By Jacquelyn Brookins
Contributor, Career Services
Let me start by saying, I love LinkedIn. I practically always have it open in a browser so I can pop over to it the moment I think of a person or a company that I want to know more about. As an Employer Relations Recruiter, it is my goal to make connections with recruitment professionals that work at organizations that our students and alumni are interested in. This past year, I was recognized as being in the top 1% of profiles viewed, which I was pretty excited about. That gives you an idea of how much time I spend on the professional networking site. Therefore, it’s not a surprise that I come across some interesting things during the time I spend on LinkedIn.
I get it; this is another social media site. And yes, accounts are your own, even if you have your company’s corporate profile page linked to yours. Even though it’s your personal account, please know LinkedIn is the most popular site for social recruiting. It’s used for networking, job searching, connecting with colleagues, alumni and other industry professionals, as well as joining business related groups. In other words, this is where recruiters advertise their job opportunities, search for candidates, and do their homework on candidates that have applied to their positions.
I don’t have the perfect profile, but it’s professional, to the point, and paints a pretty good picture of what I do, and what kind of experience I have under my belt. I believe that’s what it should do. The first thing I naturally look at on someone’s LinkedIn profile is their picture. What does your picture say about you? Better yet, what do you want your picture to say about you?
Maybe on the weekends you DJ on the side, so you’ve decided to portray yourself in this light by displaying a picture of you with your headphones spinning records. It’s no secret that we live in a society where we make snap judgments based on one’s appearance. Although you may be an ‘A’ performer at your job as an account manager, it may be hard for a recruiter to take you seriously, or consider you at all. Something I’ve seen quite a bit (surprisingly) are pictures of females wearing what we hope to be strapless shirts, thus making them look naked. Really? Do you think a recruiter wants to forward the resume of a candidate that looks dressed inappropriately to their hiring manager, who they know will do a little LinkedIn investigation as well? Not really. A picture says 1,000 words, right? Keep that in mind when you select your image so the words, “clueless” “unprofessional” and “partyer” aren’t some of them. Keep it clean and simple with a headshot of you sporting acceptable attire, preferably without others in the picture. Remember, this is your profile picture, not your spouse’s, your child’s, or your favorite art piece’s.
What about your title? This will be displayed when you show up in searches. It’s a few words that either sums up what you do, or what you are looking to do. Personally, I don’t think it’s the appropriate place for a catchy slogan or title that you’ve given yourself like, “Ready and Willing to Rock Your Professional World” or “Help You Grow Faster.” I don’t know what that means, and I’m not even sure that I want to. Like your profile picture, it is what people see first and it needs to paint a clear and concise picture of what you want to portray. There are many more places within your profile to expand on what you do and how you do it. Simply put, when in doubt; just have this state your current title. For example, “Software Developer,” “Marketing Analyst,” or “MBA Student.”
Lastly, LinkedIn users have the ability to update their status. Remember, this isn’t like other social media websites. It’s not a good idea to post a personal status about your plans for the weekend, what you just ate or even how hungry you are, nor should you use this space to go on a rant about politics, culture, or other sensitive topics. This is a great space to share professional ideas, interesting blogs and articles, and upcoming news and events.
In a world where people have the ability to do their homework and learn so much about you before actually meeting you, it’s important to make sure you are mindful of how you are presenting yourself in the virtual space. With over 225 million users, I’m sure we have all come across some rather interesting profiles. I would love to hear from readers on the strangest or funniest thing you have seen on LinkedIn and if you have additional advice for creating a professional profile.
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