All work and no play makes you dull and boring on LinkedIn
Set in the snowed-in Overlook Hotel, the movie The Shining features winter caretaker Jack Torrence holed up in his study, day after day, attempting to write a book.
Making a buck looking after an empty hotel while churning out a book seemed like a win-win. But, as in all decent horror movies, it wasn’t meant to be.
Fast forward to the iconic scene featuring Jack’s wife Wendy approaching Jack’s typewriter with great trepidation, wanting to see what he’s been writing. Instead of finding a well-progressed manuscript, she’s horrified to see hundreds of pages featuring the same blurb typed over and over again:
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Most certainly an horrific display of writer’s block in the movie, it’s an old proverb that means working all the time and not making space for things that bring you joy is unhealthy.
This is a great lesson for how I believe we should show up on LinkedIn.
Many people assume because LinkedIn is a professional network we should only present one dimension of ourselves: the ‘work’ self. The trouble is, being all work and no play is boring and doesn’t set us apart from the crowd.
Further, journeying through the pandemic made us appreciate the value of showing up in a genuine and transparent way. Kids, cats and dogs appeared in Zoom meetings. So too did beards and gym gear. We picked up new hobbies. We may be venturing back to the office, but people’s wellbeing still matters.
We owe it to each other to show up in a balanced way on LinkedIn instead of pretending we have nothing else going on but work.
Here’s what you can do to go beyond your ‘work’ self and show up with a life in LinkedIn:
Tailor your background banner – The grey banner behind your head is customisable. Instead of a picture of you presenting at a conference or a company logo, pop in an image that resonates on a more personal level. It could be where you like to holiday, the city you live in, or where you like to ride your bike.
Make your headline more than your day job – Are you a recruiter who is a life-long learner? A consultant passionate about animal welfare? A kick-boxing banker? You can go beyond your job title to reinforce the things that matter to you by extending your headline with a second sentence or additional key words.
Tell me what you care about – In addition to covering your areas of expertise in your summary (About section), explain why you enjoy doing what you do and describe the difference you’re trying to make. This could be a work-related passion or a contribution you make in your community, such as volunteering, or participation in a professional association.
Mention your personal interests and hobbies – I promise your IQ will not be diminished if you mention that you like to surf, sing or dance the tango. In fact, it will make you more interesting. Noting hobbies and personal interests in your LinkedIn summary is a great way to set yourself apart. It could even act as a conversation starter in a connection request.
Don’t sound like a textbook – When you post, write the way you speak. Use informal language, rather than textbook or corporate speak. When sharing content, point out its value. Tell me a story. Ask questions to encourage a conversation. Save 10% of your bandwidth for sharing a personal achievement or milestone. All these things will make you more interesting, interested and relatable.
Did you know our “all work and no play” proverb has a second part?
All play and no work makes Jack a mere toy.
In the context of LinkedIn, I take this to mean: don’t go overboard on the personal stuff and seek balance in how you show up. After all, LinkedIn is still a professional social media network.
So, go on and open up a little more. Tell me what you like to do on the weekends. You’ll be way more interesting to me if you do.
