You may be tempted to treat LinkedIn as your professional Facebook, but it is so much more than that. Actively using LinkedIn as a networking tool makes all the difference.

On November 22nd, we’re offering a great opportunity to network with your peers and get your photo taken for your LinkedIn. Find out more here. Your profile is the new business card, so ensure it’s sharp before you start networking! Here’s how:

1. Do a full review of your profile before the event to stand out.

Make sure you’ve gone over your profile for spelling mistakes and clarity, but most importantly make it exciting. It’s tempting to simply list your past roles task by task. However, you want to make each bullet point stand out like a headline for a story. Instead of saying “worked on reaching new markets“, try “reached new markets”. Here’s a video on using verbs actively. If you have more time, craft an introduction that shows your passion and uses active language.

2. Update your status and take action on a regular basis.

Some professionals recommend that you post on your LinkedIn on at least a weekly basis and engage with the platform. Look for new connections, like posts, and show off new projects. Try participating in groups if you aren’t sure where to start.  You wouldn’t leave your Facebook profile empty – keep yourself in the game by keeping engagement regular and interesting.

3.  Show your multi-faceted side.

Add your volunteering achievements to your LinkedIn. As you make more connections on LinkedIn from meeting people at networking events, they might be intrigued or interested by your life story after looking at your LinkedIn. Took an interesting workshop or completed a creative project? Add it in! It’s never just about what jobs you’ve held.

4. Have an up-to-date professional quality photo.

If you’re attending the November 22nd event, you’re in luck! You’ll receive a free professional photograph. Without an up-to-date profile photo that clearly and professionally shows off your personality, it will be harder for real life connections to recognize you in a friend request. Your photo will reflect your professionalism, so hold off on cell phone selfies. Your expression in a photo can also impact how trustworthy you seem!

5. Your connections and endorsements paint a picture – make sure it’s the right one.

Ensure you new connections are made with purpose and that they represent you professionally. Ask trusted connections to endorse you for listed skills and endorse others for their skills. This way, someone can more accurately understand what you are best at and with whom you like to work with. Don’t rush and add every connection you know – make sure you are requesting with the intention to build an intentional professional community.

Don’t have a lot of time before the big event to work on these five areas? Here’s a summary of tweaks you can make quickly from The Muse.