People called sourcers spend their lives on LinkedIn looking for people their clients and employers will want to hire. When they find you, I hope you’re not making a big LinkedIn email mistake!

The LinkedIn Email Mistake

To explain, when sourcers find a likely prospect (this could be you!), they want to send them an email or call them. And they can’t. Because very few people include their contact information on their LinkedIn profile.

That is the biggest mistake most people make on LinkedIn.

Would you leave your email address and your mobile number off of your resume or your consulting marketing materials? “No! Of course not!” you say.

Then don’t leave them off of your LinkedIn profile either — because it might be the only information about you that a potential employer or client ever sees.

Let Them Send InMail

“But people can send me an In Mail,” you say. Uh huh. InMails cost money and have a high failure rate. Thus, sourcers don’t like to use them.

Why Are You on LinkedIn?

“But I don’t want to be contacted by sourcers,” you say. OK, but without contact information, no one else can contact you either. And, if that’s the case, why are you even on LinkedIn?

“Groups”

OK. You’ve got me there. If it’s all about groups for you, I suppose you don’t need to add contact information to your LinkedIn profile.

What to Provide

But, if you’re part of the vast majority who would like a new job, then add your contact info to your profile now.

Sourcers love it when you list both an email address and a mobile number because it makes it easy for them to get in touch in with you. Provide at least an email address.

How to Handle Privacy Concerns

If you’re concerned about privacy, set up a separate email for LinkedIn and forward it to your primary email.

If you’re concerned about what your boss will think, don’t provide a phone number.

Just be sure to make it easy for everyone — sourcers, former colleagues, whoever — to connect you to your next great job or consulting opportunity.

How & Where to Add Your Contact Information to Your Profile

Per Joyce’s request (below), I’ve provided step-by-step instructions on adding contact info to your LinkedIn profile.

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Another mistake most LinkedIn members make? Not protecting their profiles from Microsoft Resume Assistant.

Let’s Connect on LinkedIn

Please don’t hesitate to invite me to connect on LinkedIn here: Donna Svei, Executive Resume Writer. The more I know about my readers, the better I can make my blog.

Image: Fotolia/melpomene

Updated May 2019

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