LinkedIn Do's & Don'ts
Updated: Apr 21, 2022
With the rise of LinkedIn and the number of professionals using the platform, there is a greater need for individuals to stand out from the crowd. But beware... If you get your profile wrong it can have adverse effects and ultimately determine your bottom line $... I suggest avoiding these costly mistakes and following best practices to succeed...
Try to Avoid Fancy Characters
If you use Sᴍᴀʟʟ Cᴀᴘs, 𝗕𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝒮𝒸𝓇𝒾𝓅𝓉 or u͇n͇d͇e͇r͇l͇i͇n͇e͇d͇ ͇c͇h͇a͇r͇a͇c͇t͇e͇r͇s͇ you risk the chance of not being found for your keywords. By all means, use these styles to break up content, but do not write your entire profiles with them. To double-check that your profile can be scanned, simply download a PDF of your profile and check the PDF is legible.
This is comparable to using a creative style Resume or CV. Applicant tracking systems, databases and computer systems struggle with Unicode characters, underlined words, tables, text boxes and graphics. I advise that you write your profile using the normal LinkedIn editor to improve the chance of your profile being found amongst the 660 million users.
PIN your top 3 skills in your skills matrix
Most profiles I review have skills like Microsoft Office, Administration and Communication pinned as the top skills... (How generic is that). After you have uploaded your skills, make sure you rearrange them in the relevant order. This section is used by the Algorithm to rank you in search results when hiring managers and recruiters are searching for someone with your unique skill set.
Upload Projects
Insert project stories using the STAR framework into your accomplishments section, to showcase your ability to deliver value and substantiate your skillset. I would guess that less than 1% of users even know this section exists.
Recommendations
Make sure you are giving and receiving recommendations. A recent survey I was involved with reported that 77% of recruiters would check you out on LinkedIn to cross-check information and review your recommendations. Again, based on my experience I would guess that 90% of LinkedIn users are not using this section to sell themselves... Crazy when you think about it because when a company is advertising a service or product they always include reviews. Its reviews that help build trust and lead to closing a sale... That's exactly what you need to be doing with a recruiters / hiring managers!
Your Activity
Be careful with your comments and likes... You leave a trail of breadcrumbs for everyone to see. It's easy for a recruiter to judge your character quickly based on your recent activity, so make sure you act as you would in a professional networking event.
Use a Banner
At the end of the day, you should treat your profile like it's your personal website. Everyone has a large blue area at the top of there profile that can be used to advertise your company, your services or simply you... I suggest including your name, title, tag line, logo, licensed image and a call to action (CTA).
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