6 LinkedIn Mistakes That May Harm Your Job Hunt and How to Avoid Them

With over 600 million users, LinkedIn provides a robust opportunity for job seekers to elevate their visibility, showcase their skills and experience, and connect with people who can help them secure their next opportunity.

LinkedIn is different from other social networks.  When someone lands on your LinkedIn profile, you have five to 10 seconds to make a first impression, so here are six mistakes you can avoid to ensure your profile is engaging and will boost visibility during your job hunt.

A common mistake for many is ignoring certain parts of your profile. Even though some parts might look more important than others, the truth is, the more complete your profile, the more time recruiters will spend on it. Make sure you are listing your school and education levels, your career journey, skills, certifications earned and interests.

Two specific parts of profiles that people often ignore are the cover photo and ‘About Me’ section. Adding a personalized cover photo and filling out the ‘About Me’ section will set you apart from 90% of LinkedIn users and will draw the attention of anyone that lands on your profile. The ‘About Me’ section is a great place to list specific data points and achievements that will give recruiters a summary of what sets you apart from other candidates.

As part of your official LinkedIn profile, you are given the chance to list your city in your header. Make sure this is updated since recruiters are scouring for candidates in the area to identify who can work there. If you are intending to relocate, you should list the city you are planning to relocate to. This will make networking and job searching in your new city easier.

Your LinkedIn headline is one of the most visible sections of your profile, so it is key to making a positive impression. With 220 characters to work with, there is plenty of room to include details and keywords that will help you stand out. It is OK to mention that you are looking for a job in your headline, but it is more important to showcase what you can do. This can be done by listing hard skills or job titles. Doing so will help you appear in specific search queries and add context to your skills.

At the end of the day, LinkedIn is a website for professional networking, and your profile picture should reflect that. Some common mistakes to avoid are having a group picture, a picture that is not updated, or a picture in an unprofessional setting. Your picture is a perfect opportunity to convey your personal brand. So, make sure it looks natural, smile and dress in professional clothes that make you feel comfortable and also show your personality.

Make sure your profile is user-friendly. Doing so means people will be able to easily find all the information they need. If you have a portfolio or website, make sure that an updated link is always available for recruiters to see. You also need to make sure your contact information is correct and easily displayed for anyone that wants to connect with you.

Keeping your profile updated is vital, especially if you are getting ready for a new role. Things that should always be updated are career advancements like promotions and new skills gained. Also, make sure you are including all your new certifications in your profile since certifications can set you apart from other candidates. In fact, 47% percent of hiring managers say they are more likely to hire certified talent.

Avoiding these mistakes will help you have a killer LinkedIn profile that ensures you stand out from the crowd. If you need more pointers in your job search, don’t hesitate to reach out to our advisors at apply@skillstorm.com.