Should I have two LinkedIn accounts? One for my professional life and another for my creative interest.

The discussion of whether or not to create two LinkedIn accounts has appeared several times in my conversations with fellow young professionals, especially those with creative interests who are still deciding how to incorporate them into their professional profiles.

One such example is a former colleague who has a YouTube channel where he reviews trainers, other footwear, and fashion. He has grown followership using different social media platforms such as X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram. However, he considers what he does to not be professional enough to be shared on LinkedIn, not even creating a separate account for it.

The second example is another friend I recently met at a networking event. He is interested in photography and videography, which he equally shares with his Instagram network. However, he is still indecisive about whether to create a separate account for this on LinkedIn or incorporate it with his professional profile account.

For the benefit of writers like myself who share noneducational or professional articles or essays, I sometimes question whether some of my work belongs here on LinkedIn.

To answer this critical question, I first draw on what being professional means. According to a quick search on ChatGPT, 'the term professional refers to someone who is skilled and trained in a specific field or occupation, typically through formal education and experience. A professional is expected to demonstrate competence, adhere to ethical standards, and maintain a high level of responsibility in their work. It also implies behaving with integrity, showing respect, and consistently delivering quality results.'

In that case, being professional refers to consistently demonstrating a level of excellence, integrity, and respect in everything you do. Based on this alone, I am tempted to conclude that any skill gained through training or experience in a specific field or occupation which can potentially be monetised indeed belongs to LinkedIn. Please pay attention to the words I have highlighted in bold.

However, to further support the points on why I am convinced that most things we consider not good for LinkedIn actually have a suitable position here, I would like to summarise LinkedIn's content policy.

LinkedIn allows professional content relevant to career development and adds value to the professional community. This includes sharing industry insights, thought leadership, educational materials, and professional experiences.

However, content must comply with their guidelines, prohibiting harmful or inappropriate material, misinformation, harassment, and overly promotional or spammy posts. Therefore, content should foster productive conversations, uphold respect, and reflect LinkedIn's professional tone.

However, even now, it's clear that many things we may think are not suitable for LinkedIn can, in fact, find a place here. By understanding what it truly means to be professional and considering LinkedIn's content policy, we can see how a wide range of topics can fit within a professional context. It's all about framing content in a way that aligns with professional values while staying within LinkedIn's guidelines.

In addressing the second question, whether to have two LinkedIn accounts, one for professional life and another for creative interest. I will go ahead and outline a few personal factors to consider to help you decide.

Consider your organisation's content policy.

Now that we have established that many things we may think are not suitable for LinkedIn, can, in fact, find a place here. It is also imperative to consider your organisation's or future organisation of interest policies regarding content sharing on LinkedIn.

If your type of content is so off the hook that it doesn't even pass LinkedIn's or organisation's policy in the first place - then why bother incorporating it into your professional profile?

Look up similar professional profiles.

After deeply reviewing LinkedIn, you will find that individual professional accounts already share most of the content you consider not to share.

Searching for and studying these accounts will not only help you decide whether to incorporate them but also train you further on how to post your content professionally to your network.

Furthermore, some of these accounts still keep it professional, but they simply share external links to the pages where they originally posted those contents.

Content Identification

Is what you do and contemplating whether to share through your LinkedIn professional profile what you would like to be identified with?

For instance, aside from working at a university, a real estate company, and being a student, I don't mind additionally being known as a writer or a blogger.

However, although I might not know my response if I had another creative interest outside writing, it is up to you to decide.

Many thanks for reading my perspective and giving feedback.

My fervent wish is for the personal growth of everyone and the success of all young professionals who put their hearts and souls into finding their purpose in life.

Copyright ? Ekene Moses, 2024. All Rights Reserved.

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