In order to succeed, entrepreneurs need to be creative, innovative, determined, and hardworking—among many other essential qualities. This means it’s not enough to just make ends meet. A good entrepreneur strives for excellence by becoming the thought leader in the industry.
Sometimes, this drives entrepreneurs to get more than one job. So when it comes to LinkedIn profiles, the same question always pops up: it is whether or not a person can create two separate LinkedIn profiles to represent their two jobs.
The goal is to try and build a network with two completely different target audiences. However, having more than one profile is against the LinkedIn End User Agreement. Users are therefore not allowed to have two separate LinkedIn profiles or accounts. If another user reports you, LinkedIn has the right to shut down both of the accounts without further notice.
Choose A Profile
So for those who have two jobs, they will have to choose which one to associate with their LinkedIn profile. They can also focus on one of the jobs—particularly the one which is more likely to get leverage on the platform. Consider your target audience when selecting a job to focus on for your LinkedIn profile.
The headline of any LinkedIn profile should include only one position. This is perhaps the most important piece of real estate on the website. The headline shows up in a lot of places, so it needs to properly describe what you do. For businesses, it should reflect the brand and what the company is all about.
The headline needs to be as clear as possible so that it doesn’t confuse people with information about two completely different jobs. If you have sources of side income, you would not want to mention those. Only focus on the main job for your LinkedIn profile so that when people read the headline, they instantly know whether or not they can work with you.
The Risk of Having Two Profiles
Creating two profiles is very risky. Aside from the possibility of having both profiles removed by LinkedIn, it can also make the user look suspicious, especially if both profiles are active at the same time. Anybody wanting to do business with you will see the two profiles when they look you up. It can dissuade them from contacting you and take their business elsewhere simply because they are not sure what it is that you do.
For “dual hat users” it is important to select one occupation and brand for their profile in order to focus all LinkedIn public activities according to that occupation. Once you have made your connections with your potential leads, and the discussions organically lead to it, you can mention your second job.
But for the purposes of your LinkedIn profile, it’s good to be as clear as possible about what value you can provide. The summary section of your LinkedIn profile is a good place to explain your two positions in more depth if you absolutely have to. With 2000 characters, it provides enough space to showcase your range without compromising the clarity of your headline.
