You’re on LinkedIn to help your career, right? (Right.) Steer clear of these networking faux pas to avoid hurting your personal brand or committing professional self-sabotage.
1) Your headshot isn’t hiring manager friendly.
If you wouldn’t be comfortable with a recruiter, (or your grandmother), seeing your profile photo then find a new one. Fuzzy photos, glamour shots or images that look like they could be pulled from a high school yearbook could make you miss your big break. Need a quick solution? Head to Sears for some new, inexpensive shots –or- snap a fast and professional ‘selfie’.
2) Stop lurking.
We all use LinkedIn to network, explore potential business relationships and scope out the competition. Just be cautious about how many times you visit the same profile if you have your account settings public to show you members who have viewed your profile – they can see your views too!
3) Stop spamming.
Don’t invite people to connect if you aren’t ‘connected’ to them through work relationships or organizations. When you do connect, make sure you update the default messaging to include a more personal introduction and the reason you’d like to keep in touch with them on LinkedIn. For some ideas, check out this great Forbes article on writing messages that get read.
4) The HR rule applies.
If you wouldn’t want Human Resources to see it, it shouldn’t be there. Anything posted on the professional network, should be ‘professional’. Religious postings or viral videos that have nothing to do with what you do in the office shouldn’t be shared in this space. Use discretion.
Enough of habits to avoid, what LinkedIn practices have helped you network like a boss? Share and comment below.
More Than Words 