Five mistakes that are losing you jobs on LinkedIn
Looking for a new career role, but failing to land interviews? Find out why these five LinkedIn errors could be sabotaging your job hunt.
Are you experiencing horrendous stress and burnout as you search for a new job? Well, you’re not alone. According to a 2023 survey conducted by staffing agency Insight Global, a significant 55% of unemployed adults are experiencing burnout while job hunting.
In today’s competitive job market, a strong online presence is paramount, and LinkedIn serves as the cornerstone for professional networking and opportunities.
Vincent Iachetta Jr., president of Peppermonkey Media, provides an essential roadmap to navigating the contemporary job landscape, offering insights that can help you avoid brutal burnout and secure your dream job.
1) You haven’t put much effort into your LinkedIn profile
With so many recruiters looking to LinkedIn first when researching candidates, your profile is essentially your introduction to the professional world. Yet many fall into the trap of creating lacklustre profiles that fail to showcase their skills and achievements, not bothering to put any work into making themselves sound appealing or keeping their profile updated.
To make yourself stand out, ensure your headline is captivating, your summary compelling, and your experience section a dynamic narrative that entices potential employers to learn more. Spend some time on your LinkedIn profile and it should pay off for you.
2) Your LinkedIn network is too watered down
Having a huge number of connections is often worn like a badge of honour on a LinkedIn profile, but you should actually be cultivating a quality-over-quantity mindset.
In the race to expand your connections, the quality of your network often takes a backseat. However, mindlessly adding contacts without a strategic approach can dilute the effectiveness of your network, as you pick up connections to people who have nothing to do with the industry you want to excel in.
You should focus on building meaningful connections with the people who actually matter in your industry. A close connection with one of them could land you your dream job working in a company or project they’re involved with, while one hundred extra connections could just mean you end up with a hundred more useless posts on your feed.
Instead of spreading your net too wide, engage with a few important individuals’ content, participate only in discussions that are directly relevant to your industry, and in no time your network will be your most valuable asset.
3) You’re not making the most of recommendations
Many LinkedIn users overlook the potency of recommendations, often because we’re conditioned to be embarrassed when asking people to do us a favour. But these testimonials from colleagues, managers, or clients add a huge amount of credibility to your profile and provide potential employers with valuable insights into your work ethic and skills – all of which look more genuine as they aren’t just you bigging yourself up!
If you’re shy about requesting recommendations, remember that it doesn’t have to be a one-way street – you could give your manager a recommendation in exchange for them writing about you.
4) Your profile doesn’t contain the right keywords
Recruiters often use keywords to find potential candidates on LinkedIn, so if your profile lacks keywords relevant to the job or industry you’re pursuing, you might be invisible to those who could offer you your dream position.
Take the time to search through job postings for positions you’d love and identify which keywords are used the most. You can then incorporate these industry-specific keywords into your profile to increase your visibility in search results.
5) Your LinkedIn profile doesn’t showcase your personal brand
Your LinkedIn profile is more than just a list of qualifications; it’s an opportunity to showcase your personal brand. Remember, no one works with qualifications or experiences – we work with people. That’s why hiring managers don’t just want to know if you’ve got the skills for the job – they also want to know whether you’ll fit in.
To build your personal brand, share insights, thoughts, and experiences that reflect your professional identity. Regularly contribute to discussions in your field, publish articles, and participate in industry events – establish yourself as a thought leader. In essence, do whatever you can to put yourself out there and showcase why you care about your industry or the sector want to enter. You may even find that doing this naturally brings the recruiters to you!
Fix these five errors and boost the chances of finding work on LinkedIn
Embarking on a job search journey can be daunting, especially when common LinkedIn mistakes are so easy to make and so many people are suffering from stress and burnout due to the huge pressure to beat the competition. However, armed with the knowledge of these mistakes, you have the power to turn setbacks into opportunities.’
Make sure to take the time to optimise your LinkedIn profile, strategically build your network, and showcase your unique value. Your dream job may be just a few clicks away, waiting to be discovered through a thoughtfully curated LinkedIn presence.
Peppermonkey Media is a digital marketing agency located on the Jersey Shore, offering various services like web design, PPC, SEO, and social media marketing to small and medium-sized businesses across the United States.
Founded by Vincent Iachetta Jr., the agency prioritises honesty, integrity, and passion, aiming to build professional and transparent relationships with clients while adhering to clear roadmaps for achieving goals.
