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My firm is adding a new marketer to the team, and rather than ask for resumes, I asked people to submit their LinkedIn profiles.  I wanted to know how people were connected in the industry and how extensively they were using social media professionally.

I was really impressed by some of the profiles, but I also saw some common mistakes.  Here are five that are easy to avoid: 

1. Using the Default URL.  LinkedIn allows you to use a custom URL for your name so that you can be linkedin.com/in/janedoe rather than linkedin.com/in/pub-12345JP77. Changing the URL isn't intuitive though.  You have to be in "edit profile" mode, then select "edit" next to the URL listed under your photo.  Then, look to the far right, select "custom URL" and follow the prompts from there.  Having a custom URL looks more professional than using the default.
2.  Listing organizational roles under experience.  As I shared profiles with my team, many people came back with comments of "job hopping" on various candidates when they actually had longevity.  The problem was that many candidates listed SMPS roles under work experience which made it look like they had a series of short-term jobs.  Move volunteer and service activities to the "Organizations" section or the "Volunteering & Causes" section.  If these sections aren't yet part of your profile, select "edit profile" then look to the right column for sections to add. 
3. No professional headline.  LinkedIn searches the professional headline (that's the line under your name) when it is recommending your profile to companies searching for candidates.  At a minimum, you should have the title you want to be searched by (ie. Marketing Manager).  Add "AEC industry" (ie. Marketing Manager specializing in the AEC Industry) and you've just made yourself WAY more visible. 
4. No summary. You have the option of filling out the summary which is located before the Experience section.  It is a great opportunity to create a better picture of yourself than a list of jobs will provide.  You can show personality or tell a story.   Additionally there are summaries under each of your job listings to give you a chance to write about what you are actually experienced in which communicates more than a title and dates.
5. Lack of recommendations. Recommendations go a long way to making your profile stand out--especially if they are from people who have worked with you before. The best way to get a recommendation is to ask.  The second best way is to write recommendations for others. We all know people we admire professionally.  Take the time to let them know publicly.