Common LinkedIn Profile Mistakes to Avoid

We still come across profiles without a photo or, worst still, a company logo instead of a photo.

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform. Your profile is you, connecting, starting conversations and sharing updates. You wouldn’t wear a paper bag over your head to a work event, so you should have a photo on your profile.

Add a profile photo to your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn informs us that “simply having a profile photo results in up to 21x more profile views and 9x more connection requests”.

Need some inspiration? Learn more in this article with LinkedIn profile photo tips.

Including your mobile number in the headline of of your profile is telling people ‘I want to sell you something’. This salesy approach and ‘hacking’ prominent parts of your LinkedIn profile is the reason some people avoid LinkedIn.

This can deter potential LinkedIn connections from connecting with you, as they may look at your profile and say to themselves “If I accept this invite to connect, they are just going to try to tell me something”.

Do you blurt out your mobile number to people you first meet? Listing your mobile on your headline is the LinkedIn profile equivalent of this.

There are protocols we recommend you follow to maximise LinkedIn as a place to learn, expand your connections and find talent for your organisation.

You can make your mobile number more prominent by adding it in your LinkedIn profile’s About section and experience, as well as in your profile’s contact information.

Spelling errors and typos in your LinkedIn profile can be distracting. Some people may interpret this as ‘sloppy’ and a lack of attention to detail.

A high standard of written communication is necessary in most roles. If their are spelling errors and typos in your LinkedIn profile, consider what sort of message this is sending to potential employers, clients or community members.

Did you notice the typo in the paragraph above?

How did you feel about me as you read it? Did you even notice it? Some people will and some people won’t notice spelling errors and typos.

Don’t take the risk of making this easy to fix mistake.

When updating your LinkedIn profile we recommend you draft some of the copy heavy sections in a Word document first. This will help you pick up typos and spelling errors.

Read your LinkedIn profile copy out aloud to check how it sounds and to catch any spelling errors and typos.

Ask a friend to proof read the content in your headline, summary and experience sections.

Need help writing your LinkedIn profile? Check out our LinkedIn Profile writing services.

About section is missing

The About section is often missed and provides an essential professional summary of your skills and experience.

Clients tell us it’s the hardest part of their profile to write, which is probably why so many people skip it.

The About section of your LinkedIn profile provides a wonderful opportunity to give readers a sense of who you are, what you do, how you help and the difference you wish to make in the world.

Learn more in this article about how to write a good LinkedIn profile About section.

Skills are not up to date

Out of date or irrelevant skills on your LinkedIn profile is a common mistake, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve reviewed your LinkedIn profile.

Don’t wait until you’re in active job search or when you notice an important potential client views your profile to refresh your LinkedIn profile.

Take the time to review your skills and add any relevant skills to recent roles to highlight these skills on your LinkedIn profile.

The skills listed on your LinkedIn profile can now be aligned to specific experience.

No Customised URL

You are given an individual LinkedIn URL when you join LinkedIn, which includes a random combination of letters and numbers, along with your name.

A common mistake is not taking the time to customise your profile’s URL, which is a great way to claim your digital LinkedIn real estate.

It’s very easy to customise your LinkedIn profile URL to include your name and remove the random selection of letters and numbers.

Learn more in this article about how to customise your LinkedIn profile public URL.

Viewing competitors or old flames without being anonymous

A common mistake is viewing other people’s profiles and not realising they can see you’ve looked at their profile.

If you’re researching competitors or old flames, you probably don’t want them to know you’re looking at their LinkedIn profiles.

This can be fixed in your profile’s settings. If you wish to view other people’s profiles anonymously, choose the option to active Private Mode in your profile viewing options.

Learn more in this article about how to browse LinkedIn profiles anonymously.