Around 6 people are hired every minute via LinkedIn. A careers coach says having the right photo is one of 5 key things you can do to make your profile stand out.

• Roughly six people are hired via LinkedIn a minute. Ensuring your profile stands out is important.
• An incomplete profile is a common mistake, said Charlotte Davies, a career expert at LinkedIn.

LinkedIn has become an important way of finding a new role. Roughly, six people are hired a minute via the platform, the company estimates.

Having an incomplete profile is one of the most common mistakes that people make in terms of their LinkedIn profile, said Charlotte Davies, a careers expert at LinkedIn told Insider.

You should think of your profile as a living, breathing CV, Davies said.

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"It's really thinking about how you stand out and making sure you've got a complete profile so that if I'm looking for a specific candidate, the key words are there that really show your experience and skills, so that you're easier to find," Davies said.

Your profile picture matters

LinkedIn members with a profile photo gain, on average, 21 times more profile views, and up to nine times more connection requests than members that don't, said Davies.

Of course, it's not a guarantee that it will secure you a role but it helps recruiters identify who you are and gives them an insight into you as a professional.

"We're not saying you need a professional photo shoot, you just need something that feels current, clear and well lit and make sure that's on your profile," Davies said.

Spotlight your skills

A good profile should have a clear list of skills and keywords that are relevant to your role or the industry you're looking to break into. It will help recruiters find you, said Davies.

Profiles with five or more skills listed are contacted, on average, 27 times more by other LinkedIn members, said Davies.

Shining a spotlight on your own skills can sometimes feel uncomfortable because we don't always know what to include, Davies said.

If you're unsure, ask around. Family members, friends, and colleagues can act as good sounding boards to talk through potential skills for the list. They may push you to highlight things that you're good at that you probably weren't aware of yourself, Davies said.

Using LinkedIn's Skills Assessment tool — which users can complete then display as a badge on your profile — can also be a good way of showing them on your profile.

Create content

Creating content is becoming increasingly common on LinkedIn, with users using the site to share their experiences — whether this is a failure or successes — and sharing general advice.

Whether it's a video, examples of past work, or just a quick comment post, it can draw people to your profile, and show them about your specific expertise.

"It's really how you want to highlight the skills and experiences outside of work to your profile," Davies said. This can take practice, so aim to start small and post as frequently as you feel comfortable.

Following people that you like to see how they frame their own posts can be helpful, said Davies.

LinkedIn has a function called Creator Mode. Enabling this will change the "connect" button on your profile into "follow" and will highlight any original content you post.

Think about your network

"Tap into your network," Davies said. Think about who you could reach out to for advice, for a reference or as a potential employer.

People are increasingly open to virtual coffees or opportunities to share their advice. However, if you're reaching out to people online, don't just add them without context.

Always include words, be that how you met, how you know them or just why you want to connect.

If you're looking for a role, advertise it

In October, the platform released a new "open for work tool," which enables you to add a photo frame to your profile that lets recruiters know that you're looking for a role.

Adding the #openforwork hashtag to relevant posts and your profile can also help you stand out.