Top Linkedin Blunders
LinkedIn has established itself as the world’s most popular professional networking site, and is seeing healthy growth in registered members. LinkedIn has proven itself to be a great tool for making new connections, promoting your business brand and identifying new opportunities.
In order to see the best results, however, there is a growing level of etiquette around how to use the site in the right way. Both new and existing users should be mindful of some of thebiggest blundersthat are being made all the time.
Not building a good profile
Your LinkedIn profile is part of your overall branding and therefore needs to reflect your capabilities, achievements and professionalism. You must include a picture; people do not want to connect with anonymous, faceless individuals. Ensure that your personal summary is engaging and powerful and avoid buzzwords. Everybody describes themselves as a ‘team player’ or as ‘motivated’ and ‘driven’. Ensure that your profile is completed in full and that there are no gaps, and pay particular attention to grammar and typing errors, which will appear amateurish.
Misuse of recommendations
Recommendations are a great addition to your profile, because they can potentially demonstrate an unbiased endorsement of your capabilities. Having no recommendations on your profile is unhelpful, but you can also have too many. Other users may be suspicious of somebody that seems to have been recommended by hundreds of people. Aim for one or two strong recommendations per role. Choose connections that have a broad network and are well-established in their careers. Never have more than one recommendation from the same person.
Misuse of LinkedIn groups
LinkedIn groups are a great way to connect with new people, share ideas and demonstrate your expertise. There are many thousands of different groups available, so you should be selective about the ones that you join. Avoid small, generic groups that don’t seem to focus on particular expertise or markets. Join well-established, popular groups that relate to your specific skills and experience. Only join as many groups as you have time to participate in and then ensure that you do participate. Ask questions and provide responses to those asked by others to build your interaction with other members of the group, or your membership is largely wasted.
Misuse of connections
LinkedIn is not a competition to see who can get the most connections. In the average large-sized company, you could easily connect with 50 or more individuals, but you have to ask whether you really ARE connected or whether you just know each other. Your connections should be valued contacts, with which you regularly have contact. They should be part of your real-life network and not just virtual friends. Don’t try and connect with people you have never met. When sending a request for a connection, send a personalized email and avoid sending the generic LinkedIn text or it will appear that you are just speculating for as many connections as you can find.
Not maintaining your profile
Some users seem to think that LinkedIn is simply a portal for displaying your resume and then leaving it to attract recruiters. This is wrong. LinkedIn is a professional, but social network, and relies on constant interaction. Log in daily to check updates and messages. Interact with groups frequently. Update your profile as and when required so that it is always accurate and up-to-date. Remember that this is part of your brand. You never know who is looking at it, or when, so you want it to be current at all times.
LinkedIn is an unquestionably useful tool that is increasingly popular with career-savvy professionals. The chances are that if you can’t see the point of LinkedIn, then you aren’t using it properly.
