As 2011 approaches it’s time to evaluate those habits and mistakes you constantly made in 2010 and vow to leave them behind as you enter the New Year. Start 2011 off without those negative habits that may be holding you back, bad habits such as hindering your job search process by allowing errors to happen on your LinkedIn profile! Career Alley career advice expert Peggy McKee points out some specifics:

Forgetting to proofread

One of the most basic and powerful things that you can do to create a great profile is to make sure that it doesn’t contain any errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation. The reason for this is that it can show that you are sloppy and careless. Worse, some people might even interpret these errors as incompetence.

Picking unflattering pictures

If you want to post a picture, then follow the same rules that you would in picking a picture for a resume. The photograph should be an attractive, professional, head-and-shoulders shot of you in business attire—clear, with a plain background. The idea behind a LinkedIn profile picture is to show your contacts that you can look the part of a professional.

Not being specific

Make sure that you provide enough details in your LinkedIn profile. Do not simply indicate general information such as “went to graduate school” or “attended a seminar”. Indicate the names, dates, and places that will give potential employers, clients, or customers an idea of what you are about.

Not being truthful

Don’t think that you can get away with lying or even exaggerating on a LinkedIn profile. Employers have an amazing array of tools, including LinkedIn itself, to check the truth of your claims. And they will. Avoid the awkwardness and almost certainly career-damaging effects of being caught in a lie by sticking to actual facts in your profile.

Writing your life story

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you need to put everything you’ve ever done on your LinkedIn profile. Stick to details that are most recent and pertinent to the industry that you want to work in. If your profile is too busy, people tend to simply ignore it. Just like a resume, your LinkedIn profile should be clear and easy to read.