Ever come across a LinkedIn profile that's made you cringe? People who are 'passionate', 'driven' and able to generate great 'synergy' - for recruitment and HR professionals, going through personal summary after personal summary can be a numbing experience. Don't get me wrong, everyone's trying their best, everyone's seeking to put their best foot forward in a professional sense, but there are some that just overdo it, just a little bit.
You're not the only one who's noticed - UK creative agency Joseph and Joseph Productions has put together a series of videos where actors perform readings of some of the more questionable LinkedIn profiles they've come across:
Some of the highlights from Part 1 (there's currently three 'LinkedIn Out Loud' videos posted) include:
"My goal is to revolutionize people's lives through art, technology and entertainment"
"I'm a tie-loathing adventurer and thrill-seeker"
(Give you two guesses who that one is)
"You remember the kid at school who knew everyone - knew all the latest trends, fashion, music, even knew how to talk to the girls? Well that was me"
"I don't call 'meetings' 'meetings' - they're 'doings'"
Yep, these are all actual descriptions from actual LinkedIn profiles - though they do note at the start that the names have been changed to protect the dignity of those involved. Pretty safe to assume there'll be a few embarrassed LinkedIn users scrambling to update their descriptions after hearing their words read out for all to witness.
What's more, Joseph and Joseph have created a Tumblr account which houses all their 'LinkedIn Out Loud' videos, as well as screenshots of some of the actual LinkedIn accounts used as inspiration for the videos.
The videos serve as a great reminder of what not to do and what to be aware of when putting together your LinkedIn profile - but also as a reminder that building a great LinkedIn profile is hard. Sometimes you can rack your brain trying to come up with the ultimate summary, the optimal collection of descriptors and superlatives that will elevate you above the pack, maximise your on-platform SEO value, whilst also showing that you remain humble and realistic. As with all social media content, there's a fine art to it - but at least now you have a way to double check how good or bad your LinkedIn profile comes across. Once you've finished writing it, get one of your actor friends to come over and perform it. And prepare to recoil at the sound of your own words.