How Should I Behave on LinkedIn?

Everyone has heard of a professional social media platform and many wonder how to behave on LinkedIn and how to leverage their LinkedIn profile. If you’re one of those people, then join the club! Many LinkedIn users are concerned about the platform because they understand the impact it has.

Maybe you’re even asking yourself, “How should I behave on LinkedIn?”, considering it’s a social network filled with professionals. Don’t worry; all these questions are pretty common!

The word of the decade is “professional” when it comes to this social platform. LinkedIn has become a real force on a global level. Due to that, more and more people are on it….building their LinkedIn profiles and trying to get traction. We all need to realize that we should be present on LinkedIn if we want to get ahead. For this reason, it is extremely important to understand the rules of conduct.

So, how should you behave on LinkedIn? And what should your LinkedIn profile look like?

“Rules of the game”

To illustrate the importance of socially acceptable behavior on LinkedIn, I will use a practical example. Imagine you are at a conference by yourself and you need to do some networking. Surely, you would be a bit more relaxed than at a job interview, but you would still keep your head in the business setting. Similarly, that is how LinkedIn works!

You can go ahead and post funny thoughts, share articles, and comment on your colleagues’ posts, but do keep in mind LinkedIn is not Facebook. Your profile should portray you as a professional.

That being said, empathy, compassion, humor and personal opinions are more than welcome in this setting, as long as you dose it. We’ve witnessed this trend where more and more people post about personal stuff on LinkedIn. We’re talking weddings, adoptions, diseases, deaths in the family… And while some think it’s inappropriate, others think it’s desperately needed because, after all, we are the one and the same person in our professional and personal lives. So, why not share something that happened to you (in a tactful manner, of course)? Whatever happens to a person in their private life, they take to work.

When it comes to the profile itself, refrain from “cute” and “funny” profile pictures.

For your cover photo, use something that is profession-related.

Job descriptions can be subjective, but don’t overdo it. The person who checks out your profile still needs to get an idea of what you were/are doing. It goes without saying you need to proofread and remove any spelling & grammar mistakes.

The education and certificates section doesn’t have to be super long because most of the courses are self-explanatory. If this is not the case, feel free to add a paragraph or two and describe what you’ve learned.

Professional network

It is important to keep in mind that LinkedIn is a network of professionals. As long as you stay within that lane, you should be fine. You can always check out what other people are doing and read useful blog posts about professional conduct. Checking out what’s on the platform already will help you learn which way you should go.

If, for some reason, you’re not on LinkedIn already and need help putting a profile together – do reach out because we can help you with that! Get on there and watch your career transform.

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