5 Biggest Mistakes on your LinkedIn profile which may be hurting your career advancement

Most professionals and job seekers don't realize that their LinkedIn profile needs a serious upgrade. And in many cases, they need a total makeover.

As a career coach, I work everyday helping people maximize their LinkedIn profiles to clearly demonstrate their true business value to a future employer. If you want that "Dream Job", it is a no-brainer to showcase your skills and talents for all to see in the best light. Hiding your best qualities in your head or resume won't get you that dream job quickly or easily.

In fact, over 90% of LinkedIn profiles have the potential to be 10x times more effective than they currently are.

So, what are the biggest mistakes people make on their LinkedIn profiles?

5 Biggest Mistakes on LinkedIn

1. Too generic and blah (nothing unique stands out)

If your LinkedIn profile is printed out and shown to a recruiter or hiring manager, they should immediately say "Let's interview them!" Your profile should be capable of standing on its own by providing a great overview of your professional history, capabilities and special talents. It should answer this question: what is really special about you?

2. One and Done

A lot of people think their LinkedIn profile is a one-time effort...and it definitely shows. Instead of taking only one day to write your profile, it is a good idea to revisit it at least once a month, if not more often. If you do this, you keep it fresh and constantly add new ideas to your existing profile. Otherwise, people will easily be able to tell you haven't touched your profile in a long time.

3. Too short or too long (and badly organized)

Most LinkedIn profiles fall into 2 categories. Too short with no real meat there. Or too long with random sentences put together. Try writing a lot and then start editing and organizing it into a coherent structure.

4. Too many buzzwords

You might be using too many industry buzzwords or these commonly used ones: ‘specialized’, ‘leadership’, ‘focused’, ‘strategic’, ‘experienced’, ‘passionate’, ‘proven’, ‘creative’, ‘innovative’ and ‘certified’. Keep it simple and minimize the buzzwords.

5. Too corporate looking .... from 1995!

Many LinkedIn profiles look like a corporate webpage from 1995. Yes, LinkedIn has many limitations in how you present yourself, but you can maximize the area within those constraints. There is so much more that you can do to jazz it up! Try different things and test them to see if they work for you.

What's next?

Start researching best practices for LinkedIn profiles. Look at other people's profiles for inspiration to get ideas. Ask your friends & colleagues for ideas and feedback.

If you want my personal help with your LinkedIn profile, write me directly.

We can schedule a time to go over it together. Email me at [email protected]

Tom Kent, Executive Career Coach, Website: www.TomKentCoaching.com