Posted by Mark in The other day we got an email asking – “I update my linkedin status regularly and add many people each day. This approach works wonders for me on Facebook and Twitter but it’s not working on LinkedIn. What am I doing wrong?” Although the question might surprise some of us, we need to realize there are many people who still use LinkedIn the way they use Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or other social networking tools. LinkedIn is a networking tool for professionals and for anyone who wants to showcase their skills and find opportunities via this wonderful platform.
Below you will find 10 things you shouldn’t do while using LinkedIn. Everyone seems to start a guide or a list with what to do so we thought we would take a different approach and talk about what not to do. Here’s a 10 pointer “don’t do it” guide to LinkedIn for all you job seekers and professionals out there.
1. Do not use linkedin like you would use facebook. These are two different platforms : one for professional networking and other to stay connected with friends and families.
2. Do not send out invitation for the sake of adding connections. As we all know, while using Facebook or twitter most people just add whoever they want and usually the favor is returned. If you are going to send an invite to connect with someone on linkedin, make sure you create a message that outlines why you are trying to add them. If you start adding people like you do on twitter or facebook there is a chance that you might get blocked.
3. Do not use drunk, excited and other forms of too friendly images as your profile image. Linkedin is a professional networking platform so do what you would do professionally in the real world. Keep your profile image professional looking.
4. Do not share your thoughts and what you are doing as you would on twitter or other platforms. If it relates to your work or something important, go ahead and update the section that says “What are you working on now?” Use this feature wisely to update your status. Updating your profile status couple times a week is more than enough.
5. Do not join groups for the sake of adding one more group logo on your profile page. Join a group only if it relates to your career or interest and only, only if you can devote time to participate and be a valuable member of that group.
6. Do not add application to feed your blog posts on your profile unless the content on your blog is relevant. If you have a profile showing that you are an engineer and are running a political humor blog on the side out of interest, showing your political humor on your professional profile might not be a wise idea.
7. Do not beg for recommendations. If people think you are good they will recommend. If you feel like asking for a recommendation, make sure the person you are asking is a good colleague whose words actually bear some weight when possible employers look at your profile. Don’t have your uncle,aunt,mom and dad leave recommendations for you. We are not in high school.
8. Do not brag too much while writing your summary. The whole “I am the sh**” kind of summary might be appropriate for facebook, twitter, myspace, etc. but it’s not for LinkedIn. Write a summary of yourself in short but write it in a way you would on a paper resume. Make it look and sound professional.
9. Do not forward profiles to your connections just so they could have more “connections.” Use this feature only if you think it will benefit one of your connections by connecting with your other ones. Once again this is not a competition to see who can land more connections. There are people who are experts in the field who have been in business for years but have only 50 connections and it does them more than good.
10. Do not use linkedin if you can’t follow the above nine rules.
If you would like to add more to the list please suggest your “don’t do it” tips in the comments section. Also feel free to check out Visual Guide To LinkedIn and LinkedIn Groups For Jobseekers.
To the reader who sent us the email : hope this answers your question 
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I have seen people on FaceBook send out status about linking to them on LinkedIn. Like Twitter and other platforms everyone uses LinkedIn differently. I totally agree that LinkedIn should be for networking with other professionals not a place to chat with your friends. I only update my LinkedIn status when I start a new project and/or have a blog post that I think people in my network would find useful.
I would add:
11. Don’t expect FedEx speed when communicating. LinkedIn works more like the Pony Express – messages can take weeks, months, sometimes years and that is if they arrive at all. People don’t check their mailboxes very frequently and responses are even more sporadic.
12. Don’t just add the name and dates for employment. Be sure to fill in details so that people can appropriately reach out to you. For example: if you are a software engineer you should without question list the technical details for each and every job you’ve got on your profile for the last few years. If you don’t then don’t be surprised when you get messages from recruiters that are way out in left field.
All correct, its a great tool if used effectively.
@Jay Phillips : Exactly! LinkedIn really isn’t a networking tool that you have to post what you are doing each time like twitter or facebook.
@Bob : Thanks for adding to the list.
@Brian :Glad you liked it.
13. Use the three web links provided on your Linkedin page to showcase your talents. For example, one of my links points to a project I led at another company. Another link could point to your professional blog, and so on.
@applicant: great article and thanks for helping to keep Linkedin professional.
Thanks,
Kevin Love, MBA
Training and Development Professional
Dallas / Fort Worth Area
Voice: 817-778-8540
Email: kevindlove@hotmail.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinlove
Many relevant “Don’ts” that those interested in leveraging LinkedIn to its full potential should heed. I would like to elaborate and reiterate that LinkedIn is about providing a business forum for people wanting to network for business and to conduct business. I do quite a bit of networking and true real time business on LinkedIn and through my groups. I am not an “open networker”, though and neither are many of my contacts. We are very open to making new and beneficial contacts with new people; however, we do NOT link in just to increase our contact list as mentioned in the article and members who are possibly new and used to Twitter and FaceBook need to respect this. Especially when asking someone you do not know to link in. It is not meant as a slight when I ask people who ask to link in to tell me about themselves, where they found me on the site and what kind of “relationship” they are interested in. They are relevant questions and intended to move the networking process forward. It is about respect and if you are not prepared to take the time to answer these kinds of questions as a stranger, than you should expect that no one will be interested in adding you as a viable business contact.
If you just want to add names and increase your contact number, then seek out open networkers or LIONS. If you really do have a sincere interest in making contact with a person, then make your first introduction something that people want to talk to you about.
Just my thoughts, but the thoughts of many of my network too!
Regards,
Yura Clary
Sr. Management Consultant
Business/Executive Coach
Clary Global Consulting
[...] The “Don’t Do It†Guide To Using LinkedIn is a kind of LinkedIn netiquette listing the behaviours that might damage your professional reputation online. [...]
Don´t use LinkedIn as a magic place to find a job, in the way that if you suscribe to Linked In, suddenly head hunters or jobseekers will fight each other for you.
Make a good profile, participe actively in discussions, bring news to your groups, and maybe you get a phone call.
@Yura — I especially appreciated your suggestion about asking for more information from people whom you don’t already know reasonably well. In experience, I’ve tried to do that a couple of times casually, though, and in both cases the potential connection did not follow through. But I expect to do it a bit more formally and invitingly in the future.
Linkedin is the premier networking tool if used correctly. This is great advice.
I greatly appreciate these Does and Dont’s. For someone that is used to F2F networking and with all the social networking sites out there. I am excited that there are guidelines on how to conduct ourselves on this online medium.
Thank you again.
Keith
This is off topic, but the pig photo is delightful. Are you able to share this? I would love to use it in one of the PowerPoint presentations I give to students as a university career coach. Thank you in advance if this is possible!
Christy
Most of these are common sense, but I disagree with #2, “Do not send out invitation for the sake of adding connections.”
In some instances, it is advisable to simply increase your number of connections. There is a tipping point at 143 connections. Less than that, and your network is not effective.
There are a group of people on LinkedIn called “LIONS”, LinkedIn Open Networkers, who will never say, “I don’t Know You”.
If you need to get your numbers up to 143+, connect with open networkers. Once you get to your goal, then you can afford to be more strategic.
Why 143? That number sounds bigger than I would expect. Is this because you are more likely to come up when a recruiter is browsing?
[...] it can also cause you to lose leads if you commit the deadly LinkedIn sins. Be sure to consult our don’t-do-it guide to using LinkedIn so that you can avoid the classic pitfalls that make you look like a newbie. The gist: don’t [...]
[...] [Applicant] The ‘Don’t Do It’ Guide to Linkedin [...]
[...] Applicant [...]
I came to this site on Google and have got to say these are excellent tips you have posted. I will have to include them into my diet program. Thank you again, I appreciate it!
Red Berries are found east of the Varrock Stone Circle in Runescape quest helper. You can pick Onions from the garden just north of Rimmington, and Woad Leaves can be bought from Wyson the Gardener in Falador for just 20gp for a set of 2. Once you’ve gotten the 3 dyes, go back to the Goblin Village and start killing Goblins to get a Goblin Mail.
I always thought that the ultimate number to everthing is 42 (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
Just add 101 for novice linked users and you got 143
Seriousely though, many good suggestions.
Very neat blog article.Much thanks again. Awesome.