MONTREAL – Did you know LinkedIn is currently the biggest networking site for both employed and non-employed individuals?
It’s crucial that people use the website correctly to not hurt potential job opportunities.
Stephanie Zacharkiw from Yes Montreal Employment Services stopped by the Global Montreal Morning News to tell anchor Camille Ross about the five things you should not do when creating your LinkedIn profile:
Your picture
Take a professional profile picture.
Leaving it blank or having the wrong picture (selfie, party shot, graduation ceremony) can severely damage your employment opportunities.
Potential employers are usually looking for professionals with experience and your photo is one of the first things people see when they view your profile.
The wrong picture sends the wrong message, which could hurt your career search.
LinkedIn is not Facebook, so keep it professional.
Your headline
Think of an engaging headline.
This one-liner has to show value and be interesting to a potential employer.
If you are a job seeker: do not simply write “actively seeking”; if you are employed, do not just fill out the default headline of job title, company.
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You need something engaging to encourage people to take a look at your experience.
This is the start of your brand, so don’t be boring.
Stay up-to-date
Log in regularly.
It is crucial to check your profile daily, share posts, join groups, write posts and participate in conversations.
Not logging in on a regular basis will affect your online ranking and, like any social media network, no activity means you’re invisible.
Every few days, change your status to keep it fresh and show you’re active and engaged—no one will know what you’ve done if you’re not showing it off.
Your connections
Build connections, but always put your requests in context.
Don’t use the generic connection request because it’s just plain lazy.
If you connect with someone you don’t know, let them know why you want to add them to your network.
Personalizing your message is more professional – and a lot more polite.
Nurture your network
Be a giver and a taker.
Don’t invite people to your network and then start asking them for job leads, advice etc.
Try to offer something in return to show respect for your connections.
Linkedin is not just a job search tool, it is a networking platform.
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