The following article was published in the National Liquor News, March 2017 edition

LinkedIn is one of the largest and most accessible professional social networks, and because of this, those who wish to maximise their career potential set up a profile, and begin networking.

However regular users will have noticed the increasing amount of advertising, time- consuming games and repetitive posts appearing.

This increase in the “Facebooking” of LinkedIn profiles has led many of our connections to block those potential contacts.

As recruiters we’re avid users of LinkedIn; we use it to build our networks and talent map the market. We also rely on it to reach people further afield who could be suitable for roles we’re recruiting. Our connections regularly view BrightSide job posts and recommend a friend or colleague, enabling us to reach someone we otherwise wouldn’t have.

Without doubt a well-written profile can enhance your hiring prospects however could what you’re posting have an adverse impact on your hiring chances?

Absolutely.

If you intend to use LinkedIn as a job search tool here are some basic rules to follow:

Posting – Before posting anything ask yourself “is this appropriate?”. If in doubt, leave it out.

Photo – have a good profile photo that shows your face clearly. No photo, no clicks!

Headline – it should be catchy and highlight what you can do.

Contact details – make sure your email is clearly listed so 3rd connections can reach you.

Keywords – if your summary section has plenty of keywords you’re more likely to come up in recruiter searches.

We believe LinkedIn remains an extremely valuable online networking tool but given the dramatic rise in inappropriate posting it’s possible we could see its value decline. As recruiters we want to be able to reach out to people looking for their next role and as potential job seekers you want to be on the radar of potential hirers.

Remember what you post is as important as what you don’t. Relevant posts will always be welcome but beware of damaging your profile by posting irrelevant material that should be sitting on other social media sites.