Mark Wilson

LinkedIn was released in 2003 and has been growing in popularity quite rapidly, especially over the past few years. However, not everyone uses this tool properly and some treat it as if it were another casual social networking tool. Here are some reasons why LinkedIn should be used strictly professionally and not as another ‘Facebook’ like outlet.

LinkedIn is a PROFESSIONAL Network
The majority of people on LinkedIn are professionals looking to network and meet other industry professionals. Members here typically search for other people, their competition, or even job listings. Very few search for other details that aren’t related to one’s professional records, because if they wanted that info, they would be using Facebook!

You’re damaging your own Reputation
Think of it this way, would you screw around with your resume before handing it in to a potential employer? NO. LinkedIn is essentially a virtual resume, so why would you add useless and unprofessional details of your personal life there? In fact, while you’re at it, take those off of Facebook too, because most employers can look up your profile and may use that against you.
I like to use what I was taught as the ‘Globe and Mail’ test. Whatever you’re posting online, would you mind if it got released to the Globe and Mail and printed for everyone to see?  If not, you probably shouldn’t post it, because once online, always online.

Lack of Benefits Gained
If you’re already using Facebook, and the majority of your LinkedIn contacts are on Facebook (except the professional ones), then why use LinkedIn? This unprofessional talk will be ignored for the most part, because people on LinkedIn will find it irrelevant and not take you seriously.

So the question is – What are some tips behind using LinkedIn?

Complete Profile
First off, complete your profile in its entirety. Many people fill out their names and vital information, but nothing more. What’s the point? You might as well not even be on there. Fill out your entire profile, job history, key words, skills, etc., to maximize your benefits and exposure.

LinkUp
Next, you won’t go very far without linking your profile. The whole purpose is to build your network of professional contacts, so start connecting. Do a search using your email or search people by name you might want to link up with. You could also go into the ‘People You May Know’ area and see who comes up. But search your email first, because this area is impacted by the connections you’ve already made.

Don’t Link Everything
So we discussed having a complete profile. But there IS a thing as TOO complete of a profile. Not all of your aspects in life must be linked to this account. For example, if you post regular tweets on Twitter, none of which are professionally related… then please, please don’t attach your Twitter profile. LinkedIn members don’t need to see ‘Had a great night last night #sodrunk’ … that should be a pretty self explanatory reason. Not to mention, they might not understand things like hashtags, so probably best to leave it out.
Also, you don’t need to put links to all of your social networking accounts like Facebook or MySpace. Limit any profile linking strictly to professional resources you use.

Share your Work
You might have said ‘Developed a marketing plan that drove sales 100%’ – so prove it. Include a snippet of that marketing plan online (through a link or a blog) and link it with your profile. This way you can fully support your work and it will give other professional’s the chance to see what you can do.

Keep it updated!
LinkedIn is pretty static. You might not need to update it much like Twitter or Facebook, but do keep your professional information to date. You could also throw in information of any recent conferences or events you’ve attended to keep yourself up on other professionals’ radar. Any new contacts you make, link them up on LinkedIn. If you’re looking for a specific job, maybe you title keywords and obtain ‘recommendations’ that would support your experience. This doesn’t take much time, but a regular visit to make sure it’s up to date is well worth it in maintaining your digital resume.

There you have it, a few easy tips to keep your profile professional, complete, and up to date! Just remember, if you wouldn’t want it in the paper, then don’t post it online!

Sources
Link to Prosper. (2009, 10 20). Why LinkedIn shouldn’t be used for Non-Professional Purposes. Retrieved 03 19, 2012, from Link to Prosper: http://www.linktoprosper.com/blog/2009/10/why-linkedin-shouldnt-be-used-for-non-professional-purposes/

LinkedIn. (n.d.). Build A Professional Profile. Retrieved 03 19, 2012, from Carreer Services LinkedIn: http://careerservices.linkedin.com/Build-A-Professional-Profile.pdf