LinkedIn announced on October 29, 2015 that it had reached 400 million members worldwide—yet only 25% of the users are active. What does it mean to be active in LinkedIn?  How do you determine whether a member is an active user?  Let’s start with the definition of active, which simply means engaging or ready to engage.  According to this definition, all LinkedIn members would be active, but those who use LinkedIn regularly know that isn’t true. (Why or how do they know it’s not true? Maybe: All too often efforts at networking reach no one, frustrating attempts to make valuable contacts or find a new position.) Here is a simple checklist of profile elements to determine whether a person is an active LinkedIn user:

Professional Profile Photo
Customized LinkedIn URL
Customized Headline that is not the same as their Current Job Title
Current Job Listing
More than one Past Job
More than 250 Connections
Follows Companies, News, Influencers and/or Schools
Belongs to Groups
Recent Activity

Why is it so important to know if a person is active? You want to network with like professionals and with so many members, LinkedIn is a fantastic place to meet people. However, members are restricted to 3,000 lifetime invitations to connect, and you do not want to waste any of these on non-active users. So search smart—and advance your career!