There are countless social media platforms in our world today – too many to sit here and count. However, when it boils down to it, most people seem to be predominately drawn to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
A platform like LinkedIn doesn’t always take top priority. A newsfeed full of professional development articles doesn’t always cut it when cute family photos and funny videos are waiting for you on Facebook. For someone who already works full time, it’s difficult to make resume building and networking in your spare time sound appealing.
You may also be like many professionals out there who created an account, but now you never update your profile or interact with your LinkedIn connections. You might even be inclined to delete your account just to clear up some space on your phone. As nice as it sounds to have one less thing to worry about and keep up with, here’s why you should actively maintain and update your presence on LinkedIn:
YOU LOOK LAZY
There’s no way to sugar coat this — hiring managers and recruiters tend to agree the lack of a basic, updated LinkedIn account makes you look professionally lazy. It sounds harsh, but it’s the truth.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Think of LinkedIn as your “professional storefront”. When you pass by a store, you may not always go in and shop, but simply passing by the outside of a store leaves you with a first impression. A neglected and abandoned LinkedIn page immediately gives off bad vibes. Your presence on LinkedIn is part of your personal brand. Even if someone is just “passing by” your page, you want to make a positive impression.
SAFETY NET
Connect with people BEFORE you need them. It’s easy to give into complacency, and tell yourself you’re happy with your current job. You think because you are not job hunting there’s no need to worry about your LinkedIn page. It’s great that you are so content with your job right now, but you never know what the future holds. Mergers, layoffs, and company closings happen every day. Creating a LinkedIn profile and building up your professional contacts doesn’t happen overnight. It’s much easier to already have this resource in place just in case you ever need it.
As much as you want to ignore or delete your account – don’t! LinkedIn is here to stay and has grown into a professional necessity. For those of you who just can’t quite get excited about LinkedIn—don’t worry! There are ways to keep up your LinkedIn presence with minimal fuss.
MAINTAIN
Update your page once a quarter. Set a calendar reminder, and consider it “professional housekeeping”. Make any required changes to your title or job description. Update your profile picture if you happen to have a new professional headshot. Take care of those lingering connection requests. Then sign off and don’t think about it for a few months.
CHANGE YOUR SETTINGS
Many people have a bone to pick with LinkedIn because the site’s email notifications take up too much space in their inbox. Take 5 minutes out of your day and change your email settings on LinkedIn. It will make your life easier and your inbox cleaner.
Allow LinkedIn to become an easy, professional asset instead of another annoying app. Remember – maintenance is key to not feeling bogged down.
We found some great info on LinkedIn here. For those of you who LOVE LinkedIn and want to use it to its full capacity – stay tuned for more from The Source!