the role that each plays in our performance is the first piece that we must be aware of as we strive to operate in a peak state.

Gem #1

Letting Go of Judgements

"The first skill to learn is the art of letting go the human inclination to judge ourselves and our performance as either good or bad."- The Inner Game of Tennis, page 15

As we start down the path of having Self One and Self Two work in perfect harmony, there’s a clear principle that we need to do right off the bat. We need to learn to not judge the result of what we are doing as we practice and learn new skills. As we discussed above, by judging ourselves and thinking we’ve failed, we’re doing significant damage to our inner self inhibiting us to learn and grow.  

Gallwey writes, “When we “unlearn” judgement we discover, usually with some surprise, that we don’t need the motivation of a reformer to change our “bad” habits” (31). By letting go of judgement early on in the learning process, we allow Self Two to begin to learn in a way that allows for natural learning. It also allows for a certain level of trust to build between Self One and Self Two. There is no shame in not being able to accurately serve a tennis ball the first (hundred or more) time you try: practice and repetition are crucial to learning a new skill. When you embrace the learning process, you allow your natural ability to take over.

Gem #2

The Meaning of Winning

"Winning is overcoming obstacles to reach a goal, but the value in winning is only as great as the value of the goal reached."- The Inner Game of Tennis, page 120

This idea is the simple concept of “the journey” vs. “the destination.” Often, and with good reason, we are so focused on the outcome that we’re after that we fail to take notice of and appreciate the value of our journey to that outcome. This can result in us losing sight of all of the important lessons and learnings that happened along the way. What we all find out at some point in life that the target that we aim for in a lot of ways is out of our control. The journey is what is controllable.  

I love this from Gallwey, “the difference between being concerned about winning and being concerned about making the effort to win may seem subtle, but in the effect there is a great difference. When I’m concerned only about winning, I’m caring about something that I can’t wholly control” (122). To sum it up, “the process can be more rewarding than the victory itself” (120), so don’t forget to enjoy the journey.

The reality today is that we face extreme amount of external pressure. No matter what our job is, we have to produce a certain standard amidst the 100 other things that we have to face on a daily basis. Mastering your two selves, letting go of moral judgements, and embracing the journey instead of the destination, will help to meet the challenges of the 21st century workplace.

PRODUCTIVITY SPECIAL...... 8 Daily Mantras to Make This Your Most Productive Year Yet

8 Daily Mantras to Make This Your Most Productive Year Yet

What you say to yourself can make the biggest difference of all.

It's easy to forget what is most important, especially when something that seems urgent outweighs what is truly important to you and your business.

To make this year more productive--and more successful--make these affirmations every day:

1. "No one else is willing to do that, so that's what I will do."

Often, the easiest way to be different is to do the things other people are unwilling to do.

So pick one thing other people won't do. It can be simple. It can be small. Doesn't matter. Whatever it is, do it. You'll instantly be a little different from the rest of the pack.

Then keep going. Every day think of one thing to do that no one else is willing to do.

After a week, you'll be uncommon. After a month, you'll be special. After a year, you'll be incredible--and you definitely won't be like anyone else. (And in the process, you will develop remarkable mental toughness.)

2. "Hey, that wasn't so bad after all."

The most paralyzing fear is fear of the unknown. (At least it is for me.)

Yet nothing ever turns out to be as hard or as scary as we think. Plus, it's incredibly exciting to overcome a fear. You get that "I can't believe I just did that!" rush, a thrill you may not have experienced for a long time.

Every day, do something a little scary, whether physically or emotionally. Then, trust that you will figure out how to overcome any problems that arise.

Because you will.

3. "I can't do everything today, but I will take one small step."

You have plans. You have goals. You have ideas.

Who cares? You have nothing until you actually do something.

Every day, we let hesitation and uncertainty stop us from acting on our ideas. Pick one plan, one goal, or one idea. And get started. Just take one small step.

The first step is by far the hardest. Every successive step will be a lot easier.

4. "I won't care what other people may think."

Most of the time, we should worry about what other people think--but not if it stands in the way of living the lives we really want to live.

If you really want to start a business--which you can do in just a few hours, mind you--but you're worried that people might say you're crazy, do it anyway. Pick one thing you haven't tried because you're concerned about what other people think or say, and just go do it.

It's your life. Live it your way.

5. "I'll show you."

I'm ashamed to admit it, but one of the best ways to motivate me is to insult me--or for me to manufacture a way to feel insulted, regardless of whether I'm actually justified in feeling that way or not.

"Justified" is not the point. Fueling my motivation to do whatever it takes to prove that person wrong, and, more important, to achieve what I want to achieve, is all that matters.

Call it artificial competition or manufactured anger; call it immature; call it creating perceived insults--whatever you call it, it works for me. (Hey, it was good enough for Michael Jordan.)

And it can work for you.

6. "It's not perfect, and I'm fine with that."

Yes, you get only one chance to make a first impression. Yes, perfection is the only acceptable outcome.

Unfortunately, no product or service is ever perfect, and no project or initiative is perfectly planned. Work hard, do great work, and let it go. Your customers and colleagues will tell you what needs to be improved, and that means you'll get to make improvements that actually matter to people.

You can't accomplish anything until you let go. Do your best, let go, and then trust that you'll work hard to overcome any shortcomings.

7. "I should have done better."

We've all screwed up. We all have things we could have done better. Words. Actions. Omissions. Failing to step up, step in, or be supportive.

Successful people don't expect to be perfect, but they do think they can always be better.

So think back on your day. Think about what went well. Then think about what didn't go as well as it could have and take ownership. Take responsibility.

And promise yourself that tomorrow you will do a lot better.

8. "If nothing else, I can always do more."

Like Jimmy Spithill, skipper of America's Cup-winning team Oracle USA, says, "Rarely have I seen a situation where doing less than the other guy is a good strategy."

You may not be as experienced, as well funded, as well connected, or as talented, but you can always outthink, out-hustle, and outwork everyone else. (Or, as I like to say, the extra mile is a vast, unpopulated wasteland.)

Even when everything else seems stacked against you, effort and persistence can still be your competitive advantages--and they may be the only advantages you truly need.

By Jeff Haden

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/first-90-days-daily-mantras-to-make-this-year-super-productive.html

LINKEDIN SPECIAL..... This Is What Recruiters Look For On Your LinkedIn Profile

This Is What Recruiters Look For On Your LinkedIn Profile

What catches their eye—or pass you by? You might be surprised.

When you’re looking for a job, your LinkedIn profile is a 24/7 information resource for the recruiters who are looking for talent. In fact, in the Jobvite 2016 Recruiter Nation Report, 87% of recruiters find LinkedIn most effective when vetting candidates during the hiring process.

But what really catches a recruiter’s eye when they’re scrolling through your profile? Here, several weighed in about profiles that make them reach out—or recoil.

INCOMPLETE PROFILES ARE A TURN-OFF

When Cassandre Joseph, senior talent acquisition visionary and strategist at recruitment firm Korn Ferry, looks at a profile, she wants to see your work experience, education, and accomplishments. Incomplete profiles make it more difficult to determine whether you’re the best match for the job, because she can’t get the whole picture. It’s a bad first impression, she says.

"I find somebody's profile and it says they've worked at, according to the profile, four different places simultaneously. They're adding the new places, but not putting end dates. That says they haven't updated their LinkedIn profile in X amount of years," she says.

DON’T USE SELFIES

Your profile photo makes the first impression, so put a little effort into it, says resume expert and retained search consultant Donna Svei. It should look professional and representative of the job you are seeking. Selfies and vacation photos tell recruiters you couldn’t be bothered to make yourself look more professional.

"People can easily evaluate their profile photos using Photofeeler.com and Snappr.com," says Svei.

WHO YOU "KNOW" MATTERS

Profiles with just a few contacts are also unappealing, says Molly O'Malley, a tenured recruiter at Adams Keegan, a national HR management and employer services provider. The most effective people have robust networks, and your LinkedIn profile should represent that. You don’t need thousands, but 300 or more is ideal, she says So, beef up your contacts before you look for a new job.

DISCREPANCIES ARE RED FLAGS

Joseph says recruiters often look at profiles to confirm information about a candidate. So when your dates of employment, job titles, or other facts are different on your profile than they are on your resume, a recruiter might worry about how detail-oriented you are—or if there’s reason to believe that you’re not being truthful on one or the other.

NO ONE HAS TIME FOR A LONG, DENSE SUMMARY

Think of your summary like a copywriter would, Svei says. Highlight what’s in it for recruiters to contact you, such as your achievements, honors, and success stories. Use short copy blocks and bullet points so they can read your summary easily. As more recruiters use mobile devices, your copy should be easy to read on small screens. Svei says it’s also critical to include keywords about your industry for easy searchability.

YOUR HEADLINE MATTERS MORE THAN YOU KNOW

Recruiters may also find your LinkedIn profile via Google instead of the platform itself, Svei says. Google search results will typically include your location and the professional headline that appears under your name on your profile. Make the most of that headline by clarifying your industry and job function.

STOP THE JARGON

If your title is something along the lines of "supreme conveyer of IT knowledge" or "social media ninja," don’t expect a recruiter to try to figure out what you do, O’Malley says. Make your job title and what your company does clear. Jargon or vague language wastes everyone’s time.

RECRUITERS READ YOUR THOUGHTS

During your job search, maintain an active profile, says Melanie Lundberg, assistant vice president of talent management and corporate communications for Combined Insurance. "Read news feeds, share content, comment—it shows a level of professional engagement," she says. Similarly, link to articles you’ve written or other examples of your work. Many will also be looking for professionalism in what you post.

THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE NICE, BUT . . .

Recruiters are mostly unimpressed with recommendations unless they’re short and really highlight something about your capabilities or strengths, O’Malley says. Don’t ditch them, but don’t put too much stock in them, either.

SAYING YOU’RE JOB HUNTING HELPS

By using the Open Candidates option, you can privately let recruiters know that you’re looking for a job. Svei says it’s a good idea to use this option, which indicates that you want to hear about potential opportunities.

GWEN MORAN https://www.fastcompany.com/3067594/hit-the-ground-running/this-is-what-recruiters-look-for-on-your-linkedin-profile