The Most Hated Section on Your LinkedIn Profile

It IS true that your LinkedIn profile won’t be enough if you really want to leverage power networking on LinkedIn to it’s fullest.

Think about it, there are upwards of 450 M+ professional profiles on LinkedIn, about 147 M+ in the US alone, with a new user every 2 seconds, and reaching 200+ countries and territories globally. How can your LinkedIn profile be enough for you to be found faster in LinkedIn and Google Searches?

It can’t and will never be enough; however, optimizing your profile does help tremendously for 2 reasons – 1. search engine optimization and 2. your first impression. Search Engine Optimization is the key your digital footprint being found, correct? And last year, social media profiles became more weighted in Google searches than anything else, unless you have a felony on your record!

What does that mean? Google your name. What do you see first? That’s right. Your social media profiles. Your LinkedIn profile. And what does that mean? Your digital footprint, including your LinkedIn profile, contributes to the first impression in which many prospects, future business partners, and hiring managers are influenced.

Your LinkedIn profile is not only important from a search engine optimization point-of-view, but also as a first impression in many instances. Don’t you think it makes sense to put your best foot forward in every possible situation?

One of the most crucial sections of your LinkedIn profile is the one section that receives the most negative feedback, in my opinion – the ‘Skills’ section. More often than not, I hear the following reasons for the hatred:

People are endorsing me for things that I never listed as a skill

People I don’t even know are endorsing me for skills

I just endorse people when LinkedIn tells me to – you know... that blue box that appears at the top of my LinkedIn profile whenever I log in, asking me if my 1st-degree connections have specific skills.

Would it surprise you if I told you that you have complete control over each and every single one of these scenarios?

Scenario 1: People are endorsing me for things that I never listed as a skill

Take control by filling in your 50 skills. If all of the slots for skills are filled, you can’t intentionally or accidentally add the suggested skill to your profile without removing one skill to add the new skill.

Scenario 2: People I don’t even know are endorsing me for skills

Take away the option for your ‘skills recommendation’ box to populate for your 1st-degree connections. You know – that blue box that appears at the top of everyone’s profile when they log in to LinkedIn, asking them to endorse you for skills that may or may not be your legitimate skillset. It may also be helpful to know that only your 1st-degree connections can endorse you for skills listed on your profile. If people you don’t know are endorsing you, then perhaps it’s the perfect reason to reach out and open a dialogue.

Scenario 3: I just endorse people when LinkedIn tells me to

First of all – stop that. You’re not a bot. Be purposeful in your actions. Always. Your actions should have meaning and purpose behind them. Don’t behave differently just because it’s easy. Also, you can turn off that blue box that continues to suggest endorsements for skills for your 1st degree connections. Perhaps turning it off will change your approach to endorsing your connections. Perhaps having to take the time to go to their LinkedIn Profile to endorse your connections for specific skills, will help you add value to your connections, instead of adding frustration.