The Four Most Common LinkedIn Mistakes: Are You Guilty?
Goodness me, don’t you just find the world of social media a whole minefield? I’m not sure I will ever fully know any of these sites as they are driven by algorithms, are always changing their protocols and expanding their services. And despite a year or so of posting, I have still to get fully to grips with Instagram. I never use Facebook. I gave up Twitter/X when it changed hands. But I have invested in trying to understand LinkedIn. And this is what I have learnt.
1. The Profile Picture Predicament
Does it matter whether I upload a photo or not? Well, actually, yes. LinkedIn research suggests that you are fourteen times more likely to be viewed by others if you have a photo resulting in more connection requests and engagement. But more than that,, there is something weirdly and probably deeply psychological concerning when I come across a profile where there is no photo at all. Or the photo looks like it was taken at a party or on holiday as if LinkedIn is the same as a Facebook album. Your profile picture should be a clear, head-and-shoulders shot – no full-length photos.
If you have yet to upload a photograph of yourself because you think you have to pay a professional to get the right quality, think again. That little circle with your photo is quite small and I am not sure it matters that much that the resolution is not optimal. Besides, phones these days do take decent photos. Just ask a partner or friend to take a nice shot of you.
2. The “Just My Job Title” Headline
For a long time my headline was my job title. I gave it no thought at all until I attended a webinar on enhancing your LinkedIn profile. It was there I learnt that your headline is like your personal billboard—you have to make it count. Too many people just accept LinkedIn’s default headline - as I did - that merely echoes your job title. So do take the time to edit that bland snippet. You have 220 characters (or about 50 words, if you’re counting) to make a stellar first impression. Think of it as your mini elevator pitch.
Let your headline sing your achievements, experience, and unique flair. For example, consider something like:
“Exec & Non-Exec | Compassionate Change-Maker | Global Partnerships Maestro & Occasional Professor” (Professor Jackie Labbe, DVC University of Gloucester)
Expert in practitioner research. Engaged in education, PD and research. A global voice for teaching and learning in HEIs, schools and ITE with a passion for student experience and transformational leadership (Dr Kate Mawson, Principal Lecturer, Nottingham Trent University)
A tip for active job searchers: include the skills and competencies of the next job you are looking for in your headline – assuming you have these! This can help you being noticed by headhunters and recruitment agencies using keyword searches.
3. The “About” Section: It’s More Than a CV Dump
I have to confess that when I first filled out this section I popped my CV into it. What I now understand is that the “About” section is a prime opportunity to tell your story. Your task here is threefold:
Summarise Your Career in a Nutshell:
Craft a concise, engaging paragraph (or two) that highlights where you’ve worked, what you’ve accomplished, and the impact you’ve made. Focus on achievements and stories, not just job descriptions.Humanise Yourself:
Share a few personal tidbits you are happy to share in a public setting as this makes you relatable. The key thing here is to let your personality shine through.End with a Call to Action:
Invite your readers to connect. You don’t need anything heavy. Something along the lines of “Drop me a message or check out my website if you share my interests” is more than good enough.
If you check out Victoria McLean’s LinkedIn profile, you will see these points in action:
“As CEO of award-winning international career consultancy, Hanover City CV, an Executive Coach and a board member of the Hanover Group Global Board, I have devoted my career to guiding organisations and individuals through career transition and development.
After a decade in Sydney and London, I now live in the Kent countryside. A city girl at heart, I get my high heels well and truly muddy walking in the orchards with my beautiful Labrador & Pug. I love being out on the water on my Stand-Up Paddleboard, spinning tunes on my decks, and am an aspiring gourmet chef. I have a lot of fun doing all three (though not at the same time).
To discuss how City CV can support you, or to invite me to speak at your event, please get in touch.”
4. The “Invisible User” Syndrome: Become a “go-to”
I really get that internal sense of ickiness when you think you need to post nice things about yourself. And it is true, none of us like a show-off. I also get that creating visibility on social media takes time – something I know you will have little of.
However, there is nothing worse than checking someone on LinkedIn and finding they haven’t posted anything since they opened their account. In some ways this creates a poorer impression than not being there in the first place. Rest assured, this was me until I launched Women-Space and realised I had to build some visibility.
The thing is - you don’t have to talk about yourself all the time – though a bit of “well done me” never goes amiss. One of the most effective ways of raising your profile is to become what I call a “go to”. A “go to” is a point of call for anyone interested in a specific topic and wants the latest updates.
Your “go to” can be areas of your professional life you really care about and will be researching or writing about or advising or simply ruminating or indeed feeling moral outrage. Post about this. Post other people’s research and ideas. Post articles from journals and professional publications, from government policy and from the news. Repost the work of others on LinkedIn in your field. In these ways you are providing a real service for others rather than simply self-promoting.
Lawrence Young is always the person I suggest that clients check out because he virtually never speaks about himself. He posts about the latest developments in oncology in the most accessible way, as well as the Covid virus. Unless you read his profile you would never know he is a highly-cited, globally renown Professor of Oncology (now Emeritus). And a thoroughly nice bloke. You will though hear him on the morning news on Radio 4, quoted in the Guardian and a regular on local BBC television.
So be “like Lawrence” and use your posts to provide a service to others. You will soon attract notice and build your network.
Amusingly, Lawrence also proves the exception to the rule. If you check out his headline you will see that it is his job title. Don’t you just love that someone with over 5,000 followers can do that!
In Conclusion
I hope this was helpful but if you have any tips or things that are working for you, let me know. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or of course via Women-Space. Together we can change the world.
With the warmest of wishes,
Christina
Professor Christina Hughes is Founder and CEO of Women-Space Leadership.