![]() The header image is of the individual speaking at a conference. I’m spending most of my time using my emoji Rosetta Stone to decipher what all those colorful little symbols mean instead of focusing on the real reason I clicked on the profile: the person’s connections and professional clout.Įxamine how your perception of the same profile changes when you remove the emojis: I don’t need to know that he or she is “overcome with the cuteness” of “fist bumping” “fires” or that “rainbows” drive them “crazy” for “lucky” “unicorns.” See how much can be lost in translation? This ultimately diminishes the purpose of having a LinkedIn account: to get noticed by the right people for your professional expertise. ![]() But can you see past those to really take in the information in the headline? It’s difficult to wade through the sea of icons to really read what the person is saying professionally.Įmojis provide visual clutter when they are placed somewhere that doesn’t need emotional clarification. (This user has since changed their profile to remove the emojis.) Let’s take a look at an old, but good, example of a redacted LinkedIn headline. If you are older, you are in danger of being judged for trying too hard. If you are young, you risk being judged as not mature enough for serious work. Putting an emoji in your LinkedIn profile indicates you potentially don’t know where to draw the line between fun with friends and your job.Įmojis, as they are used currently, are most often employed by Millennials and Generation Z. Sure, a snarkily placed emoji in your Slack chat at work is great. If you are searching for a job, this is a huge red flag. “I don’t know how to separate professional communication from personal communication.”.Adding emojis to your profile, especially in the headline, only detracts from your personal brand.ĭo you add emojis to your resume? I would place my bets on “no.” Then why would you put them on your LinkedIn?īy adding emojis to your headline, which is for all intents and purposes your first introduction to a new potential connection, you’re saying a few things to the viewer: The entire purpose of LinkedIn is to present your most professional self to your peers, potential business partners, and future employees or employers. LinkedIn is the outlier for emoji use, and for a good reason. My boss isn’t mad at me and all is right in the world.Įmojis are great for messages on Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and other types of informal communication such as Slack, one-off emails to coworkers, and telling your family you’re ordering pizza for dinner. (We won’t even discuss the aggressiveness of the period in that sentence.) But add an emoji to an otherwise anxiety-inducing phrase, and it changes the whole meaning: ![]() Nervous, right? Immediately you think you’re in trouble. Take a look at how South Carolina Highway Patrol Public Information Officer uses emojis to tackle the serious subject of drunk driving on Twitter:Īrguably more important than the fun and fast, emojis also convey the current emotions of the writer to the reader when the text is potentially ambiguous.įor instance, if you receive this message from your boss: When you ask someone why they use emojis, they will often reply that they are a fun and quick way to communicate. While emojis have a place in several forms of informal communication and on most social media platforms, using emojis in your LinkedIn profile is often negatively construed by the viewer. Second: You’re probably ahead of the game in your LinkedIn profile. If you haven’t heard of emojis, the digital ideograms used to express ideas or emotions to a reader, then two things are true:įirst: You have been living under a rock, because even flip phone-using late adopters use the emoji’s predecessor, the emoticon, to “wink.” □ Should You Use Emojis on Your LinkedIn Profile? ![]()
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