Following up on the previous post about how to stay under the radar when you’re polishing your LinkedIn profile for a job search…
You hate your job (or boss, or commute, or smelly cube-mate). You decide to get outta Dodge; you make a shiny new resume, updating your most recent role description complete with accomplishments; you copy and paste that updated description right into LinkedIn.
Ruh Roh. Red Flag.
Think about it… if you’re happy in your job, and linking to your co-workers and clients, are you likely to include information about your increase in conversion percent YOY or the number of new products you “launched” (note the past tense)? Would you give yourself a headline that includes industries other than your current one? No. You’d include a little about the organization, typically, and a little about what you do. If your current job on LinkedIn looks like you carefully crafted it for a resume, you’re telling your boss that you need a change of scenery.
Here’s an example of a LinkedIn dead giveaway, er, description:
Developed 45 profitable accounts delivering $20M in revenue from 2006- 2014. (past tense, includes year)
Landed the company’s largest sale ($5 million), leading to $2M incremental revenue annually. (would you include figures if you were client facing…no, you’d want to keep numbers confidential).
So, avoid the resume-speak and talk as if you’re excited about your work and want to connect with current coworkers and clients. Instead of the jargon, you’d say something like:
I advise on the transformational power of technology; I partner with executives to help find ways to grow their businesses by introducing creative, appropriate business solutions that maximize technology and help companies be the best in their marketplace.
Say what you DO, not what you DID if you want to stay under the radar.