10 Signs You Are Being Lazy On LinkedIn Career Site

10 Signs You Are Being Lazy On LinkedIn

11 Jul, 2011 Career News Lazy Linkedin Linkedin

Just so you know, youre at risk.

It can happen to anyone, of course. But today I am talking to you.

Youre at risk of missing out on the real value of using LinkedIn. It happens when you start to use the site like a lazy person.

So this post is about avoiding all of that bad karma. So you dont fall into the trap of being Lazy On LinkedIn.

You dont want to be a LOLI.

As in lollipop (the lazy persons candy). Or lollygag (the act of wasting time).

It doesnt make you a bad person. But if youve spent a lot of time establishing a presence on LinkedIn, why not use the tool productively and regularly to get all the benefits?

So here are 10 signs that you are being lazy on LinkedIn:

1. You send generic LinkedIn connection requests

Yes, Ive written about this before. You know I dont like generic LinkedIn requests. Because it puts all the work on me to figure out if and how we have relevant experience. Something in common. Perhaps enough similar experience or goals to give us some way to help each other. Want to connect on LinkedIn? Send me a nice personalized connection request telling me why our connecting makes sense.

I know sometimes LinkedIns form wont allow you to personalize a request. It just gets sent. But if the request goes out without you personalizing it, you can still find some way to connect with that person. And let them know that you are not just simply collecting online coins to build a powerful network.

2. You neglect to add a good photo to your profile

Some make a conscious decision not to add one. Perhaps a security or privacy issue. But if security is that big of a deal, perhaps you should crawl into a bunker. There are very few good reasons to skip adding a photo on LinkedIn. Others add what I call a bad photo. Categories include you but from 100 yards away, you and your Uncle Bob, you 15 years ago and you looking like you mixed up your Facebook photo with your LinkedIn photo.

3. You have no or only a precious few recommendations

Getting a recommendation on LinkedIn doesnt carry a lot of weight. But they are better to have than an empty profile. There is a credibility question here. I suggest having a minimum of 10 recommendations. Three from bosses, three from peers, three from direct reports, and a tenth from a vendor, supplier or customer. Without them you look naked.

4. You provide vague recommendation for others

If someone asks you to write a recommendation for them, try to write a good one. Use specific examples of their work and, importantly, the impact they had on you, your career or the company. Dont refer to people as great assets and dont say that they added value. That means nothing. If you cant think of something great to say, ask the person you are recommending for a few ideas like projects/results theyd like you to highlight. Just make sure they are true. Or else your credibility will be questioned.

5. You copy and paste your resume into LinkedIn

Thats not a profile, thats your resume. And resumes are different. Dont make your Linkedin profile a carbon copy of your resume. Your summary can be a powerful place to introduce your brand promise to recruiters, hiring managers and HR folks. If you write it well.

6. You join groups then promptly ignore them

There are some great career groups on LinkedIn. You can pick up new ideas, meet great people and share your story. But that only happens if you actually participate. Most people dont. So why did you join again? Heres how to participate in LinkedIn groups. And please dont max out your groups without a plan. Start with five, establish yourself, and then add more as you can.

7. You dont complete your profile

Its really not that hard to get to 100%. And it gives your profile an extra bit of polish. It says to people that you are serious about your participation on the site. So many people I meet are at about 50%. And it shows.

8. You dont have enough connections

The purpose of LinkedIn is to get you connected to your network (old and new potential). And then to enjoy the explosive nature of now being linked to everyone they know. And so on. So if you have less than 100 connections, you are missing out on the great value that Linkedin provides. Everyone knows (or has worked with) 100 people. Get started today by sending out five connection requests. And do that every day in July. Youll get there.

9. Your headline is a non-starter

When someone (recruiter, future customer, hiring manager) gets to your profile, you want inspire them. But first you need to tell them who you are and what you do. And unemployed or looking for a job doesnt make me want to get in touch with you. Its not compelling. Dont let being out of work define your brand. So say something that might be interesting to me.

10. Your last status update was July 5 . . . 2010

Updates to your profile remind people that you are still active. Alive and kicking. Updating your profile all across the social web is a good idea. But on LinkedIn it is a great idea. You can share content from Twitter by using #in within your tweet to make it easier. You can update your network using your small wins during job search (successful interview, etc). You can also like, comment on or share an update from someone else.

So, are you lazy? Use this handy scoring system to see if youve lost your way on LinkedIn. How many of the 10 are true for you?

None are true You are a master. I bow to you.

1-2 are true - Congrats, you are just a few steps away from being an engaging connection for someone.

3-5 are true - You are not alone, but there is still some important work to be done.

5-7 are true Theres trouble in River City. You need help or a few hours of focused time to improve your profile.

8-10 are true - Make LinkedIn a major priority this week. Really.

No matter how you score, stay focused on this great tool. And dont let your hard work up to this point go to waste!

Thanks emerille for the great photo via Flickr

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