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11 LinkedIn Blunders People Need to Stop Making

Embarking on a fun journey to explore the fakery in the world of LinkedIn. Let's expose the faux pas that needs a digital detox for a truly authentic LinkedIn experience.

By Nathan ChenPublished 10 months ago 3 min read
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11 LinkedIn Blunders People Need to Stop Making
Photo by Greg Bulla on Unsplash

Picture this. It's another glorious morning, coffee in hand, you sit down at your home office and boot up your laptop, eager to tackle another day of professional networking on LinkedIn. You're all set to make some valuable connections and boost your career game. But what's this? Oh, the horror, the pain, the agony of seeing yet another round of LinkedIn users committing faux pas that are nothing short of a digital catastrophe.

1. Faux Endorsements:

You might have come across this LinkedIn feature where your connections can endorse you for skills. A great tool, if used genuinely. But then there's Mr. "I-Haven't-Met-You-But-I-Endorse-You-For-Nuclear-Physics". Remember that time in "The Big Bang Theory" when Sheldon couldn't just accept an honorary PhD because it wasn't earned? That's how one should treat LinkedIn endorsements. Let's keep it real, folks.

2. Vague Headlines:

When your headline reads something akin to "Visionary Dreamweaver. Innovation Connoisseur. Disruptive Thinker.", it leaves us as confused as John Travolta in Pulp Fiction. What do you really do? Are you a magician? A barista? A disruptor of peaceful thinking? Remember, specificity is the soul of credibility.

3. Overzealous Automation:

Getting a connection request feels great, right? It's like someone sent you a digital high-five. But then you get that automated message pushing their eBook, and it feels like a digital pie in the face. Keep the conversation organic, like Meghan Markle's vegetable garden. Authenticity, people!

4. Flashy Humblebrags:

Remember when celebrities post pictures from their "casual" home life, but it's taken by a professional photographer with perfect lighting and the Eiffel Tower casually photobombing in the background? That's what it feels like when you oversell your achievements. Celebrate wins, but maintain a humble brag balance.

5. Counterfeit Personal Stories:

A tad of personal flavor in your posts? Awesome. But when you start every post with "So, I was climbing the Himalayas with my pet llama when I realized the importance of synergy in team management…" Uh, what? Let's not turn LinkedIn into a Netflix drama series.

6. Overly Edited Profile Pictures:

The LinkedIn profile pic isn't an audition for the next Avatar movie. You're not a Na'vi, so ease up on the Photoshop. Your connections want to see you, not your blue alien counterpart.

7. Wrong Platform, Buddy:

That mouth-watering pic of your sourdough starter or your cat doing cute backflips belongs on Instagram, not LinkedIn. Keep the content professionally relevant like a Meryl Streep Oscar nomination.

8. Excessive Buzzwords:

Every time I see "disruptive innovation", "synergy", or "growth hacking", I imagine Patrick Stewart in Star Trek, facepalming in sheer disappointment. Let's ease up on the buzzwords and speak plain business, shall we?

By Joshua Mayo on Unsplash

9. The Incessant Motivational Quoters:

Remember that guy from "The Office", you know, the one who hung "Hang in there, Kitty" poster in his workspace? That's how it feels when every post is a motivational quote. A sprinkle of inspiration? Great! A deluge of them? Eh, not so much.

10. Fake LinkedIn "Influencers":

It's like the Kardashian effect has spilled over to LinkedIn. Everyone wants to be an influencer. But let's keep the LinkedIn landscape real. Genuine thought leadership > mindless self-promotion.

11. Ghost Connections:

That moment when you get a connection request, and you can't recall where you met them. Was it at that conference in Vegas, or was it the annual Star Wars convention? If you don't know them, maybe it's best not to connect.

So, there we have it, our grand tour of LinkedIn fakery. Are you as tired of these things as I am? Perhaps it's time we all collectively clean up our act on LinkedIn. Make it more genuine, more authentic, more… real. Like the satisfaction of a well-brewed coffee in the morning, or finding an article that hits the nail on the head.

It's a small investment for a universe of wisdom, and I promise, no fake LinkedIn practices over there!

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About the Creator

Nathan Chen

I'm Nathan Chen, a queer Asian writer advocating for LGBTQ+ issues, Asian representation, millennial lifestyle, work life & mental health. Let's explore life's complexities together!

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