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I have seen two extreme kinds of LinkedIn profiles: one with very few info and the other full of not only written details but also visual.

I want to ask about your perception of the people who use the following LinkedIn feature quite passionately: "Add or link to external documents, photos, sites, videos, and presentations."

Specifically, what do you think of profiles that display scanned awards and certificates? Is it professional?

ff524
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EasternRiver
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    How is this about academia? (Are you a researcher/academic applying for academic jobs?) – ff524 Jul 26 '17 at 11:37
  • I'm part of this academic community. Needless to mention that I'm asking as an academic about an issue related to the online presence of academics. – EasternRiver Jul 26 '17 at 11:40
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    From your question, none of that is clear - you need to add the relevant context (what is your current position, what kind of academic jobs are you applying for, what field are you in) to get a meaningful answer – ff524 Jul 26 '17 at 11:41
  • I see what you mean, but I strongly think it is a general question seeking an answer that could apply to academics regardless of the details you mentioned. Thank you. – EasternRiver Jul 26 '17 at 11:46
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    Something that looks professional for an undergrad looking for a graduate position might look completely unprofessional (or just weird) for a postdoc looking for a faculty position... – ff524 Jul 26 '17 at 11:49
  • I appreciate your input, but I think we are quibbling over unimportant details. If I wanted to keep quibbling, I could say that some commonsensical professionalism is universal (I can see postmodernist anti-universalists frowning) and age- or position-neutral. Please, let us allow answers to mention these potential differences. If you have the authority to edit the question, please do it. Personally, I'm not convinced I should. – EasternRiver Jul 26 '17 at 12:00
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    @EasternRiver I think perhaps this question is best suited for Workplace.SE as Academics is not the only place that has awards and certificates. – Michael Jul 26 '17 at 13:13
  • @MichaelC. As you said, it is not the only place but one of the places. And obviously, my question concerns academics. – EasternRiver Jul 26 '17 at 13:19
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    @EasternRiver IMO, I would think no. It's not hard for me to mock up an award for "Bestest Employee of All Time" and put it on my LinkedIn profile. Or have a certification in "Advanced Cyber-robotic Electronic Engineering" from JohnDoe Institute of Technology. – Michael Jul 26 '17 at 13:23

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Attempting to answer this question broadly, by and large the answer is "your LinkedIn profile doesn't matter." LinkedIn is simply not that relevant to your academic life. Your CV should be up-to-date and complete, and you should be an expert in your field. Whether you keep your social media page full of details or completely empty will have a minimal effect on how you are viewed, your academic status, job applications, or any of that stuff.

Beyond the above, the same general guidelines that apply to everyone else vis-à–vis social media apply here as well. Focus on your research, it'll serve you well in the long run.

eykanal
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