LinkedIn – How Professional Are You?
Posted: 26 January 2016 at 1:05 pm | Author: Laura Morris
LinkedIn is described as ‘The world’s largest professional network’. However more and more frequently, posts, and associated comments, are appearing that are clearly unsuitable for a ‘professional network’. It is worth considering that surely anything you post for a professional network portrays how professional you are and can impact upon your company’s branding?
A woman recently posted a picture of herself in an office wearing a short skirt and fitted top which was swiftly followed by a variety of inappropriate comments about her appearance and containing innuendos. In addition a couple of comments condemned the woman for the post to say it wasn’t ‘LinkedIn appropriate’.
However is it really the picture that was inappropriate or the other comments? In this instance it could be assumed that given the individuals profile shot is a bikini shot, the post was designed to be provocative. However does it really excuse the comments? If similar comments were made in a ‘real-life’ environment then I’m sure the HR team at the company would have something to say!
Many women in the workplace struggle to be viewed as a serious professional and instances such as this show that there is still a long way to go before true equality is reached; clearly a change in attitude is needed to by both genders!
In addition to questionable photo’s you don’t have to scroll down that far on the homepage to find Maths quizzes, memes and cartoon images. Now whilst there is nothing wrong with a bit of fun, if it is something that you wouldn’t be doing in a real-life professional environment such as your office, is it really something that is suitable for an online professional network?
LinkedIn does contain some really useful insights and provides an opportunity to network and share ideas with others in similar roles or industries so why dilute this? It’s time to start thinking before posting or commenting “what would my boss say” and “will this help to win me business”. Everything you post showcases what sort of professional person you are an impacts upon your own personal brand image, as well as the company you work for.
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