Common LinkedIn profile mistakes

An employer’s first impression of you is often based on your LinkedIn profile.

Are you giving off the wrong first impression? All because of some simple mistakes on your LinkedIn profile?

Fix these 8 simple mistakes and you’ll:

1. Be contacted more often about opportunities.
2. Stand out to employers.
3. Develop a personal brand.

#1: You have no face, i.e. you have no photo.

Ensure your profile photo is visible to all LinkedIn users and accurately represents you.

#2: You use the boring LinkedIn-issued cover image.

Use your LinkedIn banner as an opportunity to initiate conversation. Personalise it but make sure it’s appropriate for an employer to see.

#3: Your headline is confusing.

Your headline is visible everywhere on LinkedIn, so ensure it accurately reflects what you do and entices people to click and learn more about you.

Include keywords you want to be associated with. The first job of your headline is to provide relevance.

“Is this a person I need/want to know?”

#4: There’s nothing ‘About’ you.

Use your ‘About’ section to make a lasting impression on the reader.

Try using this paragraph format:

1. Who you are & what you do.
2. Your experience.
3. What results you’ve produced.
4. What makes you different/your unique selling point.

Just remember to keep it professional.

#5: Your education section is incomplete.

Don’t forget to list where you studied. This can lead to valuable networking opportunities.

If the employer notices they went to the same school or university as you, already you’ll stand out to them.

#6: You’ve got no skills.

… listed in the skills section.

List as many skills as you can to showcase your expertise.

You’ll also be more visible in search results, meaning recruiters can find you quicker, leading to you hearing about more opportunities.

#7: Lack of recommendations.

Recommendations are your digital CV references.

They provide social proof to potential employers, so don’t hesitate to ask clients and colleagues for recommendations.

#8: Missing experience & job descriptions.

Employers want to know the roles you’ve had and what experience that’s given you. 

Under ‘Experience’, include every role you’ve had with a brief description of your key responsibilities.

If you’re unsure what to write, visit job websites (i.e. Seek, Trademe, Indeed). Find similar roles and write down their ‘key responsibilities’ that closely match your experience.