4 Common LinkedIn Mistakes To Avoid In the Caribbean

I recently lost team members from issues arising outside of COVID-19. After much reflection, I decided to don my cape and accept the superhero role as chief cook and bottle washer. I have spent the last two months exhausted from re-examining the business’ structure to ensure we can handle the onslaught of a recession. We’re lucky to be in a position of low overheads, but we’re also categorized as ‘nice to have’ in most budgets. Regardless, it’s time to remove the cape, look after my mental health and search for a new team.

My recruitment methods are unorthodox because there is no line item in my expenses for a Human Resource Officer. I offer projects to persons already in the gig economy to understand their approach and to determine if they are the right fit. I’ve also maxed out my LinkedIn search limits numerous times, trying to filter Job Positions, Location and Industry. The process is frustrating because LinkedIn users are not maximizing the platform and here is a list of the most common mistakes that I have encountered;

What are you good at?

This is my biggest pet peeve with new users of LinkedIn; sharing your life story in 120 characters. The point of a headline is to convert an action from the right audience. If you’re looking for a job, put the name of the position. The LinkedIn platform allows you to showcase your availability via their recruitment option on the profile. Adding multiple elements is distracting to an HR resource shifting through hundreds of applications.

Who are you outside of work?

Does a job define you? This question will be answered in your About section on LinkedIn. The most common failure I’ve seen is a list of skillsets that is relevant to multiple industries. The option to list your certificate and the experience you have gained is available after this section because companies, who care, want to understand your motives. They pry beyond the façade of someone who needs to pay their bills because they will be investing by employing you.

LinkedIn is not your typical resume format

There is a trend to copy and paste the resume template to a LinkedIn Profile. Let me be the first to tell you; this does not work. Companies are no longer interested in your Job Descriptions of the past; their priority is identifying what you achieved while being employed. Anyone can list daily tasks, but the profile that highlights accomplishments becomes a unicorn

What have you done lately?

I am surprised that more people are not using the Featured Section to showcase their content. This was added two months ago and allows for rich media, which can be uploaded or highlighted from LinkedIn posts. You can build trust with your future employer by posting text, images or videos that encompasses your brand.

It’s weird to admit the expansion of my team during a pandemic, but it has become necessary for business continuity. If you’re interested in joining the team at AC Marketing, join our page and keep updated with the next job listing. As we try to cope with the effects of the virus, I am hopeful that you were able to learn from this list and make immediate changes. Feel free to send me a before and after screenshots, and I will share it on my next blog.

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