6 LinkedIn Mistakes to Avoid - Career News | PayScale

Marissa Brassfield, PayScale
May 14, 2012

Job recruiting via social networks has never been hotter, and that means jobseekers must pay close attention to their presence on sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Are you making one of these LinkedIn mistakes?

No profile photo. LinkedIn profiles with photos are seven times more likely to be clicked on than profiles without photos, according to Forbes.
No recommendations. LinkedIn recommendations speak to what your colleagues think of your work and your networking skills. Be sure to ask anyone you've worked with -- and impressed -- for a recommendation. The worst that can happen is that they decline.
Lying about skills. It may be tempting to fudge a few details about your knowledge, skills and abilities, but should an employer test you on one of these skills during the hiring process, your reputation is at stake.
Bogus LinkedIn requests. LinkedIn offers several options to make a connection with another professional; one of these is, "I worked with [name] at [company]." Avoid using this option unless you really have worked with the recipient.
Lots of recommendations all at once. This habit tips others off that you're looking for a job. It's far better to solicit LinkedIn recommendations on a regular basis -- after a project is completed, for example.
Massive changes at once. As with the previous item, this signals that you might be looking for your next job. Make frequent small changes instead of infrequent large-scale audits.