When you’re looking for a new job, you need to make sure that you’re putting your best foot forward. That means that you need to show everyone that you’re neat, organized, and proficient in the exact skills that they need. Your LinkedIn profile should reflect that. You want people to know that you’re serious about your career. The employment recruiters here at CRG Search we’ve seen some unfortunate mistakes on Linkedin profiles that can really damage your career prospects. So here’s a look at things you should focus on fixing, especially if you’re an executive looking for your next career.

You’re Not Showing Your Value

Linkedin gives you many opportunities to list your skills. You can select them from a menu, write them in your profile and job history, and even get endorsed for your skills by current and former coworkers or bosses. You want to show potential employers exactly what you bring to the table. If someone browsing your profile doesn’t know what you can do and how you can help them, why would they be motivated to hire you? Let people know just how valuable you are.

You’re Not Visible

On that same note, you actually want to make sure that you’re showing yourself to the right people. You want to load your profile up with keywords that show exactly what you can do. Potential employers and recruitment companies are searching for workers, and if you’re not showing up in those Linkedin searches you’re going to be behind everyone else. At a certain point, you might as well not even have a profile if you’re not going to put the work in and make sure that you’re showing up in searches.

You’re Not Putting Enough Effort In

Just because you’re not currently searching for a job, that doesn’t mean that you can neglect your Linkedin profile. Keep updating it with new accomplishments, new skills learned, and any other important information that shows just what you bring to the table. A bare-bones Linkedin profile isn’t just useless for selling yourself. It could also indicate to employers and employment agencies that your Linkedin profile isn’t the only thing that you don’t put effort into.

You’re Not Networking

A lackluster Linkedin profile can also mean that you’re not networking enough. Linkedin is a great website for meeting new people and connecting to folks who can help you in your career. The site is full of hiring agencies and people who could be looking for your particular skills. If you don’t make any effort to connect with them, they’re going to talk to someone else who does what you do.

You Didn’t Proofread

A Linkedin profile that lists your accomplishments and skills is great, but you need to proofread! A profile full of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes is going to be looked over. It shows that you’re not paying attention to details and that maybe you’re not always giving one hundred percent. Don’t be sloppy. Build a Linkedin profile that will stand out to anyone with executive search needs.