Are You Committing Career Suicide on LinkedIn?

Posted by:  Loraine Antrim

Is your LinkedIn profile killing your career? It might be, if it doesn’t help you stand out. With over 150 million users, it’s very easy to have a LinkedIn profile that mimics many of the same words and ideas as others.  Results? You look and sound boring.

If you use LinkedIn for career connections and job search, listen up: the key is to differentiate.Here are five tips to guide you in creating a profile that will advance your personal brand, not sink it.

First. Grab Them With a Headline If your opening line is, ”GM of Sales” or “Account Executive,” you sound pretty dull. You’re not differentiating in the most critical part of your profile: the first thing the reader sees. Your job title and company are NOT good headlines; unfortunately, that ‘s pretty much the default for so many LinkedIn users. Place your title farther down on your page; not first thing. Grab eyeballs. How? Follow the guidelines journalists use for news headlines: be short, get creative, use catchy language and draw the reader in. For example, “Hiring People Who Aspire to Cure Cancer,” is a real grabber. You WANT to read on.

2^nd. Kill Common Titles. There are many many directors, consultants, engineers, sales professionals, and lawyers. Why would you want to list a title everyone else has? Telling the world you’re a director might give you a big ego boost, but it’s not boosting your career. Find an unusual way to say who you are. “Architect of Drop Dead Designs” is a catchier headline than “Senior Graphics Designer.” For example, my headline says I’m a “Butterfly Killer.”  Butterflies, you know, that feeling in your gut before you have to speak in public. As a presentation coach, I’ll get rid of that fluttering in your stomach. It’s a very unusual way to say I’m in executive coaching. Spend some time and get thoughtful…ask friends and colleagues for some suggestions. A unique title will make you memorable and readers will WANT to read on.

3^rd. DO Think About SEO. No keywords means bottom of the barrel search results. Search engines will pick up your LinkedIn headline, so the right key word is critical for both LinkedIn search AND general search. How to choose the right keywords? Think like a recruiter!  Hire yourself! What keywords might a headhunter put in a LinkedIn people search to find you?  Don’t just keyword your profile. Judiciously pepper keywords throughout your entire page. Remember, the right keyword will help you rise to the top of search or help sink you down.

Tips 4-5 and Complete Social Media Today article