LinkedIn Can Be an Incredibly Powerful Ally in Your Job Search – As Long as You Avoid These Critical and Common Pitfalls.

LinkedIn is a leading site for professional networking and career development in data science – you can go here to learn about companies, connect with those in your profession, and look for work. The site has hundreds of millions of members, and at any one time, there are more than 10 million active job listings.

In addition to looking for work, you can also be found by companies looking for employees. Through your profile page, you can turn your resume into a living, breathing, interactive, and inspirational showcase of your abilities, bringing life to what you have accomplished and what more you want to do.

That said, many people are guilty of making mistakes when it comes to putting their LinkedIn page to work, and this is no less true for those in data science. This blog looks at three of the most common mistakes and what you can do to fix them.

Mistake 1: Only Using LinkedIn When You Need a Job

While LinkedIn can be a great tool for those looking for jobs in data science and furthering their data science career, the site really only works if you maintain a regular presence on it. Your network on LinkedIn may be the thing that helps you land a great new job – but networks take time and effort to build. Building your network, then, should be something that you work on gradually, over time, so it is in place when you are ready to go.

Mistake 2: Setting It and Forgetting It

Many people make the mistake of filling out their LinkedIn profile, and uploading an essay, right when they create their account – and then forgetting about it. That’s a huge mistake, as you are constantly gaining new skills or achieving new goals. That’s why you should make it a habit to update your LinkedIn profile frequently – perhaps even every month or so – and to frequently pursue new connections, post status updates, share images or work events, and more.

Mistake 3: Being Too Selfish

LinkedIn should be a two-way street, not just a place for you to spout off about your accomplishments. Think of it as your workplace break room – sometimes you are there to talk about your weekend, and sometimes you are there to listen to others do the same. Don’t simply use LinkedIn as a pulpit to shout about what you’ve accomplished – you’ll earn more respect if you take time to get to know others, lend a helping hand, and offer insight that can move other people forward.

Learn More About What You Might Be Able To Do Better

My recent slide deck on LinkedIn illustrates these three common LinkedIn mistakes – and several more. Follow the link now to see what else you might be guilty of when it comes to using LinkedIn for your job search – and what you can do to fix it.