Don’t Look At My LinkedIn Profile

July 21, 2015 / in LinkedIn / by Mic Johnson

Post Author: Mic Johnson

I’ve been training individuals and teams on LinkedIn for over 5 years.

And there’s one thing I hear at every training session (as well as when I meet people and tell them that LinkedIn Training is one of the things I do for a living):

“UGGGGH. DON’T LOOK AT MY PROFILE!”

Actually it usually comes out something like: “Oh, don’t look at my profile. It’s horrible.” OR “I haven’t touched my profile in months.” OR “I really need to update my profile.” OR “I haven’t touched my profile since I first got on LinkedIn.”

But here’s the deal. I am looking at your LinkedIn profile. And so are other people. Lots of them. Every. Single. Day.

Some are people you know. Some are people you’ve recently met. Some are people who you’re meeting with soon who want to learn more about you before you get together. Some are people who you have no idea who they are or why they are looking at your profile.

They may be recruiters. They may be Executives. They may be looking to sell you something. They may be looking to buy from you or you company. They may be competitors. They may be someone looking to partner with you. They may be looking to see what recommendations you’ve received from people on LinkedIn. They may be comparing you to other people that are in the running for the same job or business opportunity.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times:

Your LinkedIn Profile isn’t for you. It’s for everyone that comes and looks at your profile. What are you telling them?

1. Do you have a good quality picture?

2. Have you personalized your professional headline?

3. Have you shared your personal and professional story on your LinkedIn Summary?

4. Have you shared relevant experiences and accomplishments in your work history?

5. Have you included any photos/videos/presentations that will help people learn more about you and what you do?

6. Have you listed your relevant skills so people can endorse you?

If you answered NO to one or more of these questions, then do yourself (and all of the people that will look at your profile from now until you retire) a favor and set up a time to update your LinkedIn profile. Even better, set up a recurring calendar appointment to review your profile every 6 months.

At the end of the day, I’m just trying to help you embrace what I’ve been preaching for years: Your LinkedIn Profile shouldn’t be something you’re embarrassed about. It should be something you’re proud of.