Going back to the original case, perhaps stretching the truth on the title of a job is a minor sin, but equally, it may be endemic of a bigger issue with an individual’s candidacy. For instance, it was well known when I worked with Barry that while he indicated he held a Masters of Business, he was in fact still studying for it and only attained it in the past couple of years.
So, how should you present your LinkedIn profile to make yourself attractive without drawing too long a bow?
1. Be scrupulously honest
If your title was ‘dish monkey’, say exactly that. If your responsibilities read more like a head chef, indicate that in the blurb. No one likes a fibber, and if you get caught, you might miss out on a new job or lose the one you have.
2. LinkedIn doesn’t have to read like a job description
By this, I mean that you can take liberties with the way you describe a job, just not the title. For instance, at one of my early jobs, I became responsible for nearly $20m worth of turnover and the vast majority of the overall business. I turned it around from a loss-making enterprise to a labour hire money machine, and was given 10% of the business for my trouble. That’s all true – but my title was Senior Consultant, and my LinkedIn profile reads in exactly that way.
3. Make sure your CV matches your profile
With whatever social media platform you favour, simple cross-checking can make fools out of even the most creative job seeker. I’ve seen CVs and LinkedIn profiles so far apart from each other that they seem like different people altogether. Don’t take the chance – always present a consistent view.
Meghan Casserly, writing for Forbes, goes into the mistakes you can make on LinkedIn in a lot more detail. But she isn’t a recruiter and she doesn’t have to wear the pain of mistakes like this.
Thinking of stretching the truth on LinkedIn? Don’t. Even if you don’t get caught immediately, someday, just like me with Barry, a colleague will find you and call you out.
Brendon is the founder and managing director of pb Human Capital as well as the director of Augment Resources. He is an experienced search consultant with extensive experience in appointing senior professionals within the management consulting, supply chain and procurement industry verticals. Degree-qualified in behavioural science, he uses his knowledge and expertise to inject a science into the search and selection process.
