I just got an email from LinkedIn telling me Tom and Sue (not their real names) have endorsed me. The thing is the endorsement from Sue is worth something. She’s someone I respect and whom I have known for several years now. Her endorsement is real while Tom’s is not. I have never known Tom in a professional capacity or worked with him. I know him from school and he is endorsing me for things that are not even on my profile. This leads me to my top three most annoying LinkedIn behaviors.

#3: Fake endorsements

I am really not sure why people do this. Do they want a fake endorsement in return? Is it fun to play with LinkedIn? What is it?

#2: Posting too much and about non-business topics

Yes, I guess this could be two behaviors, but in my experience they go hand-in-hand. People who post too much are also posting about extraneous stuff.   Remember that you want to showcase what you  do, and unless you are a veterinarian, that stuff about how kittens need extra blankets in the winter is great for Facebook but has no place on LinkedIn.

#1: Sending generic LinkedIn invitations (perennial “winner”)

Stop doing this. I don’t understand why people you don’t know in person, who feel they would like to connect with you , can’t seem to scare up a couple of lines to provide some context, some reason, or some personality.

What annoys you on LinkedIn? Yes, you can vent right here!