4 LinkedIn Mistakes You Dont Want to Make

4 LinkedIn Mistakes You Dont Want to Make LinkedIn has quickly become one of the largest and most accessible professional social  networks out there, and because of this, its imperative that everyone who wishes to  maximize their career potential join LinkedIn, set up a profile, and begin networking. Of course, as with many other social networks, there are unwritten rules of etiquette  that you must first figure out and then abide as you embark on your LinkedIn journey.  Unfortunately, figuring out these rules and not making mistakes or breaking these rules is  rather hard for those new to LinkedIn or even social networks in general. Below Ive tried to list a handful of mistakes that many LinkedIn users make, and Ive  tried to incorporate solutions into each section. Please, if you know LinkedIn well, feel  free to add to the information here in the comments section. And, as always, happy job  hunting! The following are mistakes many LinkedIn users make and how you can avoid them: 1. Failing to Understand Social Networking Contexts The biggest thing many LinkedIn users fail to understand is that LinkedIn is simply one  of many social networks out there. No matter how professional you try to make your  LinkedIn profile, the fact that a crazy Facebook profile or irreverent Twitter account  under your name exists could significantly hurt your career chances. Do not ignore the  other social networks youve joined, because recruiters, hiring managers, and others  within the industry are looking at these other sites too! Solution: Google yourself constantly. Manage your entire online presence. Edit your  Tweets, check your photos on Facebook, untag yourself from unpleasant photos and  conversations, and watch what you post on whatever forums youve joined. Always  assume that your LinkedIn account is merely a portal that a potential employer can enter  in order to access your entire online persona. See more at 10 Ways to Sweep Your Digital Dirt Under the Carpet. 2. Lacking A Good Profile Photo This is relatively simple. Ive seen so many people fail to upload a good profile photo. I  can understand why people would wish to not upload a photo; however, lacking a photo  can seriously hurt your chances of getting clicked. Think about a recruiter. He or she is  browsing entries; is he or she more likely to click on a photo or a tiny bit of text in the  search results page? An updated photo of yourself will assure the recruiter that you are,  indeed, human after all, with all your quirks and faults. Solution: Its much easier for someone browsing search results to connect with a human  face than a bit of text, so upload a photo as soon as possible! Further reading at How to Choose a Picture for Your Personal Brand. 3. Filling Out a Vague Headline How many LinkedIn accounts have you seen with a bland headline beneath the profile?  How many Project Managers and Sales Executives do you see in that headline? Boring,  right? This is a big mistake because users see that the majority of LinkedIn accounts  simply list a position title in this field, so they put in their own position because they  think thats what its for. Well, the more successful profile headlines are those that say  something like I offer my clients a quick and efficient means of incorporating various  security systems into their databases. It doesnt have to be complicated. Instead, this  statement actively states what you do while also giving your voice a chance to shine.  Compare that to Database Security Specialist and you can see what I mean. Solution: Market yourself in one sentence. This one sentence should be active, include  the word I, and concisely state what you can do for a client or employer. Check out 10 LinkedIn Headline Examples from Recruiters. 4. Not Creating a Personal Narrative Finally, youll see many LinkedIn users stick with the traditional format as suggested  by LinkedIn. They basically enter their resume into the form and publish it. Well, how  many resumes have you read that you think are incredibly interesting? Im going to guess  youve read no interesting resumes, ever. Were human; we love to hear a story. So why  not give others what they want to here: your professional story. Yes, of course, you can  still enter your resume; however, you want to be careful in how much you pull from your  resume, especially the language of the resume. Solution: You dont need to use resume-speak; instead, use longer sentences and active  verbs that describe your story. Use the section in your profile that allows you to write  a summary to tell your story, the story that isnt on your resume. That way users can  see both aspects of your career resume and aspects of your slightly more personalized  professional story. Related: 7 Pictures You Should Never Use on Your LinkedIn Profile. Author: This guest contribution was submitted by Pamelia Brown, who enjoys films by Sergei Eisenstein and drinking Carling lager.