If you want to grow your career in this day and age, it’s no longer viable to simply write a beautiful resume and call it done.
You need to find ways to get your name out on social media and other digital avenues. You have to find other professionals and like-minded people.
LinkedIn is the perfect place to do this. It’s a great way to brand yourself to potential clients and employers alike. You can grow a portfolio of achievements and demonstrate your skills while staying connected with people who share similar passions.
However, make sure that you create a profile that entices others to look through it. You don’t want to send people away from your profile before they give you a chance. There are certain things you should avoid when developing your LinkedIn profile, and we’re here to help you learn about them.
Continue reading to find out more about it!
1. Bad Photos
Your photo is one of the very first things others will see when they view your profile. Fair or not, chances are they’ll pass judgment when they look at the photo. So make sure the photo they look at is a good one.
Don’t post selfies or a picture in poor quality. Don’t use other brands (or even other people). After all, people want to put a face with a name.
Use a photo that’s a high-quality headshot, and make sure you’re dressed professionally.
There’s a certain size requirement for profile photos, so make the most of it.
2. Poor Summary
Your LinkedIn profile is the best way to sell yourself to potential employers or clients. When they visit your page, they want to learn about you and the value you could offer. Don’t sell yourself short by leaving your personal summary blank or only half-filled.
Use this space to explain who you are and what you can do. Tell your viewers exactly why they should want to connect with you and start a conversation.
Be sure to use proper formatting and punctuation in order to present yourself as a person to be taken seriously.
3. Keyword Stuffing
It might seem like a good idea to gather up a bunch of popular keywords and use them in your LinkedIn profile. More is better, right?
Not really. You shouldn’t use any keywords on your profile that doesn’t represent you. If someone visits your profile for the wrong reason, they’ll ignore you. They also might let other people know to ignore you. Furthermore, it could be a downward spiral for your presence on LinkedIn.
If you do choose to use good keywords that pertain to your career and skills, try to use them sparingly.
4. Not Keeping Active
If you don’t update your profile to include things like your personal achievements or new skills, chances are your profile will be ignored. Or, it won’t display properly, causing others to pass you by because they think you’re no longer using LinkedIn.
Spend a little time each week updating your LinkedIn page.
5. Treating it Like Facebook
While it can appear similar to Facebook due to its social networking appeal, LinkedIn is meant to be a professional site used by professionals with business and career goals in mind. Keep this in mind when you’re posting or responding to a post.
It’s not a good idea to post selfies or small status updates. Also, there’s no point in having thousands of strangers in your network that you never talk to. Remember, LinkedIn is about building a network of like-minded professionals where you all can help each other grow and expand your business and/or careers.
So use it as such!
You’re on Your Way to the Perfect LinkedIn Profile!
LinkedIn is a powerful tool and because of that, there are more tips you could use to make the most of it. However, don’t make the mistakes we’ve outlined above! Avoid them and you’ll find that your LinkedIn profile will get more views and connections.
Have any questions or comments? Contact us!