5 Potentially Disastrous LinkedIn Mistakes to Avoid

5 Potentially Disastrous LinkedIn Mistakes to Avoid5 Potentially Disastrous LinkedIn Mistakes to AvoidLinkedIn offers its users a chance to make a great first impression Most people use this powerful online resource to learn about people before meeting them for client meetings, interviews, and much more. But most people I talk to feel completely overwhelmed with LinkedIns many capabilities and tools. And that can lead to potentially disastrous LinkedIn mistakes.Hereare five specific LinkedIn mistakes you should avoidI work at LinkedIn as part of the customer success team, and I am also a career success coach with Vertucci Career Academy. I work day in and day out helping clients either hire people or get hired themselves, so Ive landseen people use LinkedIn in a lot of different ways. Here are some of the biggest LinkedIn mistakes I see people making1. Not Having a Photo (Or Having a badeanstalt One)You may have heard that profiles with a photo are 14 times more likely to be viewed, versus profiles without a photo. Why is that? Trust We want to know, like, and trust you if were considering networking with you, working with you, or hiring you Having a profile picture is the first step in creating a great online brand.A strong profile photo includes four basic elements we can see your face clearly, youre making eye contact with the camera, youre smiling, and you have flattering lighting. Every smartphone today has a great camera, so when youre particularly happy with how you look at work one day, or out with friends, take a photo outdoors in the sun or in a well-lit room. Make sure the image is warm, friendly, approachable, andrealistic to how you look in real life.2. Getting TOO PersonalThis never used to be a problem, but according to my recruiting clients, people writing overly personal posts is becoming more rampant. LinkedIn isnt facebook inc or Twitter. Repeat after me LinkedIn isnt Facebook or Twitter. Yes, its a social media site. Yes, youre connected wit h friends and family. But your professional contacts dont care what you had for dinner, where you and your family are vacationing, or what Game of Thrones meme you like best.Its important to engage with your peers and with the content on LinkedIn. Share posts, like them, comment on them. Write your own articles and posts. But keep it professional. Talk about what this weeks episode of Game of Thrones taught you about the business world (something like, Dear Employers, Winter is Coming How to Prepare). Make it something fun that relates back to the workdistribution policy.3. Treating Your Profile Like Your ResumeThe average LinkedIn member copies and pastes their resume into their profile and moves on with their life. They treat it like their online resume. Its not. Dont make this LinkedIn mistake. The two are different and serve different purposes. A resume is meant to be tactical its not written in the first-person voice, its a snapshot of your work history and highlights achieveme nts.Your LinkedIn profile, on the other hand, is your career story Its the place where you showcase your personal brand. For starters, you can speak in the first person on LinkedIn. Instead of listing out bullet points, you can write in paragraphs about what you liked about a project, or discuss the passion you have for your organization or industry. Be personal and tell a story.You can also include visuals on your profile. Do you have videos, microsites, articles, or other materials about your work, your company, or a project? If so, SHOW THEM Sharing your work visually helps engage potential employers and connections.4. A Poor Summary (Or No Summary)Your summary is the first thing people will read. Its your first chance to tell your story and show your personality. What makes a good summary? Write two or three sentences about what you love or enjoy about the work you do. What are you passionate about? What are your key strengths? Why should I care? Why should I keep reading?Then h ave a second paragraph that lists your skills. Think like a recruiter or hiring manager for this section. What keywords might they look for? Theyre interested in technical skills, areas of expertise, and reasons to reach out to you. If youre wondering what types of searches recruiters might run, look to job descriptions. When a recruiter gets that positions description, theyll look at the qualifications and skills needed and try to find people who have those keywords on their profile.5. Focusing on Quantity vs. QualityLinkedIn isnt a numbers game. Youre not competing for some grand prize of who knows the most Internet people. Linking with people you dont actually know can do more harm than good. You want to focus on connecting with folks you actually know in some way.Imagine a scenario a year or two from nowyou find out about a dream company or role, and you log into LinkedIn to see if you know anyone at that company. And you do You click to see your first degree connection who woul d be your potential foot in the door to your dream opportunity and BAM You dont actually know that person at all. Theyre just some random connection you made five years ago.What good will that do you? You need to be first-degree connected to people you feel comfortable enough to reach out to. They dont have to be your best friend, but you have to know who they are. You have to be able to say, Hey remember me? We worked on that project together a few years ago. If you dont actually know a person in some way, avoid connecting with them.Hopefully youre not making any of these LinkedIn mistakes. But if you are, act fast to fix them A few minor tweaks can help you gain traction and start using LinkedIn to its strengths. Focus on having a strong brand, engaging with peers, and building your network. Its an opportunity for you to be found for your skills and to find and connect with others because of their skills. Its a powerful tool for all things professional and career related. Happy ne tworkingRebecca Vertucci is a proven expert on recruiting, hiring, and all things LinkedIn. She vetted and placed hundreds of candidates while working for corporate HR departments and recruiting agencies before joining LinkedIn where she is a senior customer success manager. Now, as a co-founder ofVertucci Career Academy, Rebecca shares her extensive knowledge and unique perspective with job seekers and those in career transitions through her online course offerings, as well as one-on-one and group coaching programs.For more information on working with Rebecca, please email her at RebeccaatVertucciCareerAcademydotcom. She offers free career consultations for all members.Readers, what LinkedIn mistakes have you been making?Tell us in the comment section below