Three of the top mistakes people make on LinkedIn

As many as one in three Australians have a LinkedIn account and the platform can help build an entrepreneur into a major business influencer—but users are still committing countless faux pas through their lack of understanding of the platform.

Since its launch of an Australian LinkedIn office in 2010, the networking site has grown its audience from one million to more than eight million users. And yet, across the globe users still struggle with basic things like settings, according to SnappConner PR founder and chief executive Cheryl Snapp Conner.

Writing in Inc, and drawing on research from LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth, Snapp Conner rounded up seven of the most common mistakes made on LinkedIn, including the following three mortal sins.

1. Telling every connection each time you change a comma 

Remembering to de-select “Notify your network” is incredibly important, because too many users still have notifications on for every single change to their profile, which draws attention to the editing of sentences that nobody really needs to see, says Snapp Conner.

Read more: LinkedIn rolls out 30 second videos for its high-profile influencers

2. Not proofreading

There’s a number of pre-set options in a LinkedIn profile’s settings, and getting too click-happy on these can result in awkward assertions popping up on your face. This includes an option for “I’m looking for new opportunities” under job preferences. Accidentally checking this box will let recruiters and bosses with premium accounts see that you’re on the lookout for something else, whether or not this is the case, says Snapp Conner.

Too many LinkedIn users also fail to use the toggle option to re-organise their many positions in order of most recent and most important, which could lead your boss, a recruiter, or a potential business partner visiting your profile only to have it look as though you don’t value the current role you actually have.

3. Lying about your credentials 

It’s a massive risk to lie on your LinkedIn resume because of its public nature, but too many users are fudging the truth and then attempting to block their boss or key professional acquaintances to conceal the untruths. This doesn’t work, says Snapp Conner. If someone has been blocked from viewing a profile, it usually only makes them more curious to see what’s on it.

What it comes down to checking what your profile looks like to the outside world, and then checking it again; making a mistake is a bit like submitting a cover letter with the wrong job title on it, only for your entire industry to see.

Read more on how Australia’s most successful LinkedIn users draw on the power of the site here.