Talent Market

Talent Market is a nonprofit whose mission is to promote liberty by providing talent for critical roles within the free-market nonprofit sector

  • SEND US YOUR RESUME
  • CANDIDATES
    • APPLY FOR YOUR DREAM JOB
    • JOB OPENINGS
    • SIGN UP FOR E-NEWSLETTER
    • RESOURCES FOR JOB HUNTING DURING COVID-19
    • RESOURCES FOR JOB HUNTERS
      • JOB SEEKING TIPS
      • INTERVIEWING TIPS
      • RESUME TIPS
      • PREPARING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER
      • CONSIDERING THE NONPROFIT SECTOR?
      • CONSIDERING A CAREER IN FUNDRAISING?
    • RESOURCES FOR PROFESSIONALS
    • RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES
    • RESOURCES FOR LAW STUDENTS & ENTRY-LEVEL ATTORNEYS
    • FREE-MARKET NONPROFIT DIRECTORY
    • PLACEMENT PROFILES
  • CLIENTS
    • NEED HELP WITH A SEARCH?
    • TIPS FOR HIRING MANAGERS
    • CLIENT LIST
  • ABOUT
    • SUPPORT
    • OUR TEAM
    • PARTNERSHIP WITH AMERICA’S FUTURE
    • ADVISORY COUNCIL
    • SUCCESS
    • TALENT TIPS
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • SIGN UP FOR E-NEWSLETTER
  • CONTACT

Talent Tip #128: Talent Market Answers Your 10 Biggest Questions About LinkedIn

October 20, 2020

Even the most prolific posters on the ‘book, the most abundant tweeters in the Twittersphere, and the most inexhaustible Insta users (we haven’t gotten any
queries from TikTok folks just yet) still come to us with burning questions about one social media outlet: LinkedIn.

After all, it’s the only social media site that should look more like your resume than a complete photo journal of you doing goat yoga or the arugula and beet salad you made for Thursday night’s dinner.

So here are Talent Market’s answers to the ten most common questions we get about LinkedIn:

  1. Do I need a LinkedIn profile?
    If you’re a professional who is not in the Witness Protection Program, you should probably have a LinkedIn profile. Can you survive without it? Of course. But a profile can help you in myriad ways (see #2!), so it’s a good idea to have one.
  2. How is LinkedIn beneficial?
    First, it is one of the best professional networking tools out there. With just a few clicks, you can find almost anyone you want and learn more about their professional background. You can search by name, location, employer, school, group, and more. The site will also keep you informed about friends and associates who have switched jobs, gotten promoted, gone back to grad school, moved across the country, etc.
    Second, LinkedIn can be an incredible resource for job seekers. Not only do employers post jobs on LinkedIn, but they also actively recruit for talent on the platform.
    Third, LinkedIn is a great place for sharing professional insight and resources. You can find valuable posts and articles on any work topic imaginable.
    Lastly, LinkedIn is a great resource for finding allies, partners, and contractors who can provide valuable skills to you and your organization.
  3. What information should I include in my profile and how long should it be?
    Your LinkedIn profile should contain all of the information you want your professional network to see, which will probably include the information on your resume. But remember you can add more detail if you want, as the one-page resume rule is out the window for LinkedIn profiles! Are there specific skills or experience you want to highlight? Are there items you had to cut from your resume that might be attractive to a potential employer? Do you want everyone to know you got second place in a logrolling competition and are now Vice President of the Log Rollers of North Dakota? The world is your oyster!
  4. Do hiring managers inspect candidates’ LinkedIn profiles? If so, what are they looking for?
    YES! You should operate under the assumption that all potential employers are going to check out your LinkedIn profile. So, make sure it’s Deion Sanders level ready for prime time before applying for jobs.
    Hiring managers might visit LinkedIn to confirm that the information there is consistent with what they see in your application. They also might want to learn more about you. What does your network look like? Do you and the hiring manger share any common connections? What other experience do you have that isn’t included in your resume?
  5. What are the biggest mistakes people make on their LinkedIn profiles?
    -Outdated work history. Having up-to-date information is especially important if you are on the job market. You never want a potential employer to be confused about your current situation.
    -Incorrect contact information. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve tried to reach out to someone about a job opening using his/her LinkedIn contact information only to find the information is out of date. Talk about missed opportunities!
    -Inconsistency. Make sure your job titles, dates of employment, and work history are consistent with your resume. Otherwise, people may think you are trying to hide something.
    -Unprofessional picture. I recently saw a LinkedIn profile pic in which the woman was wearing a flowered halo and longingly touching a tree in the forest. You could almost smell the pachouli. As appropriate as this photo choice is for someone auditioning for a role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it’s suboptimal in pretty much every other context. Lesson? Invest in a professional headshot! I promise it’s worth it. Or, at the very least, use a semi-professional photograph of yourself (i.e. no flower halos).
  6. Is there any value to the endorsed skills and recommendations?
    Let’s be honest: the endorsed skills section has more fluff than Mike Lindell’s My Pillow. Case in point, 94 gentle souls have endorsed me for “research”. I may have some mad skillz, but research is not one of them (unless you count looking up a contact’s connections on LinkedIn, of course). Since most people recognize the endorsed skills are questionable at best, this section likely won’t provide much value for you.
    As for the recommendations, they tend to carry a bit more weight since they require a modicum of effort on the author’s part. But there’s also an awareness that recommendations can be written by people who may not really understand your skills and experience and/or are tit for tat (Bob, write me a solid recommendation and I’ll do the same for you). Finally, the weight of a recommendation is directly tied to the reader’s knowledge of the person who is giving it. For instance, if a hiring manager sees that the CEO of a major think tank has given a glowing recommendation for Bob, that might be impressive. But a recommendation given by Bob’s former frat brother whose last work experience with Bob was planning a blow-out kegger….not so much.
  7. Should I accept all connection requests that come my way?
    No. LinkedIn connections aren’t like Pokémon; you don’t have to catch them all. People who send random connections remind me of the networkers who think that if they collect 20 business cards at one happy hour, they are doing it right (spoiler alert: they aren’t). Curate your connections on LinkedIn so that your feed will be filled with people you genuinely want to be in your network. That way, when you sign into your LinkedIn, it will be filled with information that is useful and applicable to you. And, this isn’t a competition. Once you reach 500 connections, your profile will just read “500+” to the world anyway.
  8. What about LinkedIn messages? Do people read them? Should I send them? 
    The best answer is that people almost never read their messages with the same frequency that they read email. Given that, if you want to get in touch with someone, the best strategy is to email them directly. LinkedIn messaging should only be used as a last resort if you cannot find the person’s email address.
    If you do message someone on LinkedIn, understand that this is NOT the preferred method of communication for most professionals. In fact, you’ll probably end up annoying a hiring manager if you message them on LinkedIn instead of emailing them directly. Or, perhaps most likely, they may never even see your message! So, proceed with caution!
  9. I see that some people have an introductory paragraph in the “About” section. Do I need that or should I just launch into my experience as I would with a resume? There are no hard and fast rules here. If you would like to have one, go for it. A quick overview of yourself isn’t a bad idea on your LinkedIn, but remember just to be yourself and to keep it brief.
  10. How often should I log into LinkedIn?
    For any platform to be useful, you have to put time into it. If you are on the job hunt and actively seeking opportunities and connections via LinkedIn, sign in daily. But, for those who are just keeping up with their network through LinkedIn, once a week or so is probably plenty. Like most things, you get out of it what you put into it. Also, be sure to adjust your settings so that you receive email notifications about LinkedIn activities. That way you don’t have to sign in on the reg.

P.S. Keep the questions about LinkedIn coming! But please don’t send us questions (or photos) about goat yoga!

Keyword Search

Category Search

  • All Talent Tips

    Talent Tip #131: Six Things the Pandemic Taught Free-Market Nonprofits

    Talent Tip #130: 7 Keys To Finding a Mentor

    Talent Tip #129: On Mai Tais, King Beds, and Resumes

    Talent Tip #128: Talent Market Answers Your 10 Biggest Questions About LinkedIn

    Talent Tip #127: Lessons from an Old Jeep Wrangler: Upgrades for Your Organization’s Hiring Process

    Talent Tip #126:Backpacks to Briefcases: Advice for Recent Graduates on the Job Hunt

    Talent Tip #125: Dating (and Interviewing and Hiring) During Lockdown

    Talent Tip #124: Advice for Dominating Virtual Interviewing (Especially in the Age of COVID-19)

    Talent Tip #123: What Does COVID-19 Mean for Hiring in the Free-Market Nonprofit Sector?

    Bonus Talent Tip: How to Interview in the Age of COVID-19

    Talent Tip #121: Considering a Career in the Free-Market World? Here are Five Things To Consider.

    Talent Tip #120: 5 Tips to Ensure an Efficient Hiring Process

    Talent Tip #119: 7 Pitfalls to Avoid as You Launch Your Career

    Talent Tip # 118: 10 Mistakes Young Professional Make When Job Searching

    Talent Market’s 10th Anniversary!

    Talent Tip #117: 6 Things to Consider When Asked for References

    Talent Tip #116: 5 Surefire Ways NOT to Land an Interview

    Talent Tip #115: Maps and Mobility: Revisiting the Yellow State/Blue State Phenomenon

    Talent Tip #114: A Lesson from Three’s Company: Eliminating Confusion About How Talent Market Can Help Your Nonprofit Find Talent

    Talent Tip #113: Workplace Change: Too Much of a Good Thing Isn’t a Good Thing

    Talent Tip #112: Four Things to Do Before You Apply For Your Next Job  

    Talent Tip #111: Take Your Resume to 11

    Talent Tip # 110: This Holiday Give the Gift of Fulfillment

    Talent Tip #109: Toxic Personalities: Bad for the Holidays; Bad for Business

    Talent Tip #108: A Quiz To Test Your Knowledge of Talent Market 

    Talent Tip #107: Seven Tips for Effective Networking 

    Talent Tip #106: 10 Things Every Free-Market Fundraiser Should Know

    Talent Tip #105: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: How To Effectively Show An Employee The Door

    Talent Tip #104: Don’t Fall in the Homestretch: 5 Tips to Winning the Interview Process

    Talent Tip # 103: Lessons from Professional Wrestling: 5 Tips to Bodyslam Your Competition During the Hiring Process

    Talent Tip #102: 5 Things You Should Know About Talent Market (That Will Help You Help Us Help You)

    Talent Tip #101: Follow the Golden Rule When Hiring

    Talent Tip #100: Your Resumé: A Chance to Tell a Clear, Logical Story About Your Career

    Talent Tip # 99: Want to Be Fashionable? Stop Wearing Fanny Packs (And Stop Asking Candidates for Salary History)

    Talent Tip #98: What NOT to Wear To an Interview

    Talent Tip #97: For the Love of Lawsuits: What NOT to Ask Candidates During Interviews

    Talent Tip #96: How to Get Your Groove Back – Part Deux

    Talent Tip #95: How to Get Your Groove Back – Part One

    Talent Tip #94: Burning Bridges and Lessons from Peter Gibbons 

    Talent Tip #93: Looking Outside the Talent Box

    Talent Tip #92: The Yellow State/Blue State Phenomenon and the Benefit of Virtual Hiring

    Talent Tip #91: A Brave New World: Advice for the Newly Graduated

    Talent Tip #90: What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: Four Steps to Figure Out Your Next Career Move

    Talent Tip #89: Becoming Billy Shakespeare: Crafting a Powerful Cover Letter

    Talent Tip #88: Looking for Love: Valentine’s Tips for Job Seekers

    Talent Tip #87: Embrace the Power of Markets: Pay Your Best Talent Well or Risk Losing Them

    Talent Tip #86: Seven MORE Questions to Ask Before You Commit (Advice for Interviewing and Dating)

    Talent Tip #85: Eight Questions to Ask Before You Commit (Advice for Interviewing and Dating)

    Talent Tip #84: Culture Matters Part Deux: How Current and Prospective Employees Should Consider Culture

    Talent Tip #83: Culture Matters: Cultivating a Culture That Attracts and Retains Talent

    Talent Tip #82: Five MORE Tips for Discussing Salary During Your Job Hunt

    Talent Tip #81: Five Tips for Discussing Salary During Your Job Hunt

    Talent Tip #80: The Power of Networking: Landing a Job (And Maybe a Dog-Sitter) in One Evening

    Talent Tip #79: Two Solutions for Our Fundraising Talent Shortage

    Talent Tip #78: O Fundraisers, Fundraisers! Wherefore Art Thou Fundraisers?

    Talent Tip #77: The New York Times: An Unlikely Ally in Helping Us Find Talent

    Talent Tip #76: Believe It or Not: Talent Market is a Nonprofit

    Talent Tip #75: Field of Dreams: Job Descriptions That Attract Talent

    Talent Tip #74: Give The Gift That Keeps on Givng Giving

    Talent Tip #73: Turnover Turnaround: How To Keep Your Best Employees

    Talent Tip #72: Employee Turnover: Why Good People Leave

    Talent Tip #71: Career Choices: Let Passion Follow You

    Whitney Ball: A Life Well-Lived  

    Talent Tip #70: Choose a Job You Love…Maybe Confucius Was Right

    Talent Tip #69: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night: How to Make Your Cover Letter Stand Out

    Talent Tip #68: Ask the Magic 8 Ball: Why do Employees Leave?

    Talent Tip #67: The Key to Employee Retention: Convoluted Algorithms or Simple Communication?

    Talent Tip #66: Hotel California: Stuck in the Big City, Declining Mobility, and a Reminder to Consider Hiring Virtually

    Talent Tip #65: Roll Tide: What We Can Learn About Recruiting Talent from Nick Saban

    Talent Tip #64: Lookin’ Out My Back Door: Following Application Instructions 

    Talent Tip #63: Stand Out from the Crowd with an Eye-Catching Job Description

    Talent Tip #62 Take a Chance on Me: Nontraditional Candidates and Fundraising Roles

    Talent Tip #61: Google This: How to Create a Winning Resume

    Talent Tip #60: Goldilocks and Salary: Getting it “Just Right”

    Talent Tip #59: The Magic Formula Revealed: Determining the “Right Salary” for a Job Application

    Talent Tip #58: Working for Liberty: Think Like a Start-Up (or Why You Should Listen to Matt Warner at Atlas Network)

    Talent Tip #57: The Cover Letter: Common Pitfalls and Secret Ingredients

    Talent Tip #56: We Recycle the Same Talent? Ah, Contraire, Mon Frère!

    Talent Tip #55: On Assembling Bikes and Applying for Jobs

    Talent Tip #54: Is Virtual Hiring Right for Us?

    Talent Tip #53: Want to Expand Your Talent Pool? Hire Virtually!

    Talent Tip #52: More Advice About How to Land a Job

    Talent Tip #51: Start Working Your Dream Job (Before You Get Hired)

    Talent Tip #50: Your Advice on Pre-Employment Assessments

    Talent Tip #49: eHarmony for Hiring?

    Talent Tip #48: Hiring Advice – Three Hours in a Canoe and the Most Interesting Man in the World

    Talent Tip #47: Avoid Alka Seltzer with Writing Samples, Tests

    Talent Tip #46: A Cover Letter to Make Mama Proud

    Talent Tip #45: The Six Second Résumé

    Talent Tip #44: Liar Liar, Pantalones en Fuego!

    Talent Tip #43: Rejection (Im)Perfection: The Art of Second Chances

    Talent Tip #42: Recommendation Investigations, Your Reputation, Kiss Cams, and My Dream World

    Talent Tip #41: Work-Life Balance Policies, Part II: A Key to Attracting and Retaining Talent

    Talent Tip #40: Work-Life Balance Policies: A Key to Attracting and Retaining Talent

    Talent Tip #39: 80% of Success is Just Showing Up: Landing a Job in Another City

    Talent Tip #38: Tips for Talking About Salary

    Talent Tip #37: Mom Knows Best: Proofreed Proofread

    Talent Tip #36: The Art of the Interview

    Talent Tip #35: Traditions Worth Keeping: Play Like a Champion Today, Bun Runs, and Résumés

    Talent Tip #34: “I’ll Call You”: Rejecting Candidates After the Interview

    Talent Tip #33: Lessons From My Parents’ Marriage: It Pays to Court Candidates

    Talent Tip #32: Friends Don’t Offer Friends Questionable Job-Seeking Advice

    Talent Tip #31: Don’t Call Us – We’ll Call You (Or Maybe Not)

    Talent Tip #30: Dear Valentine, Your Reputation Stinks

    Talent Tip #29: I’m Gumby, Dammit

    Talent Tip #28: No Raise or Bonus? You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch!

    Talent Tip #27: Talking Turkey: Determining an Appropriate Salary Range

    Talent Tip #26: Show me the Money! (Or I’ll Keep Quoting Overused Movie Lines)

    Talent Tip #25: Your Resume as Prego: It’s in There

    Talent Tip #23: Why We Lose Talent: (Non-Financial) Incentives Matter

    Talent Tip #22: You Can’t Always Get What You Want: Advanced Degrees, Higher Salaries, and Marrying Orthopedic Surgeons

    Talent Tip #21: What Do Lady Gaga and a Graduate Degree Have in Common?

    Talent Tip #20: Take Rejection Like a Champ

    Talent Tip #19: Free-Market Karma: A Lesson in Retaining (or Losing) Talent

    Talent Tip #18: We Need More Lloyd Doblers

    Talent Tip #15: Beware the Candidate Who Doesn’t Follow Instructions

    Talent Tip #13: Top 3 Blunders Young Liberty-Loving Job Seekers Make (And How to Avoid Them, Land an Amazing Job, and Live Happily Ever After)

    Talent Tip #11: Managing Millennials: Understanding Your Gen Y Employees

About Us

Claire Kittle Dixon

Claire Kittle Dixon
Executive Director
Claire has more than a decade of experience in the talent development field. She…
Read more

Katelynn Barbosa
Talent Engagement Manager
Katelynn started her career in the Koch Associate Program and then litigated at the Institute for Justice…
Read more

Katy (Ranville) Gambella
Network Engagement Manager
Katy began her career at the Institute for Humane Studies and later joined the Cato Institute…
Read more

Stephanie Keaveney, Network Engagement Strategist
Stephanie’s career started at the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal…
Read more

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Wait, You’re a Nonprofit?

Talent Market is a nonprofit. We’ll wait here while that sinks in. We know it’s a crazy concept, but it’s been working like a charm since 2009.

Talent Market’s mission is to promote liberty by providing talent for critical roles within the free-market nonprofit sector.

We provide free consulting and recruiting services to free-market think tanks, policy organizations, research centers, and capacity building institutions dedicated to advancing the principles of limited government and free enterprise. (We do not work in politics, nor do we work with organizations that address social issues.) Talent Market believes that the road to prosperity is paved with freedom and that the success of our movement hinges on the talent that will take us there.

Read more

Copyright ©2021 · Talent Market

Copyright © 2021 · AgentPress Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in