Building your LinkedIn network is critical for your current and long term personal strategy.
Many of us just simply connect to anyone and everyone on LinkedIn without reviewing the profile first. It takes less than 60 seconds to determine if the connection is a good fit for your personal strategy or not. Don’t dilute your network (circle of influence) with people that are not real or have no interest in a growing business relationship.
Here is what to look for:
- No photo or photo looks like something grabbed of off google images or shutterstock. Tip: When in doubt right click on their photo and run “search for google image.”
- Only 1 job listed, multiple overlapping jobs or no descriptions under each job
- Title is self-employed but list themselves as an Assistant Manager. My friend, Jennifer McClure, was kind enough to screen capture this example. Matthew Dooley pointed out that as a self-employer she never promoted herself in 4 years. Good one Matthew.
- Lots of connections but you share zero to very little mutual connections with them
- Poorly written or broken English on the invite or profile. Who talks like this? No, I didn’t add this person to my LinkedIn.
- No endorsements. Can’t be endorsed when no one has worked with you before.
- If you are a real person and you have some of these items missing, please update immediately or we will think that you are not real. (“I’m a real boy” in my Pinocchio voice)
Don’t dilute your valuable LinkedIn network with these bad connections.
Your turn: what would you add to the list of identifying fake profiles quickly?
