Someone I know and like has a job title on LinkedIn (and possibly in real life) which I think is frankly ridiculous. Yes, being a Help Desk Manager or Marketing Executive is a bit dull but at least recruiters will know what you do. I say show your uniqueness in other ways! So does Jessica Turner from Freelance Professional Services who, as part of our 600 Interesting and Useful Things for Recruiters series, asks would you hire any of these LinkedIn professionals?
1. Vagabond Nomad
This title sounds more like a North London Indie band than a job description. Clearly somebody with an interesting ‘back story’ but probably best to ask your candidate not to provide a propensity to wander as the first impression?
2. The King – Elvis Presley
We’re not sure the real Elvis Presley would be an ‘All-star’ LinkedIn profiler. Candidates who are too jokey in their profiles or CV’s may not be taking their job hunt seriously. If they are serious and believe they are the man himself then perhaps your client needs to be forewarned.
3. Interstate Expediter
At a glance looked like ‘Interspace Expeditioner’. Make sure you understand all aspects of industry jargon so you don’t miss possible recruitment opportunities.
4. Looking for work at Unemployed
Whilst this would-be job hunter is blunt, is the lack of direction and description in the title risking putting off any recruiters?
5. I am the voice of those that have no voice
Very mysterious. Candidates who try too hard to be interesting may come across as overcompensating for a shortfall of skills or experience.
6. Recrutment Manager
The ‘Recrutment’ manger clearly isn’t spell checking their own work, so perhaps worth a quick run through their CV for them to pick up on any others. Spelling mistakes on CVs and LinkedIn profiles demonstrate a real lack of attention to detail and can be really off-putting to recruiters.
7. Technology Services Magician
IT consultant or has Paul Daniels started a new career? Is this the best approach …unless you’re looking to ‘pull a rabbit out of a hat’ in a difficult candidate search?
8. Kickass super connector
Superhero networking is a skill, but using such overzealous language may put off less extrovert potential connections.
9. Social Media recruiting wizard
A slight oversell of their recruiting services or an actual wizard? There are a ridiculous number of ‘Gurus’, ‘Experts’ and ‘Stars’ on LinkedIn. Be careful to siphon through the self-appointed titles to find the real skills. After all, an ‘Ex’ is something past it’s best and a ‘spurt’ is merely a drip under pressure.
10. Player
I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but really…
Awesome tips..Just updated my LinkedIn profile right away. I am amazed to know that our profile can effect so much in our career.
HILARIOUS. I absolutely love that you must point out that “Player” as your job title is a no-no. That and “I am the Voice of Those That Have No Voice” as a job title. These people should consider whether what they call “work” should be considered professional enough to flaunt it with a digital presence. I’m just saying….they should think about it. Great stuff though. Thanks!
Miss-spelling is a huge issue on LinkedIn (Unless you know what you are looking for!). There are currently 508 people on LinkedIn that are “Project Managers” and yet do not state that they are due to miss-spelling their own job title. Therefore if you are searching for PMs you would never find them with a “Project Manager” search. Just some food for thought. Great article! Thanks!
Sorry can’t resist but I believe it’s ‘misspelling’ not miss-spelling.
[…] Interview Questions of All Time 10 Job Titles to Avoid 10 Key Questions When Taking a Client Brief 10 LinkedIn Job Titles You might want to ask your Candidates to Reconsider 10 LinkedIn Groups for Recruiters 10 Memories of an Ancient Recruiter (circa 2000) 10 MORE things […]