By Libby Kane, on Forbes.com
What do you do with your LinkedIn profile?
Do you check it only every once in a while when a connection request
comes through? Have you linked it to your Twitter account? Did you never
quite remember to sign up in the first place?
As much as it’s convenient to merge our Facebook, Twitter,
Tumblr and Instagram accounts into one large social networking
experience, LinkedIn has a special designation: professional networking.
And there is a difference between professional and personal
networking, according to LinkedIn Career Expert Nicole Williams: “I see
the same mistakes over and over!”
And, on LinkedIn, those faux pas can damage your career.
In fact, data shows
that LinkedIn is especially helpful when it comes to landing
higher-paying jobs—”informal recruitment” is a favorite of hiring
managers aiming to fill positions up there on the payscale.
So whether you’re hunting for a new job, making the most of the one
you have or just looking to learn about professional possibilities,
avoid these eight big LinkedIn mistakes.
Not Using a Picture
“One of the biggest mistakes I see is no photo,” Williams says.
“You’re seven times more likely to have your profile viewed if you have
one. Like a house that’s on sale, the assumption is that if there’s no
photo, something’s wrong.”
She also makes a great point: If you leave a networking event with a
handful of business cards, intending to follow up on LinkedIn, it’s much
harder for you to remember who’s who without pictures. A missing photo
can easily lead to missed connections.
If you’re worried about unwittingly sabotaging your career through social media, check out the ten worst blunders you can commit.
Putting Up the Wrong Picture
“No dog, no husband, no baby!” Williams says, adding that your photo
is meant to show you at your professional—not personal—best. “Especially
for mothers getting back into the workforce, a picture of their child
doesn’t convey that they’re ready for a full-time job.”
Another photo blunder: Misrepresenting your appearance. “I see older
people who are worried about age discrimination use a photo of
themselves in their 30s, but an interviewer wasn’t expecting them to
look so different. And instead of listening to your answers, the
interviewer will think you’re deceptive,” Williams confides. “Unless
you’re getting hired for a modeling gig, people are just looking for
energy, which you can communicate through great posture, open eyes and a
smile.”
In fact, HSN Beauty found that, when paging through LinkedIn profiles, 19% of recruiters look only at your profile picture.
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