LinkedIn is a business social network, Period!
In high tech many hiring managers don’t care nor want to know your religious or political affiliation. So, why would you list this information within your profile unless you’re a minister or some religious leader? Do religious leaders even have profiles on LinkedIn?
Here’s a good article attached below from a very religious writer explaining why business, LinkedIn, and religion don’t mix. If you want to post this information, Facebook is the place.
http://www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/keep-god-in-your-heart-and-off-your-linkedin-profile.html
Here’s the reality of software and technology leaders: many are atheist, Agnostic, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Mormon, Muslim, and Buddhist. You name it! They’re not listing their religion and they’re CEO’s and Founders of large corporations, so why on earth are you posting your religious affiliation? I’ll get to the political affiliations below.
When you’re in sales, especially high-level Enterprise Sales, the folks you sell to may in fact look you up on LinkedIn. You’re representing your employer and not your church or political party. I can’t highlight this specific point enough.
By the way, most technology companies are based in the “liberal” Silicon Valley/Bay Area, Seattle, Boston, New York City, London, and Israel, so highlighting your religious and/or political affiliation is oftentimes harmful.
This isn’t about “discrimination”, rather about working in a multi-cultural and open business environment. Employers don’t want to deal with any possible Human Resource blowback, because folks might use profanity in the office from time-to-time and it offends your spiritual beliefs. They also don’t want you telling another employee they’re going to hell if they haven’t made Jesus their personal savior.
I highlight Christianity, because that’s the only group of people I see actively listing their religious affiliation and Jesus as their personal savior. We also do work in Europe and nowhere do folks list their religious or political affiliation.
Now to politics…listing you’re a, “Proud Tea Party and Children of the Confederacy” member might fly where you come from, though that immediately disqualified you for…oh…let’s say…virtually every job on the market unless you’re applying to work with KKK, Rand Paul’s campaign, Hobby Lobby, or a company truly seeking Christians. Your religious and/or political beliefs don’t matter.
Some of you wonder why you’re not getting hired? Really now?! Many are very qualified, though this issue is hindering career advancement.
This is basic common sense and LinkedIn 101. I’m not at all anti-Christianity, rather I’m emphasizing this because I’m in the business of helping people get hired into great companies.