With over 600 million users, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform. As a job seeker, having a polished LinkedIn presence and knowing proper etiquette can give you an edge in your job search. Here are some tips on LinkedIn etiquette to help you make the right impression.
Profile
Your LinkedIn profile is essentially your professional online resume and first impression to connections and recruiters. Just like a resume, it should be concise, error-free, and highlight your skills, experience, and achievements.
- Have a professional headshot – It immediately catches the eye and makes your profile stand out. Dress professionally as you would for an interview.
- Write an informative headline – Summarize your professional identity and goals. Include keywords recruiters may search for.
- Showcase your background – Include all relevant skills, experiences, education, licenses, certifications, accolades, volunteer work, courses, projects etc. But be concise.
- Provide detailed work descriptions – Go beyond just job titles and make each position description robust with your contributions, accomplishments, and skills built.
- Check for typos and grammar errors – The content needs to be well-written and error-free so you give off an image of someone meticulous.
- Customize your public profile URL – Make it professional and easy to remember vs the default URL LinkedIn assigns you.
- Keep your profile up-to-date – Update it as you gain new skills, accomplishments, education, certifications etc.
Connections
Growing your network boosts your visibility and enables you to unlock additional LinkedIn features. However, simply amassing connections dilutes your brand. Be selective and strategic when connecting.
- Connect with those you know and trust or mutually share a professional interest. Avoid making random connection requests.
- Personalize connection requests with a note, especially when requesting to connect with someone you don’t know very well.
- Be selective about accepting connection requests. It’s OK to ignore requests from those you don’t know or any that seem questionable.
- Manage your network by pruning dormant connections. You may unfollow or remove contacts you no longer interact with.
- Respect other people’s time and space. Don’t stalk, spam or aggressively sell to your network.
Recommendations
Recommendations and endorsements from colleagues, managers, or clients you’ve worked with provide credibility. However, it’s important to have them add recommendations organically versus going around soliciting them. Here are some best practices around recommendations:
- Add skills to your profile and encourage colleagues to endorse the skills they can vouch for based on your work together.
- When requesting a recommendation, choose your recommenders carefully and make sure they know your work well enough to recommend you.
- Recommend your contacts whose work you are familiar with and can vouch for.
- When writing recommendations, be sincere and mention specific examples of the person’s skills or work you can recommend.
- Follow up with a thank you note when you receive a recommendation. Show your appreciation.
- Don’t request generic recommendations from contacts just to boost your profile’s recommendation numbers.
Group Etiquette
Joining relevant LinkedIn groups lets you partake in productive discussions and expand your industry connections. However, be mindful of the following group etiquette pointers:
- Review a group’s rules before participating. Follow the norms of that group.
- Make constructive contributions – share insights, best practices, ask thoughtful questions.
- Don’t self-promote or post irrelevant content to a group.
- Follow proper online etiquette – be respectful, don’t post inappropriate content.
- Don’t argue with other members or make divisive remarks.
- Monitor discussions but avoid over-posting. Let others contribute too.
Job Applications
With LinkedIn’s integrated job board, you can discover and quickly apply to opportunities. But tread carefully with your job applications.
- Thoroughly evaluate each job description before applying to ensure it’s a good fit based on your skills and interests.
- Customize your application – Never submit a generic application to multiple openings without personalizing.
- Follow up a week or two after applying if you don’t hear back.
- Notify the recruiter once you accept another offer and withdraw your application.
- Don’t apply to a job opening just because it’s there. Be selective.
- Always continue your job search until you have signed offer in hand.
Communication
How you communicate through LinkedIn also matters. Here are some LinkedIn communication etiquette tips:
- Respond thoughtfully to messages – don’t just reply “Thanks” or “Great”. Add value to the conversation.
- Be prompt, but avoid one-word rapid-fire responses. Take a breather between responses to compose thoughtful replies.
- Respect people’s time. Keep communication focused and avoid long diatribes.
- Be positive, uplifting, constructive in tone. Don’t rant or vent.
- Think before reacting. Social media interactions can live on forever.
- Don’t post or message anything you wouldn’t say publicly in a professional context.
InMail Etiquette
InMail allows you to directly contact LinkedIn members outside of your network. Use judiciously and respectfully.
- Only send InMails when warranted – don’t abuse the capability or spam people.
- Personalize each InMail. Never send generic mass InMails.
- Introduce yourself, explain why you want to connect, and provide context.
- Follow up once, but don’t harass people who don’t respond.
- Thank people who respond, even if they decline your request or offer.
- Don’t make aggressive sales pitches. Focus on relationship-building.
Following Proper Etiquette
By being mindful on LinkedIn, you can build and nurture an influential network. Maintain your professionalism at all times. Finally, if in doubt about appropriate etiquette, take the high road and exercise good judgment.