The phrase “Enough is enough” definitely applies in personal as well as online communication. And it especially applies in professional communication – for example, when looking for a job or new clients. The LinkedIn social network has recently become a very good tool for both of these purposes, but even there it is important to not bother anybody. A professional reputation can be lost very quickly in the online world, and sometimes all it takes are silly mistakes.
Regardless of the excuses that come to your mind in connection with them, on LinkedIn stick especially to the two most important principles: 1) do not send connection requests to people you do not know and 2) do not abuse discussion groups to promote your products and services. Additional tips on how to not repel LinkedIn users were summarized on the US News website by management blog author Alison Green.
Do not send universal connection requests
If you want to connect with someone, spend some time writing a personal invitation. If you merely send an automatic message, you will not make much of a good impression.
Do not change your status as often as on Facebook or Twitter
LinkedIn is a professional network and your contacts do not want to receive updates about what you are doing every minute. The more you post about yourself, the less read your contributions will be.
Do not lie about your work experience
This would be revealed sooner or later by colleagues or potential business partners, not to mention recruiters. They are able to very quickly compare what you write about yourself in different places.
Do not leave your profile empty
If you do not fill in the information about you, you can hardly expect that somebody will want to connect with you.
Do not hand out recommendations “while they wait”
LinkedIn recently launched a service called Endorsements, which gives users the opportunity to with a single click recommend a skill or multiple skills that another user specified in his/her profile. Only click on the skills of people you really know.
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