7 Biggest Mistakes People Make on Linkedin
Everyone is on LinkedIn. And more importantly, the forum invites participation even with the most senior professionals including CXO levels. This is a stark contrast from other job sites because LinkedIn is not just about getting yourself a job but also involves information sharing and knowledge power. So, if your profile should stand good chances, there are some obvious mistakes you must avoid on LinkedIn.
1. Having a uninteresting profile
Creating a profile is not just about putting your name, where you work and your contact particulars. Your profile must focus on what you are, your credentials and what you are capable of. This is what is called branding. Let your profile talk about what you can deliver and how you can do that in a manner that targets the right audience. Random filling of information will not fetch you the results you expect to see.
2. Expecting your ‘job title’ to do the job
If you think putting in your designation or job title will do the job, think again. “Vice President” or “Marketing Executive” or “Engineer” does not convey anything to a potential employer. This is just the way your name does to the personality you are. Mention your skills in as fitting terms as possible. Your profile can be concise but has to be specific so that people who look you up will know at first glance if you are what they need.
3. Accepting everyone’s invitations
The first temptation when you get on a forum like LinkedIn is to accept invitations from random strangers or add on your friends, friends of friends, family and some random people. If you are on LinkedIn on a professional purpose, make sure you stick to it. Add relevant connections that include professionals from your domain, your industry, your skill set or your interests. This way, you do not just stand good chances of being identified for a potential opportunity but also enable knowledge sharing in a big way.
4. Not making use of keywords
It is easy to string complex sounding words together to make your profile look sophisticated. But this is not going to fetch you brownie points. Creating a profile and a good one at that is an art. Identifying the right set of keywords that will produce favorable results is one that takes a little time to master. So, it is important to identify the most suitable keywords and key phrases for your profile and put them at strategic places so that you appear on search results efficiently.
