1. Common Mistakes and Tips to
Correct them
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2. Mistake #1
No Profile Picture/ Bad Picture
X X X X
Tip: Put up a professional picture of yourself
• Preferably a head shot with light background
• Wear your natural smile
• Avoid excessive jewelry, sun-glasses, fancy landscapes in background etc
• Do not have another person with you in the picture frame
• Some one who comes in to meet you after viewing your profile picture should be able to
recognize you easily
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3. Mistake #2
Vague/ Non-relevant Professional Headline
Why is your headline so important?
• It is your first impression on other people when they see you on LinkedIn.
• It almost always follows the mention of your name, everywhere on LinkedIn – this is your
tagline!
X X
Tip: Think the ‘Marketing’ way
• Create a precise, powerful statement
• Make yourself memorable
• Excite the reader
• If your Title & Organization’s brand are powerful, they could also form your headline
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4. Mistake #3
Boring Summary
Keep it interesting & precise – It’s your elevator pitch!
• Inject your personality into the Summary
• Connect with the reader, create impact
• Outline USPs – Use key words that your target audience would search for to find you
• Keep it conversational – write from 1st person (unless your brand requires otherwise), Avoid
clichéd words
Tip: Have a format:
• Introduce yourself & talk about who YOU are. Make people see you as an interesting
person. Talk about how you came to where you are today.
• Talk about who THEY are – who do you help? Talk about who your target client is – Be
subtle here.
• Finish by talking about what you offer. Don’t give away everything here – just talk about
what you mainly do, and how people can benefit from it.
©2012 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 9

5. Mistake #4
Incomplete Description of Experience
Your Career history tells your story:
• Tells people about your career path
• Adds to your professional image when you showcase your past work & results achieved
• Allows your ex-colleagues to find you on LinkedIn easily
Tip: Complete this section in full. Think the ‘Sales’ way!
• Include both current position & past positions
• Detail specific accomplishments in each
• Let type-ahead find your company, so you can connect with past colleagues
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6. Mistake #5
No Mention of Skills & Expertise in the relevant profile section
Why mentioning Skills & Expertise is important?
• It helps to showcase your core strengths as a professional
• Other professionals can endorse your skills on your profile that lends credibility to your
professional image
Tip: Have a list that’s consistent with your professional image
• Target your strengths
• Prioritize the skills/ expertise that you wish to mention
• Do not fake
©2012 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 11

7. Mistake #6
No Recommendations
Why Recommendations are important?
• Adds to your professional image by letting viewers know what other professionals who
have worked with you think about you
• Recommendations lend credibility to what you say about yourself
• Recommendations that you write for others also impact your credibility – be careful &
honest when you recommend others
Tip: Keep a healthy mix
• Only ask a recommendation from those who know you well. Give recommendations only to
those you know well & genuinely appreciate.
• Be specific – Ask the referee to recommend you for something specific that you worked on
together. Ask them to include what happened as a result of your working together
• Regularly manage your Recommendations and keep them relevant to your current work-
profile
• Be prudent while recommending others
©2012 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 12

8. Mistake #7
Excessive/ Irrelevant Group Memberships
How are Groups important?
• Allow you to learn & stay abreast through participation in industry/ domain specific
discussions with other relevant professionals
• Allow you to position yourself as a subject matter expert
Tip: Stick to what’s relevant; Control your visibility
• Only join groups that are relevant for you
• Be judicious in deciding which Group memberships would you like to showcase on your
LinkedIn profile
• Participate in relevant discussions and share expertise to increase your visibility
• Be positive in outlook & constructive in approach
©2012 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 13

9. Additional Important Elements of
your LinkedIn profile
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10. Additional elements of your LinkedIn profile
Your Public Profile URL
• Your public profile appears when people search for you on Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc.
• You can edit your Public Profile from the Settings page to
- Make it visible to everyone or to no one in search engine results
- Show only the basics like your name, industry, location, # of recommendations
- Add or remove profile elements like picture, current positions or education
- Customize your public profile URL to enhance your online visibility
Your Connections
• Connect with trusted friends, former colleagues, classmates, industry leaders, partners &
other professionals
• The quality your network also reflects on your personal image
Websites
• Mention links to you Website, Blogs or other articles published by you online
Volunteer Experience & Causes; Certifications; Honors & Awards; Patents; Projects etc
• Helps in projecting a more holistic personal image that includes your world view
Education
• Provides others insight about the formal education you went through
• Makes it easier for your classmates to find you on LinkedIn
©2012 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 15