I was poking around in LinkedIn today. I accepted an invitation to connect (even though it was an un-creative, un-personal invitation) and after I accepted, the lovely LinkedIn algorithm told me about a whole bunch of other people I might know or want to be connected to.
As my eyes drifted down the list, I was shocked and dismayed and I am not being dramatic at all.
First, there was someone in a Controller role whose tagline was that she was an expert in “fiancé and analysis”. Come on. There may be only one letter missing but what a difference in credibility, especially when a key characteristic of a successful finance person is attention to detail. The accounting office is down the hall and to the left. The marriage license office is in a whole different building.
Then there were three people who referred to themselves without using capital letters or only used capitals on some of the words.
- Mechanical engineering Specialist
- Customer Service supervisor
Call it grammar or call it low self-esteem but whatever the reason, fix it. You are a professional person in a position. Tell us what it is with respect and authority.
While I was on a roll, I looked up profiles of two people I know. Their profiles had titles, dates and company names but no descriptions of what they do. I know, for a fact, that these two women have complicated and demanding jobs but it was not reflected at all in their profiles. It’s like offering someone a ham and cheese sandwich and then just giving them a plate with two pieces of bread and a pickle. It may look attractive but it will never fill you up.
Maybe people just don’t care what their profile says. Maybe it’s just there because someone told them to “get on LinkedIn”. That’s okay but don’t expect it to turn any heads if there is nothing to see.
Recruiter's Couch 
You go girl, tell it like it is!
I think this relates really strongly to your later post on reputation management. You’re right in that people are often told, or feel they ahold be on LinkedIn and then spend all of five minutes setting up a profile, promptly lose their password and never return. An unfinished profile is a bit like an unfinished building project on Main Street, you wonder when they’ll get back to the development and secondly wonder if they know they’re got their name on the mess that’s left.
Thanks Frank!
Reblogged this on Reflections from a self confessed HR data nut and commented:
Reblogging a post on incomplete LinkedIn profiles might seem a little odd given that this is a blog on data, however, your incomplete LinkedIn profile gives me a potential colleague, manager, or applicant a great deal of data on you – yes you the owner of the unfinished profile. I encounter many profiles the likes of which Jo the author outlines, and often spelling errors are the best you can hope for. More often than not LinkedIn profiles represent an unfinished project than is visible for the whole world to see – is this really the impression that you want to give prospective employers? Remember, you decided it was worth doing when you signed up, and if its worth doing its worth doing well.
you always have something to write about that everyone thinks but never puts pen to paper. I love the references you make and how so true to life they are.