Looking for a job? These days, it's possible to find the best ones online. All you need is a proper presence in the world of internet. There are quite a few social media platforms that can be used for job search. For example, one of the largest social media platforms, Facebook can be of great help if you are looking for jobs. But when it comes to using social media for professional purposes, LinkedIn surely rules the roost. It is one of the best places through which you can build your professional connections. And this, in the long run, will help you to find your dream job.
LinkedIn can surely be a great way to build contacts. With 347 million users, it has every potential to be your perfect job search platform. But there are quite a few mistakes that individuals usually commit on this platform. And these can be really fatal when it comes to creating an impression, which is necessary while searching for a job.
Here's a quick look at some of the major LinkedIn mistakes that can dampen your chances of getting an amazing job offer right from LinkedIn.
Not Using a Picture in the Profile
The first thing that you need to do while looking for a job is to impress the potential recruiter. And the very first thing that can help you do that is your picture on LinkedIn. But, to everybody's surprise, a lot of people have LinkedIn profiles that do not have any image at all. According to LinkedIn expert Nicole Williams, "You're seven times more likely to have your profile viewed if you have one. Like a house that's on sale, the assumption is that if there's no photo, something's wrong." So, if you want to strike the right chord with your potential employer, it is essential that you use a photo in the profile.
Using an Image that's Not Original
A lot of LinkedIn profiles have pictures in them. But not all of them are original pictures. So, is it the right thing to use a fake picture in your LinkedIn profile? The answer is an emphatic no. The LinkedIn profile should be used by you to express yourself in your professional best. So, ensure that it does not have a personal touch. This is one of the basic mistakes committed by most of the LinkedIn users.
Ignoring the LinkedIn Summary
There's an old format of resume, which used to have a summary. It was meant to speak about your career highlights. There's a same thing in LinkedIn as well. It summarizes your career for the potential employers. It's the part of your profile through which you can sell yourself to the employer. So, it is essential to have a great summary if you are looking to land a great job.
But a lot of people prefer to leave out the summary. It can surely be a fatal mistake and can hamper the impression that your LinkedIn profile might have on your potential employers. So, you should better add a comprehensive summary to make your profile attractive for the employers.
Not Knowing about LinkedIn's Privacy Settings
Did you know that LinkedIn has its own security settings? It comes in really handy at time. For example, when you are looking for a new job, you need to connect with new people. You will have different types of conversations with them. You will surely not want your current employer to know about these. If your current employer is in your LinkedIn circle, it's better you keep these conversations out of his reach. But for that, you will need to use the privacy settings in LinkedIn.
Eliminating the Past Work Experience
Are you a fresher? If you aren't, you will must be looking to share the experiences that you have, with your potential employer? You should include all your experiences in the LinkedIn profile. The LinkedIn profile already has a number of places to enter your work experience as well as education. You just need to fill up those options. There are a number of profiles on LinkedIn that do not have these details. Even if you have changed your field of work, still you should not eliminate the details from your network, as the potential employers might be interested to find it.
Your LinkedIn profile needs to have every quality to appeal to the employer in the most personal manner. Keep this in mind while creating it and ensure that you are able to market yourself in the best possible manner to your potential employers. If you can do that, it will surely enhance your chances of landing a great job within the shortest possible time. But for that, you need to be aware of these LinkedIn mistakes and avoid them to have the best results.
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