Once in a while I am asked my opinion about using humor in your LinkedIn profile–should you or not?
Be careful here. Humor is tricky in a business context.
One poorly-timed or incorrectly-aimed attempt, and you lose the audience.
I say, yes use humor, on LinkedIn if you are naturally witty, fun to be with, if you usually sprinkle your business conversation with enjoyable stories, fun references, etc. I say: express your true self. If that’s you, be you.
I say no, not on LinkedIn if your jokes or puns are over the top, as in too frequent, off-color, political, or just bad “dad” type jokes. If that “wild and crazy guy” is you, save it for the right situation and audience, probably not an initial business contact.
In essence, don’t try too hard to be that attractive. Not everyone laughs out loud, smiles or even shares the same sense of what is funny.
If you sit through one of my public sessions, I speak of ways to know how far someone reads down in your profile. As I tell the story, a lawyer I worked with has placed a lawyer-joke at the very last line of his profile. If someone mentions that joke to him, he can gauge exactly how far they read in his profile.
His is a good idea. Oh and it’s a baaaad joke, by the way. Even other lawyers grimace.
Good stuff, Marc. Also, if you’re going to use a joke that you heard on, let’s say, late night TV or read in a book, be sure you attribute the comedian or other source, especially if you’re making money from it. There could be legal ramifications. And for heaven’s sake, do the joke verbatim!
Nicely put. Thank you for elucidating something that many were surely wondering about. This one made my day twice. Once the first time, and again 3 days later when someone else re-posted it. Self-help at its finest! “I was lost, personally. Then I checked myself into the hokey pokey clinic and I turned myself around.” –Brian Jud