I get a lot of questions about using LinkedIn. For some of them, the answer is obvious. Should you put up a profile picture? Yes, of course. Some questions, however, have no definite answer.

Bear with me, as I try to explain some of the tricky situations you might encounter while using LinkedIn:

Is it a good idea to accept all invitations to connect on LinkedIn? If not, what criteria should be followed?

LinkedIn is business networking on steroids. Imagine going to a conference and receiving fifty business cards in 10 minutes, that’s how crazy it can get. But like typical networking events, some of the LinkedIn invites you receive will be of no interest to you.

Don’t accept all invites you get. Connect with a purpose.

I’m not saying you should only accept invites from people you know personally. No! Because then you might miss out on job and business building opportunities from new connections.

Accept Invites…

• With customized invitation messages that specify how they know you, or why they want to connect. LinkedIn invites are mostly generic, so if someone takes time to personalize their message; it means they’re serious about building a professional connection with you.
• If you get a generic invite, view their profile first before declining it. Check their job title, work history, or LinkedIn groups to see if you have anything in common. Maybe you’ve met at an event, or he’s in a similar industry as you. As long as the profile doesn’t look spammy, suspicious, and you have a few things in common, then it’s okay to accept it.

What do executive search consultants see on LinkedIn profiles that concerns them?

The obvious concerns are:

• No profile picture
• Long employment gaps
• No recommendations

But there are more subtle red flags…

Read the full article on the BlueSteps Executive Career Insider Blog at this link.