10 Ways to Screw-Up Your LinkedIn Presence

Social networking is great – I am a devotee of LinkedIn and Facebook. I haven’t Tweeted yet, but will probably have to go there sometime. If you participate on LinkedIn, you have to be consistent in your participation, or your online presence (so important in a today’s professional world) will have negative impact instead of positive impact. Here are 10 ways I most often see people screw up their LinkedIn presence:

1. “CURRENT" EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION IS OUTDATED. You wouldn’t stretch the truth on your resume. Don’t do it on LinkedIn either. It’s inaccurate and shows people that you are lackadaisical about your employment status.
2. EMAIL ADDRESS IS OUTDATED. LinkedIn updates and notifications are emailed to you. You will not receive them if your email address is incorrect.
3. PROFILE LACKS DETAIL about your employment experience. This is what LinkedIn is all about. People will be interested in who you are and what you have done. That’s the whole point of being on LinkedIn.
4. INDISCRIMINANT INVITATIONS to connect to people you don’t really know, just to raise your Connections count. Before sending an invitation to connect, think about WHY a connection to that person will be valuable (to you and to them), and include verbiage about that in your invitation to personalize it.

5. UNFORTUNATE OR UNPROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPH. If you choose to upload a photograph (which is not required), it should be reflective of the professional impression you want to impart. Avoid use of a mug shot or a mobile snapshot taken at a drinking party.
6. ABSENCE OF RECOMMENDATIONS. Professional recommendations/endorsements are an important aspect of rounding out your profile. Don’t be afraid to ask people with whom you have had good working relationships to provide a recommendation.
7. POORLY WRITTEN RECOMMENDATIONS. Following up on the previous point, it will not reflect well on you if someone writes an inarticulate or poorly edited recommendation for you. Do not hesitate to ask for a revision, or do not publish a recommendation that does not suit your needs.
8. JOINING FRIVOLOUS GROUPS. Remember, this is a professional community. Join groups that will provide professional updates and growth to enhance your career and network connections.
9. FLIPPANT OR RUDE POSTINGS to Discussions or Questions posted by other members. If you don’t have anything of value to add, then pass it by. You don’t do your reputation any favors by providing unprofessional input.
10. TAKING WITHOUT GIVING. LinkedIn members are a generous group, on the whole. If you ask for a recommendation, be prepared to offer one in return. If you submit a question and receive helpful answers/advice, be sure to thank respondents and to rate Good or Best Answers. LinkedIn is a community, and the benefits received should be gratefully accepted.

If you are a LinkedIn member, full and professional participation will make the best impression.

© Laurel Anne Bailey 2010

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