LinkedIn is the go-to social media platform when looking for a professional-level job. Recruiters scour LinkedIn to find qualified candidates for open positions, and LinkedIn has a very active jobs area, usually in the top five of "best" job search site lists. Therefore, for anyone looking for a new position, it is vital to be on LinkedIn. 

But there is a "right" and "wrong" way to be on LinkedIn. Are you committing any of these LinkedIn "don'ts" that may be hindering your job search?

You Do Not Know Why You Are on LinkedIn

People tell you that you need to be on LinkedIn, but you have no strategy or plan. What are you trying to accomplish by being on LinkedIn? You must understand how you plan to use LinkedIn. Are you going to be applying to jobs through the jobs area, and therefore need a profile set-up so that you can use the "Easy Apply" feature? Are you looking to network with individuals in a new industry to see if a career pivot might be a good move for you? Are you looking to set up a compelling profile so that recruiters will find you? It could be one or all of the above. You need to be clear about your goal(s) because your strategy will dictate how you should use the platform. Any social media platform can become a time suck if you are not clear how you want to use it with efficiency.

You Have Made Yourself Hard to Find

If you want recruiters and potential connections to find you, you need to make yourself easy to find. That seems pretty straightforward, but you might be surprised how many LinkedIn profiles are set-up in a challenging way to be found in a search. Especially when on a job search, make sure you are visible to the public. Unless you have a specific security concern, make yourself available to everyone. That way, people can find your LinkedIn profile whether using the LinkedIn search or through an internet search engine.

1. Go to Security and Privacy Settings on desktop or tap on the gear on your profile's top right on mobile.

2. Go to the Visibility area

3. Go to Visibility of your profile & network

4. Go to Edit Your Public Profile

5. Under Edit Visibility select the radio button for Public

It would help if you also let people see that you are looking at their profile. There is nothing wrong with this, and it is expected that members will look at others' profiles. Unless you have a good reason for doing stealth research, make this Public:

1. Go to Security and Privacy Settings on desktop or tap on the gear on the profile's top right on mobile.

2. Go to the Visibility area

3. Go to Visibility of your profile & network

4. Go to Profile Viewing Options

5. Select Your name and headline

You should also let others see your last name. Often recruiters will want to add your name to a database, and it will require extra searches to find your last name if you do not provide it.

Make sure you are allowing people to see your last name (before connecting) by doing this:

1. Go to Security and Privacy Settings on desktop or tap on the gear on the profile's top right on mobile.

2. Go to the Visibility area

3. Go to Visibility of your profile & network

4. Go to Who can see your last name

5. Select the radio button for your full name on the desktop version or tap your full name on mobile to find a green checkmark that appears next to it.

Aside from the above, use keywords to help others find you in a search. Keywords are the commonly used search terms used when looking for someone with your experience, education, or skills. For an Accountant, in addition to your job title, other keywords to include in your profile might be the following:

• CPA or Certified Public Accountant

• Forensic accounting

• Tax accounting

• Cost accounting

• General Ledger

• Financial Reporting/Financial Statements

• Account reconciliation

• Microsoft Dynamics 365

You will want to include the appropriate terms for you in the headline, About section, experience, education, and skills section. The more relevant keywords that show up in your profile, the greater chance you will show up when that keyword is part of the search criteria.

No Profile Picture

Ah, the blue person outline on a profile. It is never a good look. When you hide behind the blue outline, you may miss opportunities because people will be more hesitant to connect with you. It is as if you have made yourself non-relevant on LinkedIn. People may think you are a fake account or you have something to hide. You make it harder for people to know if you are the right person to connect with if they know you but cannot see your face amongst all the people with the same name. LinkedIn's research shows that members with a profile picture get 21 times more profile views and nine times more connection requests. So unless there is a specific privacy concern you have (such as having someone stalking you), you should have a profile picture.

You do not have to have a professional headshot. As long as it is relatively new, your iPhone or Android device should be able to take a decent picture. Follow these guidelines for taking a winning profile photo.

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly of LinkedIn Profile Photos

Not Leveraging Recommendations

Your LinkedIn profile is written to show how talented you are and detail all your accomplishments. That is important. LinkedIn gives you an area for recommendations, both for giving and receiving. Receiving recommendations is important, as it provides social proof that what you tell about yourself is true. When you have written about all the value you have brought through your work, and there are no recommendations, it looks odd and starts putting questions in the reader's head. 

To avoid this, make sure that you ask your managers, peers, clients, and vendors for a recommendation. They likely will be happy to oblige. If you would like your profile reader to know about how you worked together, it is acceptable to suggest that the person recommending you include this information. LinkedIn even allows you to request an edit of a recommendation before you agree to have it published. 

Don't forget that you also make a statement about yourself when you give recommendations. Be generous with your recommendations of others. Plus, when you provide a recommendation, you may receive one from the beneficiary in return.

Not Making Yourself Stand Out

I read a lot of profiles. Most of them are bad. Really. Okay, maybe that is a bit harsh. Let's say they aren't very good. The reason is that they look like everyone else that does that job. The headline is the default <title> @ <company>. The About section is maybe a paragraph that reads like a job description. The experience section is just a job, title, and dates of employment. The education section is degree and school. That is it. Not much different than what could be found on a resume. Your LinkedIn profile should be much more.

Give some thought to what you want to say in your LinkedIn profile. Remember, what is your goal for being on LinkedIn. Use that as a guide to what you want to say about yourself. At a minimum, your headline should include the keywords for your role and industry. For what are you known? You can include it here.

Your About section can be 2,600 characters long. Use it. Tell the reader something about yourself. What makes you unique? What are some of your most notable achievements? How do you bring value to those working with you? You also can add information of a more personal nature, so we get an idea of the whole you and not just the business you.

Your experience section should have more than just your title, employer, and dates of employment. What did you do? What did you work on? Why was it important? What were the results? If you want people to be interested in you, tell them more.

LinkedIn allows you to add information about projects you have worked on, organizations you have worked with, papers you have written, awards you have received, etc. This area is underutilized by most on LinkedIn, but it can be an opportunity to showcase experiences and output that others might find interesting.

You Make a Profile but Do Nothing Else on LinkedIn

According to LinkedIn, 46.97% of users are active during a month. That is less than half. Is that you? If it is, you are squandering a great opportunity, especially if you are looking for a job. There is a whole wide world of engagement going on this platform, and you are missing out. What does that mean to your job search? You are not meeting new people and making yourself known. You are not actively building a following or showing your expertise. There is a great ROI that you can get from being more than just a profile on LinkedIn. LinkedIn can open you up to opportunities as people become aware of you and what you offer. In some roles, you will even be judged by your social media presence. Your competition is using LinkedIn to its advantage. Why not you?

You Do Not Have a Connection Plan

LinkedIn has over 700 million users. With whom do you want to connect? You need to figure this out early. Do you want to connect with everyone (not recommended)? Only people you know (also not recommended)? Or people that meet specific criteria (industry, roles, location, etc.)? Again, you should determine your strategy based upon your goal(s) for being on the platform. If you are on a job search, maybe you want to connect with people that work or worked at your target companies. You would also welcome connections from where you live, regardless of employer and anyone from a school you attended. If someone suggests you speak with one of their connections, that person would also be okay to add as a connection. There is no right or wrong here. And your connection strategy can change over time. Just make sure you start with one, or your network can end up a mess of unhelpful connections that may get hard to manage.

You Do Not Personalize Your Connection Request

LinkedIn has made this harder to send a connection request for mobile users. LinkedIn has an enticing blue button that begs you to tap it on the mobile app. DON'T. Instead, go to the unassuming and smaller "More…" button and tap on "Personalize invite." With every connection invitation, you want to write a personal note. Why? Because you want to start a conversation. Why add a connection unless you want to get to know the person? So, write a short note, giving your reason for wanting to connect. Do you have shared connections? Were you referred? Did you find something interesting in the person's profile? Let the person know what is in it for them to connect with you. You are more likely to get your connection request accepted when you do this. 

 

Asking Something from Your Connection With Your First Message

Here is the scenario. You just have accepted a connection request, and you get a note back that reads something like this:

 

Hi <Insert Name>,

 

Thank you for accepting my connection request. I am currently looking for a new position as a Digital Marketing Manager. Would you happen to know anyone that is hiring?

 

Thanks,

 

<Recent Connection>

 

You might ask what is wrong with this? Aren't connections supposed to help you find a job? Isn't this what networking is all about? Well, networking can lead to discovering opportunities. But with networking, you need to play the long game. That means building relationships and trust. Get people to know you. Then you can ask for a favor and one that is small and not too time-consuming. Many new connections, which you have not taken the opportunity to get to know, will be turned off by this approach. They will not be happy with you, as they may feel used.

Therefore, get to know your connections first. Who are they, and what is happening in their world? Offer to provide help first, such as an introduction, information, or support. When you give first, the other person will develop warm feelings towards you and might even offer to help, but at the very least, will be happy to listen to your request and see how they might assist you. That is the type of relationship you will want.

 

Not Following Up with Connections 

Okay, so you have made a connection. You may have even talked with your connection, either through text, email, or video calls. That wasn't too hard. The other person seemed nice. But then you never think about them again. You have made one of the biggest mistakes on LinkedIn; not having a strategy to follow up with your connections.

Your connections should not be thought of as a transaction - good only for something you want. Your connections are your relationships. Relationships are worth their weight in gold. They can help you by providing information and can bring opportunities your way. They can be a shoulder to cry on. But they will be none of these things if you never follow back up with them. Make it a point to circle back with your connections - monthly, quarterly, or at least yearly. See how they are doing and what has changed. Offer any help you can provide. Show interest in them, and they will show interest in you.

 

Not Engaging with Others on LinkedIn 

LinkedIn is a social media platform, but many people forget the *social* part. Too many people develop their profile and do nothing else. They do not engage at all with others that post content. That means no reactions and no comments. And worse, only 1% of LinkedIn's monthly users post content of their own. Not engaging is such a missed opportunity, especially if you are looking for a new job. The more visible you are on the platform, the more people will want to look at your profile. This can result in additional connections and opportunities that could come your way.

If you are intimidated by LinkedIn, take a few days to be a lurker. What do you see in your newsfeed? If that is not of interest, follow hashtags on subjects that are of interest. Find people in your field or industry and follow them to see what they are posting. Then when you get a good feel for the topics, start adding your perspective. Start reacting to posts that are of interest. Doing so will help the algorithm better curate the information you like best. Then wade into starting to comment on posts. What is your take on the subject? Do you have a similar experience or a different one? Do you have a contrary opinion? Say so. This will get you noticed by the author and others that have read the post as well. Do not be surprised if you start getting connection requests as a result of your increased visibility. 

When you are comfortable expressing an opinion via comments, you should be ready to post your content. Do you need some help with how to make your post look professional? Check out 11 Free Online Tools For Better Social Media Posting for tools to use to come up with post topics and make them stand out. No matter if you do one post a week or seven, consistency is critical. You will develop an audience that will rely on seeing your new information on a regular cadence.

Some people cannot be bothered by engaging on LinkedIn. They use the excuse that they prefer the other social media networks they routinely use, such as Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook. When you are on a job search, you need to think about your time and effort's best return on investment. LinkedIn often can give you that over other social media networks.

 

Four Bonus Mistakes

People make many mistakes using LinkedIn, and here are four more to be aware of? Are you doing any of these? 

1. Not editing your LinkedIn URL to make it more professional. You can get rid of the random letters and numbers at the end of your profile URL. LinkedIn has a help page for doing this here.

2. Please do not write walls of text. In your About section, make sure you are not writing long paragraphs of text. People will not have the time nor the inclination to slog through all of that. Write short paragraphs, and do not be afraid to use white space to break up different ideas. You can also use emojis and bold text to highlight important information.

3. Not proofreading your content. Make sure it does not have typos or grammatical errors. Do you realize how many people have "Manger" as part of their job title? It is not a good look.

4. People that stop using LinkedIn when they get a job offer. Don't make this mistake. LinkedIn is a professional social media network, and you want to continue building a network of people to learn from and support in turn. Ideally, you want job opportunities to come to you, even when you are not working. Nurturing your contacts and being a presence on the network can make that happen.

 

Conclusion

Now that you know better, do better. Don't make the same mistakes that so many people do on LinkedIn. Be intentional and active on the platform. That is when the magic happens.

You may be interested in my two-part blog posts about Linkedin.

How to Use LinkedIn When You Are Looking For a Job Part 1: Your LinkedIn Profile

How to Use LinkedIn When You Are Looking For a Job Part 2: Networking, Engagement, and Job Board

Shelley Piedmont is a job search coach. She wants to help job seekers put their best foot forward by providing the tools for a successful job search. If you need career coaching, resume preparation, interview skills assessment, or LinkedIn profile assistance, she can help. Schedule a 15-minute no-obligation consultation.