In my humble opinion, job searching (and even using LinkedIn at all) gives me the ick. From countless applications, constant rejections, and answering the same-old mundane interview questions that will more than likely always lead to dead-ends – it’s no surprise that looking for a job can leave people feeling burnt out.
That being said, word on the street tells me it’s “more important than ever to have a strong LinkedIn presence.” The rise of the LinkedIn influencer has seen an uproar in recent years – why you ask? “LinkedIn influencers are especially attracted to the platform because of the positive nature of the content,” Teachable.com states.
“Influencers are no strangers to negative feedback and criticism from others online. But influencers on LinkedIn found that people on the platform appreciated earnest, vulnerable, and empowering content.”
Kind of like your mum loves inspirational quotes on Facebook, LinkedIn users love following people on the platform who call themselves “thought leaders.”
“Being a thought leader on LinkedIn can help creators establish themselves as experts and authority figures in their industry,” according to Teachable.com.
Sure, LinkedIn is a great way to share tips, insights, and any other work related content. However there are certain mistakes that can inadvertently tarnish your professional persona, and potential employment opportunities. What are they? The Audit Lab is here to tell you what they are:
Adding qualifications to your name
“A BA has no place in your title. Sure, you want to stand out and make sure that potential hirers notice your excellence quickly; but your profile should speak for itself without going overboard - so let’s keep those certificates to the appropriate ‘about you’ section.”
Instantly selling yourself
“LinkedIn messaging can be a great tool for connecting yourself and your brand to your network; however, when reaching out to people you don’t know, make it genuine.”
They explain that “long, spammy sales pitches are a guaranteed turn-off, and a potential reach for the mute button - especially if that person has only just accepted your connection request.”
Adding literally anyone and everyone
“LinkedIn is all about growing your network, but let’s keep things organic,” The Audit Lab mentions. “Adding anyone and everyone to your network without any prior interaction can come off a bit eager, and stalker-ish. While there are exceptions to this, try to keep your requests to those you know IRL.”
Using buzzwords
“Simplicity is key. Nobody is a ‘sales ninja’, a ‘head of happiness’, a ‘growth exec’, nor a ‘digital rockstar’, so maybe tone it down a little.”
Uploading selfies
“We’re all for a bit of self love and expression, but any type of photographic content other than conference and work-do related images should probably be kept off your LinkedIn profile. Negative points if you accompany a random selfie with a novella of a post.”
Inspirational quotes
The Audit Lab explains that although inspirational quotes most likely come from a good place, they have no place on anyone’s feed.
“Anything from ‘strive for progress not perfection’ to ‘pain is weakness’ or ‘missing 100% of the shots you don’t take’ won’t induce that life-altering awakening you’re aiming for.”
Toxic positivity
“It’s admirable to pick the positives out of a negative experience, however, asking others to follow your lead and ‘work hard’ and keep a ‘winners mindset’ in response to difficulties that occur in the modern workplace can overlook employees’ potential struggles.”
Oversharing
The Audit Lab shares that adding a touch of your personality to your posts on LinkedIn is a great way to create genuine connections within your network, but there’s no need to go overboard.
“Oversharing about your personal life can give people the wrong impression. So we’ll stop you there before you inevitably TMI,” they add.
Posting multiple times a day
“The general rule is to post on LinkedIn one to two times a day. Posts generally live in the LinkedIn feed for a long time, so over-posting can give you or your brand a bad image. And the next time you put something live, we’ll probably just scroll straight past it.”
Performative liking and commenting
“Interacting with your network and building relationships is key to social media and business development alike. However, there are times when this can be overkill.”
Over-interacting with people’s posts in the hopes that they will do the same for you is a bad look you probably don’t want, they mention.
“It’s always REALLY obvious when the person hasn’t read the post.”