


"Unless you’re getting hired for a modeling gig, people are just looking for energy, which you can communicate through great posture, open eyes, and a smile."

And instead of listening to your answers, the interviewer will think you’re deceptive," Williams confides. "I see older people who are worried about age discrimination use a photo of themselves in their 30s, but an interviewer wasn’t expecting them to look so different. "Especially for mothers getting back into the workforce, a picture of their child doesn't convey that they're ready for a full-time job."Īnother photo blunder: Misrepresenting your appearance. "No dog, no husband, no baby!" Williams says, adding that your photo is meant to show you at your professional-not personal-best. A missing photo can easily lead to missed connections. She also makes a great point: If you leave a networking event with a handful of business cards, intending to follow up on LinkedIn, it's much harder for you to remember who's who without pictures. Like a house that’s for sale, the assumption is that if there's no photo, something's wrong."

"You're seven times more likely to have your profile viewed if you have one. "One of the biggest mistakes I see is no photo," Williams says. So whether you're hunting for a new job, making the most of the one you have, or just looking to learn about professional possibilities, avoid these eight big LinkedIn mistakes. In fact, data shows that LinkedIn is especially helpful when it comes to landing higher-paying jobs-“informal recruitment" is a favorite of hiring managers aiming to fill positions up there on the payscale. What do you do with your LinkedIn profile?ĭo you check it only every once in a while when a connection request comes through? Have you linked it to your Twitter account? Did you never quite remember to sign up in the first place?Īs much as it's convenient to merge our Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram accounts into one large social networking experience, LinkedIn has a special designation: professional networking.Īnd there is a difference between professional and personal networking, according to LinkedIn Career Expert Nicole Williams: "I see the same mistakes over and over!"Īnd, on LinkedIn, those faux pas can damage your career.
