‘I was told I made a BIG mistake on LinkedIn… is it that bad?’

Today I’m analysing the situation of Shelley who reached out to me via LinkedIn. An ex-colleague had mentioned a big red flag on her LinkedIn profile, and she wanted to know if I agreed it was also a red flag.

Cut a long story short - it was also a big red flag for me.

Here’s the scenario. Shelley started working in social media back in 2021 when she landed a role as a coordinator. Before that, she was in the fitness and hospitality industries. She loved working in social media and followed that first role with several more learning opportunities, including internships.

As she built up her experience, she decided to try working for herself. She set up an LLC, offering content creation and social media strategy services, and officially went out on her own.

Fast forward three years and Shelley decides she wants to go back into employment. She’s eager to learn from more experienced folks, be part of a team, and grow in a structured environment. So, she starts job hunting.

A couple of months in, no interviews. She reaches out to an old colleague for a bit of help. That’s when they point out a major red flag on her LinkedIn: the job title “CEO.”

What’s the challenge?

When Shelley launched her business, she gave herself the title of CEO. On paper, that meant her career journey read something like: hospitality > intern > CEO. And, well… that’s where the problem lies.

To a hiring manager, this leap doesn’t make sense. It creates confusion. And confused hiring managers don’t call to clarify - they just move on to the next candidate.

How can she move forward?

She needs to rethink how she presents her time running her business. Not by lying - but by choosing titles that reflect her actual work and make her journey easier to understand at a glance.

This is not about downplaying her achievements. It’s about communicating clearly. Because clarity = interviews.

My advice

1. Make your resume and LinkedIn make sense
   Your career story has to be easy to follow. If something feels jarring or inconsistent, hiring teams don’t stop to ask questions - they just move on. So, your job is to make it make sense. That may mean tweaking titles so they reflect the nature of the work rather than the official company title.
2. Tweak titles when necessary
   Let’s be clear: I’m not saying lie. But I am saying, if you gave yourself a fancy title (like CEO) and it’s now hurting your chances, consider a more functional title—like “Freelance Social Media Strategist” or “Founder & Social Content Creator.” Choose something that gets to the point of what you actually did.
3. Don’t guess - ask for feedback
   Grab a couple of trusted friends or colleagues and ask them to look over your LinkedIn or resume. If five people say it makes sense, you’re probably in good shape. A second set of eyes can catch things you’ve missed and spot any red flags before a recruiter does.

At the end of the day, Shelley’s not alone. I see this kind of thing all the time. Running your own thing is an amazing experience, but when you're ready to re-enter the workforce, your job is to translate that experience clearly. Your next interview could depend on it.