With all the talk about the recession lately, it’s important to be prepared. There is news like this from an article on Forbes which states, “Economic indicators are signaling the possibility that we are headed toward a recession by 2021. Given that recessions are usually associated with significant job losses, the warning bells in the U.S. and globally might make it easy to panic about the volatility and uncertainty of what’s ahead.” The article provides steps you can take right now to continue to move your career forward and summarizes, “Managing your career by being proactive and prepared is what will allow you to be recession-proofed during the challenging times, while also positioning you for continued career success and growth at all times.”
You must be ready for anything that may come your way. Positive or negative. And one area that is crucial is your Linkedin Profile.
I see a lot of LinkedIn Profile mistakes from frustrated job seekers as the Moderator for LinkedIn’s Premium Career Group that has over 1.6 million members. So I have identified what I believe to be the 7 most common LinkedIn Profile mistakes that hinder job searches and the remedies to fix each one.
With the tumultuous economic conditions we have been experiencing and the economic indicators pointing towards a recession at some point, it’s important to fix any of these mistakes before you need to look for a new position. This way you will be ready for whatever the economy throws your way.
LinkedIn Profile Mistake #1: You Don’t List a Current Position – When you don’t list a current position in your profile, your LinkedIn Profile isn’t complete according to the nebulous LinkedIn Algorithm. Having a “current position” contributes to your profile being complete, which helps your profile show up in search results. What if you aren’t working? If you currently are between jobs, then fill out the current position section of your LinkedIn Profile with the type of job you are seeking and any consulting/volunteer/educational/networking work you are doing during this break from paid work.
LinkedIn Profile Mistake #2: You Don’t Include a LinkedIn Photo—or It’s a Bad Photo – People want to know who they are dealing with when interacting online. So be sure to include your photo on your LinkedIn Profile. In fact, according to LinkedIn’s Business Blog Post titled, “Picture Perfect: Make A Great First Impression with Your LinkedIn Profile Photo,” a profile has 21 times more views and 9 more connection requests with a photo than without one. And if it’s a bad photo (can’t see your face, bad background choices), it’s still better than no photo, but you have to wonder the damage you may be doing to your brand.
LinkedIn Profile Mistake #3: Failure to Optimize Key Profile Sections – Your headline/tagline, your summary, your employment titles and your skills section are the most important sections to keyword optimize for the jobs you are targeting. Failure to do so will hinder your chances of showing up in searches. It’s that simple. So be sure to keyword optimize these sections.
LinkedIn Profile Mistake #4: Lamely Describing You In Your Summary – You have 2000 characters to vividly describe how well you do what you do. So use it and don’t be lame when describing yourself.
LinkedIn Profile Mistake #5: Only Include Tasks in Your Employment Section – Your employment section for each job you have held is an opportunity to show the reader how well you did your job. Use a CAR formula (challenge, action, result) formula to create accomplishment-based bullets to describe your work at each employer. When everyone else is using tasks to describe what they do, you will comparatively shine.
LinkedIn Profile Mistake #6: Don’t Obtain Recommendations or Endorsements – This is so important to do before a recession and before you or your boss may be laid off. Get recommendations and endorsements before you need them. These are two different functions and equally as important. Having 2-3 recommendations help complete your profile, which we already said helps you rank higher in LinkedIn search results. And endorsements of your skills helps you rank for those skill phrases—be sure to collect these before you need them!
LinkedIn Profile Mistake #7: Wrongly Thinking Your Profile Will Do All The Work – Once you fix all of these mistakes and have a wonderfully built profile, you can’t sit back and think the profile will do all of the work. It won’t. Think of a LinkedIn Profile like a business card—just because you have a business card doesn’t mean you automatically obtain business. Right? Same with a profile. You must work LinkedIn to get traction just as you must work to get business. So be sure to connect and network with people using LinkedIn. These connections you develop today will ultimately keep your career alive and thriving should the market turn downward. Be ready.
Fixing these 7 LinkedIn errors will prepare you to weather storm in the next recession. Get started fixing them today!
Lisa Rangel, Founder and Managing Director of https://chameleonresumes.com/ LLC (a Forbes Top 100 Career Website), is a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Job Landing Consultant & 13-year Recruiter. Lisa is also a paid moderator for LinkedIn’s Premium Career Group, which has 1,300,000+ members. Chameleon Resumes reviews the goals of each client to ensure career documents serve their goals while meeting the needs of the prospective employers. She has been featured on Inc., CNN Business, Fast Company, Business Insider, Forbes, LinkedIn, CNBC, Time Money, BBC, Newsweek, Crain’s New York, Chicago Tribune, eFinancialCareers, CIO Magazine, Monster, US News & World Report, Good Morning America, Fox Business News, New York Post, and other reputable media outlets. Rangel has authored 16 career resources including The Linkedin Job Leads Package.
