LinkedIn is a valuable career resource. Where else can you post your job history, skills and accomplishments for potential employers (or recruiters) to peruse at their leisure? Plus, it’s a great place to interact with other professionals and establish yourself as an expert in your field. Still, there’s a way to do LinkedIn well—and a way to do it not so well. You need to know what mistakes to avoid so recruiters don’t avoid you.
Five Mistakes to Avoid on LinkedIn
You want your LinkedIn profile to be as polished, professional and accurate as possible. So to accomplish this, you’ll want to avoid the following:
A bad photo, or none at all.
LinkedIn helps recruiters get an idea of the full package—who you are, what you do and what you’re all about. And it can help to put a face with a name; it makes your profile look incomplete or abandoned when it lacks a photo. You’ll want to choose one that looks professional or simply pay for a professional head shot. Your picture also helps contacts find and network with you if you have a more common name.
A summary that sounds like someone else wrote it.
Your summary should be written by you, in the first person, and should explain what your career goals entail. It shouldn’t sound as if someone is speaking about you (for example, “John Smith is an engineering professional with 10 years in the field.”). Instead, it should sound as if you’re speaking (for example, “I seek projects that allow me to express myself creatively.”).
Treating LinkedIn like Facebook.
Since it’s strictly a professional networking site, your LinkedIn followers don’t need to see personal details of your life. For this reason, it’s inappropriate to post random pictures, memes, or information that is anything other than professional.
Letting your profile become outdated.
LinkedIn has the advantage of being live—so your profile should reflect what you’re up to currently. Just like your resume, you should update it as often as you can. If you complete a continuing education course, post it. If you change jobs, update your LinkedIn profile. Sporadically updating your profile when you’re looking for a new job (and only when you’re looking for a new job) can be a red flag to your contacts as to what’s going on. If you regularly post information and interact in groups, all your activity will blend into the mix.
Forgetting to use keywords.
Recruiters often search through profiles using keywords, so be sure your profile contains them. You can find keywords for your field by searching through job profiles on sites such as Monster, Indeed and Glassdoor.
When Your Profile is Ready, Contact Snelling Georgia Group
If your LinkedIn profile is ready and you’re currently looking for a new job, we can help. We’ll pair you with a recruiter who will work with you to understand your career goals and help you find a position that matches. To learn more, contact Snelling Georgia Group today!
