I can’t emphasize enough just how important your LinkedIn profile is to your career.  Your LinkedIn profile is the primary thing other people (all 40 million of them on the network) will see about you.  It is the online world’s equivalent of a first impression, so it should be utilized well.  Even the simplest errors on a profile page can have dire effects.  Here’s a list of common errors to watch out for:

Forgetting to proofread

One of the most basic and powerful things that you can do to create a great profile is to make sure that it doesn’t contain any errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation. The reason for this is that it can show that you are sloppy and careless.  Worse, some people might even interpret these errors as incompetence.

Picking unflattering pictures

If you want to post a picture, then follow the same rules that you would in picking a picture for a resume. The photograph should be an attractive, professional, head-and-shoulders shot of you in business attire—clear, with a plain background. The idea behind a LinkedIn profile picture is to show your contacts that you can look the part of a professional.

Not being specific

Make sure that you provide enough details in your LinkedIn profile. Do not simply indicate general information such as “went to graduate school” or “attended a seminar”. Indicate the names, dates, and places that will give potential employers, clients, or customers an idea of what you are about.

Not being truthful

Don’t think that you can get away with lying or even exaggerating on a LinkedIn profile. Employers have an amazing array of tools, including LinkedIn itself, to check the truth of your claims.  And they will.  Avoid the awkwardness and almost certainly career-damaging effects of being caught in a lie by sticking to actual facts in your profile.

Writing your life story

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you need to put everything you’ve ever done on your LinkedIn profile. Stick to details that are most recent and pertinent to the industry that you want to work in. If your profile is too busy, people tend to simply ignore it.  Just like a resume, your LinkedIn profile should be clear and easy to read.

There’s definitely a right way and a wrong way to create a LinkedIn profile.  The wrong way will probably get you passed up, overlooked, and ignored, at best—but the right way will pay off in a solid network of powerful resources that will serve you well throughout your career. 

If you need help with creating a LinkedIn profile that will be an effective, attractive first impression for you, click here for a LinkedIn Profile Tutorial for jobseekers. 

If your LinkedIn profile isn’t getting you the results you expected in your job search, click here for some LinkedIn Ninja tricks for jobseekers that will help you bypass HR and get the job.

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