Sarah LaFon
Borrowman Baker, LLC
Gallatin, TN
As you progress through your valuation career, your LinkedIn profile is a valuable tool for networking, and it provides visibility to recruiters and potential employers. Some of the least favorable impressions you want to give is that of being fickle, unorganized, or a job-hopper. Here are a few very common mistakes I see in LinkedIn profiles, and the easy way to fix them!
1. List ending dates for each job. If you don’t update your LinkedIn page with accurate starting and ending dates for each employer, it can look like you are employed at several different places simultaneously. This is confusing to the observer, and at the very least – gives a bad impression of your ability to pay attention to detail.
2. List company-mergers as ONE position. I’ve seen this one several times. Let’s say you work for Company A, which at some point is bought out by Company B, so now you are employed by Company B. Your job didn’t change, you didn’t switch employers; it’s simply a different company name. Some people will list this on their profile like so:
Manager: Company B (2015-current)
Manager: Company A (2013-2015)
To somebody viewing your profile, it can look as though you changed jobs in 2015, and if there are several jobs listed on your profile, it can appear as though you are a job-hopper. This can damage your chances of being recruited or contacted by interested companies. Instead, go ahead and list it like this:
Manager: Company B (2013 – current)
Then, feel free to put a note at the bottom of your job summary, indicating that you started with Company A in 2013, and it was bought out in 2015 by Company B. This leaves a much better impression of your company-loyalty.
3. Under your current company, list only the most current job title. Sometimes, I will see a profile that looks like this:
Manager: Company A (dates)
Senior Associate: Company A (dates)
Associate: Company A (dates)
Intern: Company A (dates)
This is all with the same company! It really starts to clutter up a profile, and at first glance, can appear as though you have had several more employers than the reality. Better to just eliminate all the prior “rungs on the ladder” and list your current position:
Manager: Company A (starting date – current)
If you like, you can put in a note stating that you started with Company A as an intern in “year X”, and have continued to be promoted up into your current position.
If you think any of these might apply to you, it’s worth a few minutes of your time to take a good look at your LinkedIn page and see if it could be freshened up. Just a few small changes can significantly increase your chances of securing the right attention that could lead to that next great position!
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