QUINCY, ILL. -- National unemployment rates were still above 8% as of this August.

Job hunters are searching for ways to stay competitive in a tough economy, and LinkedIn may be the answer.

For many professionals who have not had much luck job hunting, the problem may not be skills or experience.

"I think its pretty much all about networking. If you're going to start using your network I would say your chances are 50% to 60% higher than if you were just using a job ad," Kristen Liesen said. Liesen is the Coordinator of Career Services at Quincy University. She encourages any students entering or re-entering the job search to use LinkedIn to broaden their network.

"Even though you might not be able to connect directly to an employer, you might connect with somebody that's in the same field and they might say ' we have an opening in this organization,'" JWCC's Employment and Training Specialist Judy Litchfield explained.

LinkedIn is a professional networking website. It gives users the opportunity to post resumes, add professional connections, and request references, all online. Once someone has registered they can search for former co-workers, professionals in their field and job openings.

LinkedIn differs from sites like Facebook and Twitter, because its primary purpose is not social, it's professional. Too casual of a presentation online may make it difficult for employers to see job candidates in a more professional light.

"Use it to show your professional side. If you've read an article somewhere about something in your field, share that with others so you can say this is really important to what we are doing in our jobs," Litchfield encouraged.

Online job hunting is becoming a large part of the hiring process and Liesen says nearly every employer that she has worked with in the Career Services office is somehow connected to LinkedIn. The site allows users to quickly let a large number of professionals know that they are looking for a job.

Even for those who do not regularly use social media accounts, having a well maintained LinkedIn account can help build a professional network and resume to advance careers.

"If they have said the other social media areas that they can get involved in, 'no that's not for me' I say 'no, this is really just a professional networking site' and its pretty safe and you can control how out there you are and how much contact you make," Liesen said.

It's also important to closely monitor active social media accounts such as Facebook.