5 Things Your LinkedIn Profile Reveals About You That You Don’t Want It To

Part of Kathy Caprino's series “Becoming the Most Confident, Impactful and Powerful You"

In my work as a career and leadership coach and executive consultant, I spend a great deal of time on LinkedIn. I review hundreds of profiles a month, including those of new colleagues, potential clients and partners, podcast guests, organizational leaders, journalists, thought leaders and more. I also train my clients and course members how to communicate and connect more powerfully and confidently here, and build stronger LinkedIn content that elicits true interest, follow-up and support.

This work allows me a unique window into “seeing” people’s real personalities, along with their fears, challenges, and blocks about who they are and what they have to offer in their professional endeavors.

What I’ve learned is this:

How you do LinkedIn is how you do your career, whether you consciously know that or not.

If you're not aware of this fact, your LinkedIn profile will likely reveal aspects of your professional life and how you view yourself in that life that don't reflect you at your highest and best. Through coaching thousands of people around the world, I've seen firsthand that many individuals aren't fully aware of their inner challenges and insecurities which are holding them back from achieving the all-out success, reward and fulfillment they're longing for.

Here are 5 things your current LinkedIn profile might reveal that you’re probably not aware of (and may want to change).

1. You’re hiding

If you don’t have a photo up on your profile, and don't have a well-articulated headline, summary and job descriptions, you’re hiding, plain and simple. LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network with more than 1 billion users in over 200 countries and territories. With that volume of activity, many users undoubtedly would be interested in learning what you stand for and care about in your work, and the outcomes you're focused on.

The truth that many professionals don't recognize is that we need great, enlivening people in our corner to help us rise, thrive and make the difference we dream to make. None of our biggest dreams are possible without the help and support of other people.

And often it's the people who are 10 - or 100 - steps ahead of us in our fields whom we most need in our community. Those are the people who can open doors to great new opportunities for us that we simply cannot open on our own.

But without a photo on your profile or a compelling (not clichéd) headline, summary, and job descriptions, you’re saying, “Don’t see me. Just pass me over. I’m not important or worthy enough for you to acknowledge I am here.”

Now, folks have shared with me lately that they're very tired of the number of sales pitches they are receiving on LinkedIn, and I fully understand that (I get pitched sometimes 50 to 100 times a day on LinkedIn and beyond). But don't let that stop you from shining your light and sharing the amazingness of you and what you care most about in your work, and why your work is important. I am confident that by doing that, you will start finding new ways to connect with great people across the globe whom you want to know - individuals who will inspire you and help you be more of who you want to be. And there will be new possibilities for great mutual benefit and support as well.

Tip: This week, take a new photo (or have someone take it of you) – face front, smiling – and upload it. Make it professional (no bathing suits, etc.). This is a professional platform, not a dating app.

Also, upload an intriguing cover banner image (a photo or image for the banner at the top of your LinkedIn page) that represents something that will tell us more about you, what you care about, and why we should take notice.

Complete all the key sections that LinkedIn provides for you (headline, summary, jobs, skills, endorsements both given and received, education, voices and organizations that you follow, and more). Always keep in mind who you want to engage with, and do the work to ensure your content represents you at your most authentic and what you care about most, so that you can connect with inspiring people who share your values, interests and passions.

Add in volunteer information that excites you as well, because we are more than our jobs and our work.

2. You’re not passionate about your work or engaged in your career

It’s clear too how you feel about your work by the words you use to explain it. If you choose words that are drab, boring, passive, unclear – without any indication of what lights you up from the inside?–?the message is that you don’t like your work and aren't engaged in it.

People who have a deep passion for their field and endeavors communicate that with language that has vitality and energy and speaks volumes about how much they’re connected to what they’re doing - the "why" behind it and the reasons that their work feels important to them.

Tip: Go through your profile, and replace every word that is boring, repetitive, overused and uninspired. Find a way to talk about what you do so that people can say, “Wow! They love what they do and are clearly good at it!” (If you can’t do that no matter how hard you try, it’s indicative of something bigger - most likely that you’re in the wrong job, career, or organization right now.)

3. You don’t recognize your value or what you’re great at

I can’t tell you how many professionals miss the boat in terms of failing to share exciting, juicy facts of who they are, what they’ve done and the “needles” they moved in their roles. For women, this is particularly difficult because they have been culturally conditioned and trained NOT to speak powerfully about their accomplishments.

Countless women over my 40 years of work (and many who are at very high levels) have told me they fear that they'll sound like they are bragging if they speak confidently about what they've done. Part of the problem is that imposter syndrome is highly prevalent among professional women today. 75% of executive women in a recent study shared that they suffer from this. Imposter syndrome is complex, but a key hallmark of it is believing that we rose to our current levels simply because of luck or being in the right place at the right time. This is a damaging self-belief that needs to be revised if women are to achieve the impact, leadership, confidence and responsibility they want and have earned.

When we don't believe we're worthy of what we've achieved, it impacts everything, most notably how we communicate. This is what my research over the past decade with thousands of women has revealed a damaging power gap that holds so many women back from thriving in their work. It's what I refer to as Power Gap #2: Communicating From Fear, Not Strength, and an incredible 70% of the women I've studied say they have this gap.

There are solid reasons why women struggle with this, but it can be overcome, and we need to.

Here's more about this gap, one of the 7 most damaging power and confidence gaps that impact 98% of professional women today:

It can be a true game-changer when you find new ways to communicate on LinkedIn about exactly what you do that brings about important outcomes for the organizations and causes you support. And when you can determine exactly HOW what you do is different -- what makes you truly unique in the work you do - exciting new opportunities and experiences will more easily come your way.

Tip: Spend this weekend sitting quietly without distractions, and write down everything that’s made you who you are (your ancestry, cultural training, achievements, training, traumas you've overcome, pivotal moments, relationships that flattened you (and what you learned from those) and also those experiences that enlivened you, your passions and talents, what other people say about you, and your unique perspectives, etc.). Then connect the dots.

Answer the question:

“How has every one of these influences shaped me in a way that makes me a unique, powerful, valuable and important contributor in the work I do?”

Write down the "20 facts of you" –?what you’ve accomplished that makes you most proud and what those achievements made possible, along with the scope of those achievements (with metrics and other outcomes that illustrate the impact) and why these outcomes mattered. And dimensionalize all the skills you used to make that impact.

Remember, sharing these facts is not bragging.

It's helping people understand what you're capable of and how you can support the outcomes they care about as well.

For more on how to develop the 20 facts of you, check out my TEDx talk “Time to Brave Up:”

4. You’re seeking employment but don’t know how or where to look

When you write your headline with the words “Looking for opportunities” or “Seeking employment” I feel that in some ways you’re shooting yourself in the foot. You’re focused on what you’re lacking (a job) whereas your profile should be written to highlight what you have to offer.

Write your headline with the express intent of engaging the reader who may be interested in what you do and have to say. Your headline is the place for you to tell the world WHY they should hire you, HOW you’re unique and valuable, and WHAT is vitally important about your career trajectory and experience that others should take heed of because it will be useful for them.

And make sure you are crystal clear about what you can do going forward, and don't just recite your past history.

Tip: I recommend never using your headline to simply talk about "looking for opportunities." That’s a given. We’re all looking for opportunities. Use that precious real estate to publish a compelling and informative headline using this formula:

{What you do functionally}, {for whom - what types of companies and organizations or causes} and {for what outcomes}.

As an example, here's my LinkedIn headline right now (which I tweak regularly given the most important and pressing goals and outcomes I'm focused on at that time):

Global Career & Leadership Coach | Speaker/Trainer | Author | Former Corporate VP | Trained Therapist | Senior Forbes Contrib | Finding Brave? host – supporting professionals to rise, thrive and build their best careers

5. You’re not sure why your work matters

Finally, regarding your job descriptions - if you list only the tasks that you’ve performed and some skills you used, but not the “what happened” after these tasks were accomplished, you’re leaving us guessing about why your work matters. Millions of people have those skills that you've listed. From my view, that's not the most important info. The outcomes you've achieved and the unique way you execute your functions are what stand out. Make it clear that the work you do has an impact, and can continue to make a difference in other situations, opportunities and employers.

You’re much more than just your current job (please recognize that), but if you don’t share how you can apply your talents and abilities in ways that move other organizations and teams forward, the reader can’t envision exciting future possibilities for you.

Tip: Make sure that everything you write is not task-oriented, but benefit-and outcome-focused. And make sure to emphasize and share more about the work you love doing, not the work and tasks you never want to do again.

Every word you write has the power to attract to you much more of the same. So if 80% of your work makes you feel dead inside, then emphasize the 20% that makes you feel alive, important and valuable.

Take this opportunity to uplevel your LinkedIn profile so that it reflects you at your best and most energized and engaged. And if you feel you can't do that, it's time for a deeper look at your career and what holds you back from deeply enjoying and valuing it.

Finally, if you're a job seeker and would like some powerful networking and community-building tips and strategies, check out my LinkedIn interview with Andrew Seaman, LinkedIn's Editor-At-Large for Jobs & Career Development at LinkedIn News below:

It's time to shine your light more brightly and connect with others who would be thrilled to support you.

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For more about making the most of LinkedIn, check out my free articles and resources designed to help you power up your LinkedIn profile for greater success, impact and connection.

For hands-on career help, work with me in a 1:1 coaching Career & Leadership Breakthrough coaching program, and subscribe to my new Kathy Caprino AI digital career coaching tool for affordable and accessible answers to your most pressing career questions, anytime 24/7, via audio chat or message. Subscribers to the "Career Breakthrough" tier of Kathy AI get great bonuses including FREE monthly "Ask Coach Kathy" career advice calls via Zoom - the next call is Friday, January 31st at Noon EST!

Sign up here and join me! >> https://kathycaprino.com/kathyai

If you're a professional woman ready for more, different and better in your professional life, join me starting February 27th, 2025 for the Winter session of my transformative live, 8-week coaching/training course The Most Powerful You. In this course, based on my book The Most Powerful You: 7 Bravery-Boosting Paths to Career Bliss, you'll be guided to take the essential steps to close the 7 most damaging power and confidence gaps that negatively impact a staggering 98% of professional women today, blocking them from reaching their highest and most fulfilling potential. I'd love to support you.

Finally, connect with me on LinkedIn and share how you've updated your profile with the "20 facts of you"! I'd love to hear.