LinkedIn Job Searching Mistakes to Avoid
LinkedIn is a great tool that can aid your job search and help you reach your target employer. It’s great for networking and has a strong jobs section where you can apply directly for jobs and where you can find out more about various different companies. It is becoming an important integral part of the job seeker’s world, however, as you get more involved with using LinkedIn, there are some common mistakes that need to be avoided in order to stay ahead of the game.
Using a Profile Picture More Suited to Facebook
A photograph of you skydiving may seem more interesting than a professional headshot photo, however this is most likely to give the wrong impression. People work on a trust basis when finding and connecting with people online. They also look for professionalism given they are seeking people they can potentially work with and achieve important business goals with. A photograph which shows your face clearly and is unobstructed is likely to put you in a much better position than if you’re using your holiday photos.
Having an incomplete LinkedIn profile
Your LinkedIn profile is what you have to showcase your skills, experiences and talents. Don’t waste this prime opportunity by leaving key parts of it blank. Having said this, there’s no need to write essays either however make sure that the people who may come across your LinkedIn profile get the impression you want them to get of you. Make sure they find the key pieces of information and that they form the right picture of who you are and what you can do.
Playing the Numbers Game with Connections
Collecting up hundreds and thousands of connections on LinkedIn really isn’t the point. When creating new links and connections you need to be thinking about quality over quantity. You want to be building up a network of people who you trust and who trust you, and who you can turn to in order to help you with your career, and who you will also be happy to help and support. Find people related to your field and build strong relationships with them. Don’t simply send out invitations in order to build up your connections tally. There’s no point in having lots of people on the list but none of whom you can actually go to for help or to talk to or meet with in person. Find people who can be of real value to you and who you can be of value in return.
Join groups bit then not participate
On LinkedIn there is a group for almost anything. You may have browsed through the various groups around and have decided to join a few. This is great and can be a good way to connect with like-minded individuals. However, often we forget to really participate within the group or to join in with the discussions and activities going on in the group. Don’t neglect your group by not posting anything or responding to what’s going on within it. If you want to make some good connections and you want to get the most out of a specialist group, you must be involved. Become a part of the group, become more visible to other members and build your brand through the group.
Spamming People’s Inboxes
When someone has become a part of your network, it can be tempting to want to reach out and connect with them. You may feel that you have a lot to talk to them about or that they can be helpful to you. This is fine and in theory is good thinking, however, it is important not to abuse your connection or the fact that you are now able to contact them directly. Choose when you contact them carefully and make sure that you aren’t verging on ‘spamming’ them. If you don’t slowly build your relationship and instead bombard them with requests for help, you will soon lose this contact. You will be damaging your reputation with them and they may no longer want to be connected to you. Make sure you respect each contact’s space and that you value the relationship you have with them.
Here we have outlined a few things not to do in LinkedIn. Perhaps you are asking yourself, so “what should I be doing?” – well, in order to find out you should be doing, you can check out Position Ignition’s exclusive eBook 125 LinkedIn Job Search Tips–as recommended in Forbes!
By Nisa Chitakasem, Founder of Position Ignition, the UK’s leading Career Consulting Company. Nisa co-founded Position Ignition.com to provide career consulting to people looking for guidance and support through their career change, new career direction, job search and career development. Follow their Career Advice Blog for more help with your career.