Your LinkedIn profile is more than just a digital resume—it’s your professional brand. Avoid common LinkedIn mistakes that could hurt your visibility and credibility. Whether you’re job searching, growing your business, or building thought leadership, your profile needs to work for you, not against you.
Yet, many professionals make small but costly mistakes that limit their visibility, credibility, and opportunities. If you’re not getting the results you want on LinkedIn, these six mistakes might be the reason.
Let’s break them down—and, more importantly, how to fix them.
1. Adding Too Many Jobs That Aren’t Relevant
Why It’s a Mistake:
A cluttered work history confuses recruiters and potential employers. If your LinkedIn reads like a long list of every job you’ve ever had, it’s harder for people to see:
- Your career trajectory
- Your expertise in a specific field
- How your past experience aligns with your current or future goals
Most recruiters won’t take the time to scan through unrelated roles to piece together your story—so make it easy for them.
What to Do Instead:
- Highlight only relevant roles that showcase your skills and expertise.
- If an older or unrelated job adds value (e.g., shows transferable skills), include a brief description—but don’t let it overshadow your most impactful experience.
- Focus on the experience that aligns with where you’re going, not just where you’ve been.
2. Not Listing Relevant Skills
Why It’s a Mistake:
LinkedIn’s algorithm and recruiters use the Skills section to match you with job opportunities and networking connections. If your skills are missing or outdated, you’re limiting your visibility in searches.
What to Do Instead:
- You can add up to 100 skills—use them strategically.
- Prioritize industry-relevant skills that match your career goals.
- Connect your skills to specific roles where you acquired them.
- Use LinkedIn’s Skills Assessment feature to earn badges and boost credibility.
I have a video on LinkedIn keyword optimization that breaks this down further—check it out to maximize your profile’s reach.
3. Not Requesting Recommendations (or Having Generic Ones)
Why It’s a Mistake:
Recommendations provide social proof of your expertise. Without them, your profile may seem incomplete or less credible.
Even worse? Generic recommendations that say things like:
“John is a great team player and hard worker.”
These types of vague endorsements don’t showcase your impact or what makes you unique.
What to Do Instead:
- Request personalized recommendations from colleagues, managers, or clients who can vouch for your skills.
- Guide them on what to highlight—mention specific skills, projects, or leadership qualities.
- Ask them to include concrete examples of how you’ve made an impact.
Pro tip: Give recommendations to others first—many people will reciprocate.
4. Not Expanding Your Network
Why It’s a Mistake:
I often hear people say:
“I only connect with people I know on LinkedIn.”
That defeats the purpose of professional networking. If you only connect with people you know personally, you limit your opportunities for job referrals, partnerships, and industry insights.
What to Do Instead:
- Connect with industry peers, alumni, recruiters, and thought leaders.
- Personalize your connection requests to increase acceptance rates.
- Engage in LinkedIn groups related to your industry for valuable discussions and connections.
Networking is about expanding opportunities—not just maintaining the status quo.
5. Only Liking Content Without Commenting
Why It’s a Mistake:
Liking a post is passive engagement. While it does contribute to visibility, it doesn’t position you as an expert or add value to your network.
Commenting, however, shows thought leadership and helps you stand out.
I always share how commenting on LinkedIn helped me gain visibility early on. One of my comments went viral, and that’s when things really took off for me.
What to Do Instead:
- Leave meaningful comments that add value—ask a question, share an insight, or offer a different perspective.
- If you like a post, take 10 extra seconds to write something engaging.
- Participate in discussions on industry-relevant posts to expand your reach.
Even small comments can increase your visibility and position you as a knowledgeable professional.
6. Ignoring Your LinkedIn Profile Entirely
Why It’s a Mistake:
If you haven’t updated your profile since 2012, you’re missing out on career and business opportunities.
A passive, outdated profile won’t build your brand or attract the right opportunities. If recruiters, hiring managers, or potential clients visit your profile and see outdated information, they’re less likely to engage with you.
What to Do Instead:
- Update your profile every 3-6 months to reflect new achievements, skills, and projects.
- Refresh your headline, About section, and Experience with relevant details.
- Stay active by engaging with content, sharing insights, and updating your network on key milestones.
A client of mine updated her profile with these simple changes, and within 36 hours, three recruiters reached out to her.
Tap here to learn how she did it.
Final Thoughts: Small Fixes, Big Results
LinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools for building your personal brand, but only if you use it correctly.
By avoiding these six mistakes and making simple improvements, you can:
- Increase your visibility to recruiters and industry leaders.
- Attract job offers, speaking engagements, and networking opportunities.
- Position yourself as a thought leader in your field.
Need Help Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile?
I help leaders and founders build their personal brand on LinkedIn so they can attract career and business opportunities, speaking engagements, and media features.
If you want a LinkedIn profile that gets noticed, book a call with me today.
Want more LinkedIn tips? Watch related videos here!
