Category Archives: LinkedIn

Meeting 5 objections to joining LinkedIn

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I’ve been invited to speak at a networking event about LinkedIn, where many of the participants are nonbelievers of this great online networking application. My initial reaction when I was asked to speak to the naysayers is to tell them that LinkedIn isn’t for everyone, but that would be the easy way out.

Excuse

Given that approximately 94% of recruiters/hiring managers use LinkedIn to find talent, a job seeker would be nuts not to be on LinkedIn and using it aggressively to look for employment. And this is what I need to convey to a room of people, some of whom will be shaking their heads.

While it is true that some of the attendees maybe beyond help, below are some excuses I plan to meet head on.

I don’t have time to create a profile

This is a common complaint; however, the prospect of creating a profile should not break their will. Copy and paste their résumé to their profile and go from there.

What do I mean, “take it from there”? Remember that the LinkedIn profile is not your resume. Whereas your resume lacks any mention of a subject (you), the profile should include personal pronouns, making it more personal.

Take your LinkedIn summary, for instance, it tells people a story about you and is generally longer than the resume summary. Talk about your passion for what you do (the why), explain who you serve (the who), and finally explain what you do and who well you do it (the what).

The experience section can be very similar to your resume. However, you can even personalize this section. Here’s an example of what I meant:

 I extended my training expertise by volunteering to train 5 office staff on our new database software. All members of the team were more productive as a result of my patient training style, increasing the team’s output by 75%.

I won’t have time to Update once a week

Quite honestly, posting an update once a week is not that hard to do. It’s as simple as commenting on a topic, attaching an article, posting a great quote, letting people know what they’re up to, etc.

That would be the bare minimum. If you want to take it to the next level, think about your activity as more. Engage with your connections by communicating with them. Write meaningful comments to what they share, instead of just liking it.

For now, do what you can in terms of sharing information. Just make sure the content your share benefits your connections.

There’s no way I can get 50 connections

Hogwash. LinkedIn allows users to download contacts from their e-mail account from the very beginning of registering for membership.

One just has to select the members they want to invite and soon acceptances and invites will come their way. Someone has to initiate contact; it might as well be them.

Note: I do not advise this way to make connections; instead go to their profiles, read them carefully, and send a personalized invite after selecting “Connect.”

I’m too young or too old

This is my favorite excuse to squash like a fly. When you’re young is the best time to start on LinkedIn. LinkedIn will most likely not offer you immediate gratification, but your initial investment will lead to a  lifelong pursuit of networking.

As far as you older attendees, I didn’t start using LinkedIn until I was in my mid-forties, and in a short period of time I’ve become well versed in the online application. Today’s forties is yesterday’s thirties.

So, don’t give me this excuse. I will say that if you’re starting from the ground floor, building a quality network and accumulating endorsements for your connections will be more challenging. But you can do it.

I don’t think people in my industry use LinkedIn

This is a valued point. Some industries don’t use LinkedIn to network as much as others. This is a tough mindset to break, albeit a faulty one. Think about occupations within your industry. For example, managers, accountants, project managers, and others are required for all industries.

Out of curiosity, I did a search for the most common and least common industries represented on LinkedIn. This list can be found on an article written in 2016.

The Top 10 Industries On LinkedIn

  1. Information Technology and Services
  2. Marketing and Advertising
  3. Human Resources
  4. Computer Software
  5. Financial Services
  6. Staffing and Recruiting
  7. Internet
  8. Management Consulting
  9. Telecommunications
  10. Retail

The Bottom 10 Industries On LinkedIn

  1. Dairy
  2. Nanotechnology
  3. Shipbuilding
  4. Judiciary
  5. Alternative Dispute Resolution
  6. Animation
  7. Legislative Office
  8. Fishery
  9. Railroad Manufacture
  10. Ranching

There are some excuses that will be are hard to counter, and I wrote a post on this. These are excuses I cannot counter:

1) I’m just curious; someone told me I’m guaranteed to get a job using LinkedIn.
2) I’m computer illiterate.
3) I’m afraid of putting information about myself on the Internet.

No one can offer the solution to every excuse, but the five listed above will be a breeze to counter. If you have another excuse, or two, let me know. I’ll add it to the list.

As always, if you enjoyed this post, please share it.

Brand yourself in these 6 major LinkedIn sections

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Mature Worker2

This article originally appeared in recruiter.com. 

Many articles talk about how important it is to create and maintain a strong personal brand. Doing this requires consistency across your written, verbal, and online communications.

In an Entrepreneur.com article, author Thomas Smale stresses the importance of having an online presence: “Do you have social media profiles? If so, are they fully fleshed out with all of your information? Do they present you in the best light possible, and make you look professional? Are you using high-quality professional photography? Are you interacting with others and sharing their content?”

As a professional, your LinkedIn profile is a critical component of your online personal brand. Let’s look at the major sections of your LinkedIn profile and how they can contribute to your brand.

Snapshot Area

I call this section the snapshot because that’s exactly what it is: a snapshot of who you are. The snapshot section of your LinkedIn profile includes your photo and your headline. Failure to impress viewers in these areas will hurt your branding.

A photo that is unprofessional is an immediate turnoff. Perhaps more damaging is a non-photo. It’s believed that a profile with a photo is 14 times more likely to be read than one without a photo.

Headlines that say things like “Seeking Employment” or “Project Manager at Company X” are ineffective, as they fail to show value.

Rather, your headline should be something like this: “Project Manager at Company X | Financial Planning and Analysis | Auditing | Saving Organizations Millions.” This headline shows your value and brands you. It also adds to your keyword count.

Furthermore, the Headline is ideal real estate for keywords. Next to one’s name, it is believed that keywords are weighed heavily here.

Summary

Support your brand with a powerful summary. This is where you tell your story, which can include the passion you have for your occupation, a statement about your expertise, or some talk about how you’re changing your career.

LaptopYou’ll want to use close to the 2,000 characters allowed in the summary in order to include the keywords you profile needs to boost your visibility. But your summary must also be compelling. It should mention accomplishments that will capture the reader’s attention.

You should write your summary in either first or third person point of view. Don’t simply repurpose the summary from your resume for this section. For a little guidance on what your summary should read, read “Put a Human Voice in Your Summary” by Liz Ryan of Human Workplace.

Experience

I’m often asked by job seekers how they should address the experience section of their profile. I tell them they have two options: They can either write a section that resembles the work history found on their resume, or they can use their experience section to highlight only their most important accomplishments.

I favor the latter approach, but some think their profile might be the only document an employer sees, so they believe showing all is the way to go. What’s most important in either case is listing accomplishments with quantified results.

Good: Increased productivity by implementing a customer relations management (CRM) system.

Better: Initiated and implemented – before deadline – a customer relations management (CRM) system that increased productivity by 58 percent.

It’s a good idea to use bullets to highlight your accomplishments. One of my LinkedIn connections, Donna Serdula, has created a handy list of bullets and symbols you can copy and paste for use on your own profile.

Back to keywords. Your titles are another place on your profile that are weighed heavily, so instead of Project Manager at GE, something like, Project Manager at GE | Process Improvement | Business Development | Brand Marketing. 

Education

Many people neglect this section, choosing to simply list the institution they attended, the degree they received, and their date of graduation. This might be the norm for resumes, but LinkedIn give you the opportunity to further support your brand by telling the story of your education.

Take, for example, the hypothetical job seeker Mary, who completed her

Take Mary who completed her bachelor’s degree while working full-time – a major accomplishment in itself. If she wants to show off her work ethic and time management skills, she might write a description like this:

University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Mechanical Engineering, Magna Cum Laude

EmailWhile working full time at Company A, I attended accelerated classes at night for six years (two years less than typically expected). I also participated as an instructor in an online tutoring program, helping first-year students with their engineering classes. I found this to be extremely rewarding.

Skills

A healthy skills section consisting of 30-50 skills is another way to strengthen your branding. The skills you decide to list should demonstrate your expertise. Do not list skills you are simply familiar with.

To further enhance your branding, the skills may be endorsed by your first-degree LinkedIn connections. If you’re unsure as to which skills to endorse, I have a previous article of mine that can help you.

Recommendations

This is a section I talk about in my LinkedIn workshops, and I always stress how valuable it is to receive recommendations from and write them for others.

By receiving recommendations, you show the value you bring to employers. Meanwhile, writing recommendations shows your authority and what you value in workers.

These are just some sections on your LinkedIn profile that contribute to supporting your strong personal brand. Next read, How to brand yourself when connecting on LinkedIn.

 

 

4 ways your LinkedIn photo is an impostor

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How my guilt over being an impostor forced me to change my photo.

Will the real John Smith stand up? You’ve probably seen it before. You see someone’s photo on LinkedIn, you meet him in public, and notice that he barely resembles his photo. A bit older. Somewhat heavier. He’s an impostor.

Portrait, young business man

We’ve all been there. People look significantly different than they’re portrayed on their LinkedIn profile, almost to the point where we don’t recognize them in a crowd of people (one reason to have a photo is to be recognizable). You feel like you’ve been duped…hoodwinked.

An Impostor I met

I tell a story to my LinkedIn workshop attendees about a time when I met the real John Smith (not his real name). Weeks before meeting him I saw his photo on LinkedIn. I thought that the man portrayed on LinkedIn was young and muscular, but when I saw him in person he was older and thin.

Whether out of spite or because it just popped out of my mind, I said, “John, you don’t look anything like your LinkedIn profile.” Shortly after, I noticed that his photo changed to one that was more recent.

The Impostor I am

I experienced the other end of the Impostor Syndrome when I was leading an Advanced LinkedIn workshop. I showed them my profile pointing out that I have a photo, and one attendee told me I look older in person than I do in the photo. Ouch.

I passed off being an Impostor by telling the group I hadn’t had the time, nor resources to get a professional photo taken. It still stung when I was told I look younger in my photo. Maybe it’s because my current photo is at least four years old.

What makes one an Impostor?

Four possible thoughts cross my mind when I encounter an Impostor.

  • He is vain. This is the worst kind in my mind. Pride is listed as one of the 7 deadly sins. Vanity is a form of pride. As my father said, “We enter this world naked and we leave it naked.” As Popeye said, “I Yam What I Yam.” Why should we pretend to be someone different?
  • He doesn’t realize that eventually he’ll be outed (as in my story). I’ve entered many a room where someone says, “Hi Bob.” Not caring much about etiquette, I respond by asking who they are. I learn that they’ve seen me on LinkedIn. It’s flattering, while at the same time a little creepy. People do recognize you on social media, so you will be outed, if you don’t update your profile.
  • He doesn’t realize that honesty is the basis for networking. One point I make in my Advanced LinkedIn workshop is that those who don’t have a photo on their profile will not be trusted as those who do. To gain complete trust, don’t put up a photo of you in college when you’re 20 years beyond those golden years. What does this say about your trustworthiness?
  • He isn’t concerned about branding himself. Your photo is a way to brand yourself in a positive light. It can tell people about your personality; it really can. My photo, old and new, I’ve always felt it tells people that I’m caring and nurturing, and, hopefully, wise. Others can brand people as authoritative, creative, serious, intelligent, etc.

Lately I’ve been struggling with the Impostor Syndrome. You see, I have a photo that is at least four years old. Since getting it taken, I’ve added some wrinkles and gained white facial hair. Oh, I’ve also gained some weight (gulp).

I’m no longer an Impostor

bob2

I’d like to say that I haven’t gotten my photo retaking because of financial reasons, but who am I kidding? I haven’t gotten it retaking because I’m vain. I don’t like how I look and don’t want my ugly self being part of my branding—I mean everyone looks so great.

So recently I had a colleague take the photo of the real me. He took it with his own camera in plentiful lighting, and he even blurred the background. I appreciate his willingness to do this, as well as his encouragement, but I’m not too fond of my true image.

Here’s why: the faults I mentioned above show brilliantly clear. His camera is of great quality. He has a steady hand. Basically there’s no excuse for why I look like I do. I guess I’m vain. One of the seven deadly sins. I’m doomed.

So what do I do? Do I continue to go with the older me, or do I present the real me (the photo included)?

If you care to weigh in, I would appreciate it.

First Photo: Flickr, Kathy Tarochione

Photo: Tim O’Connor

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11 reasons why I share posts so often on LinkedIn

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Yesterday I tried really hard to refrain from posting more than one LinkedIn status update. This resolution lasted an hour before I gave in to my urges, like someone on a bad diet. I don’t know what it is about this habit of mine, where I update no less than five times a day.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Daniel Newman an Adjunct Professor of Management at North Central College probably had me in mind when he posted Six Bad LinkedIn Habits That Must Be Broken on TheSavvyIntern.com.

I quote Daniel, “People don’t check LinkedIn nearly as often as Facebook or most other Social Networks for that matter. So I recommend that statuses are updated no more than once or twice a day.”

It’s not only Daniel’s suggestion that makes me examine my propensity to update. One of my colleagues told me I’m over the top and need an intervention, some kind of professional help he told me. So to validate why I update no less than five times a day, I came up with 11 reasons.

Visibility. I reason that to be relevant on LinkedIn one must update. But how visible is too much? When people tell me they see me a lot on LinkedIn, are they just being nice and really thinking they see me too much on LinkedIn?

It’s fun. I can hear the guffaws from the peanut gallery, those who can’t think of what to update to save their life. Believe it or not, I enjoy writing and sharing articles.

It keeps me from having to watch crappy television shows. Weighing watching The Bachelor against scanning my home page or Pulse for articles to comment on. Well, I’ll take the latter any day of the week.

It’s ideal for introverts. Here you go again, Bob, talking about introverts. I personally believe that updating on LinkedIn is an ideal way for introverts to communicate their thoughts. (Read 6 reasons why introverts prefer to write to understand what I’m talking about.)

I’m competitive. Or somewhat narcissistic if you like. Maybe subconsciously I enjoy receiving “Likes” or, better yet, comments on what I post. It gives me a feeling of being on the screen in Times Square.

I want to educate my followers. This is my pat answer to my aforementioned colleague and others who ask why it’s important to update at least once a day. Sharing articles…many times my own…what’s going on in my professional life, sage words of advice, etc, are intended to help my connections.

I’m addicted. This is perhaps my greatest fear. That I’m out of control and may need an intervention, as my colleague suggests. But like any addict, I can’t stop going to the strategically placed Share an Update box (now Start a Post) on my home page. It’s calling for me, “Bob, why aren’t you updating. It’s been an hour since your last one.” STOP, I yell. But then I give in.

I’m not as bad as some. I know this is a lame reason, almost an excuse, but some of my connections show up on my home page 10 times in a row. Do I remove them from my list of connections? No, I understand their addiction.

I use it as a teaching tool. During my LinkedIn workshops when my attendees are outraged by the idea of having to update at least once a day, I demonstrate how to share an update within three minutes.

To share is golden. I wrote a popular post about sharing others posts that are relevant to your connections. One of the best ways you can serve your connections is by sharing educational posts. I prefer to share my connections’ post before those published by popular publishers.

Okay, I’m an exhibitionist. I admit I like the attention that comes with updating and getting responses, positive and negative. I won’t go all Freudian and say this has something to do with my childhood, but I know I like to be seen.

So here you have the reasons why I update and feel it impossible to follow Daniel Newman’s suggestion to update (only) once a day. I hope that he’ll revise his article to say, “Update as much as you’d like.” But I don’t think that’s likely because in all honesty, I’m the perfect example of an update freak.

Photo: Flicker, Eva the Weaver

7 faux pas you may be committing on LinkedIn

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confused

If you’ve read anything I’ve written in the past three weeks, you probably know that I’m now on Facebook. I’ve written ad nauseam about this, to the point where I’m tired of writing about this insignificant factoid. Nonetheless, I’m glad I finally made the plunge; Facebook is drawing out my personal side, much to the chagrin of my family. (They think my posts are embarrassing.)

You may also have seen me share a record shattering 25 updates…today. Not really, but I think I came close to 10 updates. Again, I’m tired of sharing updates, fully aware that many of my connections have hidden me. Now it’s called “Unfollow Bob McIntosh.” So, oversharing is one thing that makes LinkedIn tricky. When do you stop and shut down your laptop?

Following are six other LinkedIn faux pas.

Posting Irrelevant Content

irrelevant

Some people confuse their updates, photos, political statements, or mathematics games with content that is relevant to members of LinkedIn, a purported professional networking platform. Lately there has been some outcry, including from yours truly, about this irrelevant content.

“Go to Facebook,” they say. This is a legitimate request. As I said earlier, I joined Facebook. I joined it because I want to know what I’m talking about when I compare LinkedIn with Facebook. What I’ve learned from my short stint on FB is that it’s a place to “let your hair down.”

A video of a parent’s first child’s birthday party is relevant on FB. A political statement is relevant on FB. But these examples are NOT relevant on LinkedIn. When there are “R U a Genius” games, photos of butterflies; LinkedIn’s purpose becomes diluted.

On the other hand, too much professional content on Facebook  dilutes its purpose, which is to give people the forum to know each other’s personal lives. When I posted articles I or others have written, I’m sure Facebookies were thinking, “This is boring.”

I posted photos of my family, a snow storm, chickadees eating out of my kids’ hands, my son at his basketball game, and various other personal matter. It felt refreshing. Again, nothing that belongs on LinkedIn.

Not Keeping Your Cool

angry person3

This continues to be a problem for some LinkedIn members, who take every opportunity to disparage, say, employers who they feel have done them wrong.  I wrote a popular post on this, Some advice for my angry LinkedIn connection. I don’t expect this behavior to cease immediately, but I’m hoping to cause some awareness.

In some cases the people of whom I describe demonstrate excellent writing ability; however, ruin their post for me with one sentence that shows their true nature. They’re not keeping their cool. The climax of their post is the one statement that bashes the entity of which they’re writing.

People like this remind me of children who are tempted by a cookie jar sitting on the counter, and while other children can refrain from taking a cookie, this person just can’t resist, so he grabs that cookie.

Damn, so close.

Not Following Etiquette

We’ve all read enough about how sending the default invite message to people with whom you’d like to connect is poor etiquette. Frustrated LinkedIn members have written about this over and over, yet the majority of default invite messages I receive, 19 out of 20, keep rolling in. Default messages do suck.

I’ll admit that one etiquette rule I break is the limit of updates one is “allowed” to update. The number of updates is purported to be four a day at most. I’m clearly an offender of this. I once tried to keep my update number down, but to no avail. I mention this in the second paragraph of the post but thought it warranted repeating.

On the flip side of overdoing it with updates, is not doing enough. I can’t tell you how many people who begin a strong LinkedIn campaign only to leave LI or resurface twice a month. They have, essentially disappeared. I wonder if Facebook as sucked them in…like LinkedIn in has sucked me in.

The last violation I will mention is what many people have been complaining of lately; spamming their newly acquired connections. No sooner does a person accept an invite when WHAM they’re hit with, “Will you buy my product or service now that we’re trusted connections?” This causes a violent reaction from some LinkedIn members.

Letting it Control Your Life

Writer's Block

Sometimes we learn best from our mistakes. Letting LinkedIn control my life is a reality I struggle with; I’m on the platform everyday at least half an hour or more each day. This, to me and others, seems twisted.

Think to yourself what is the purpose of my LinkedIn engagement? Is it to find a job and am I do it right? To generate leads? To disseminate information? Build brand awareness? A little bit of both? Do you have a plan? Are you using LinkedIn to fill time? Is LinkedIn a marathon?

I sometimes envy the people who have a balance between their LinkedIn involvement and daily life. They seem to have their priorities correct. I’ve also come to realize that the people who are on LinkedIn four times a week are also on Facebook a good amount of time. Is that any better?

LinkedIn does seem to me to be a marathon I haven’t stopped running since I joined it seven years ago. Despite all this, I’ve seen some of my connections maintain my insane schedule and even exceed it.

Loving LinkedIn and Leaving It

disappering (1)

The adverse to Letting LinkedIn control your life is leaving LinkedIn high and dry. I run across job seekers who admit that the only reason they’re in my workshop is to pick up where they left off.

Secretly I’m thinking these people are committed one of the most egregious faux pas of all time. They opened an account, set up a profile, and once they found work they abandoned LinkedIn. Dropped it like hot potato.

How could they do this to LinkedIn? Don’t they understand that LinkedIn is at its best when they’re working and have the leverage to build the network they need for the rest of their career.

So what’s worse, letting LinkedIn consume your life like it has mine, or treating it like a friend you use? I say it is the latter.

Thinking LinkedIn Alone Will Get You Your Next Job

LinkedIn AloneFor job seekers, I have this bit of advice for you: yes, you must put effort into your LinkedIn campaign, as well as utilize Facebook and Twitter; but it is not the elixir some believe it is. In other words, LinkedIn alone will not garner you a job.

A successful job search must combine personal with online networking, online networking to reach out to connections who then become personal connections. Personal networking is supplemented by LinkedIn and perhaps Facebook and Twitter. That said, you must put the effort into your LinkedIn campaign.

This belief that social media alone will land you a job can be tricky for those who fear personal networking like they fear a dark cellar, so they feel LinkedIn is the answer to easing their fear. As I’ve said before, LinkedIn won’t do it alone.

Final Thoughts

I’m thankful for LinkedIn, and other social media, as they have given me the opportunity to meet and learn about interesting people—both online and in person. It has allowed me to share information from me and other bloggers. And my engagement has resulted in side business in the form of LinkedIn profile writing and public speaking events.

While LinkedIn has been kind to me, there are still some problems that need to be fixed. But that’s half the fun, strategizing on how to collaborate with others to mend the negativity, and reminding others of proper etiquette and relevant content. For job seekers, I again stress that LinkedIn alone is not your answer to landing  your next job.

For my growth on social media, perhaps I need to grow at a slower more consistent manner. Instead of logging 45 minutes a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks out of the year…yes, even on vacation. There is a lot I need to learn about using social media.

I’m interested in hearing about some faux pas you’ve committed or have thought of. Please leave a comment. And as always, please share this post if you enjoyed it.

If you want to learn more about LinkedIn, visit this compilation of LinkedIn posts.

Photo: Flickr, Confused, Geo

Photo: Flickr, Irrelevant, Jordy

Photo: Flickr, Twinkle J

 

 

 

If you join LinkedIn, be prepared to work. 10 activities required to be successful

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It hurts my heart when job seekers tell me they’ve been told that LinkedIn will be the reason for their success in finding a job. It’s great they’re using LinkedIn as part of their job search, but to believe that LinkedIn will the golden ticket to their success is false thinking. They need to combine it with face-to-face networking and other job-search methods.

hard work

This said, If you’re going to use LinkedIn in your job search, you have to put your all into it. So what does it look like to work your arse off on LinkedIn, to take full advantage of what it offers?

1. Create a full profile

  • The first area where you band yourself is a background image, not merely the default, light blue background LinkedIn provides.
  • A professional photo that best reflects your industry. If you’re customer facing, you’ll dress to the nines. An engineer, most likely business casual is fine.
  • A branding headline that tells more than your occupation. It also shows the value you can bring to an employer. Think of your areas of expertise, as well as your occupation.
  • A creative and somewhat lengthier Summary. (Some say it should be short. Let’s agree to disagree.) Your Summary should demonstrate the value you will bring to employers from the get go. To understand what I mean, read Create a kick-ass Summary with these four components.
  • An Experience section that focuses on accomplishments more than basic duties. The mundane duties might be on your résumé. You want to highlight the great things you did.
  • An Education section that goes beyond the name of the institution; degree; major; and, perhaps honorary designation. Take advantage of an area where you can show personality, describing what was going on in your life at the time.
  • Skills and endorsements. The skills you list–you can list up to 50–count toward the keywords by which people search for you.
  • Speaking of Keywords that will help you get found. After optimizing her profile, a former client said she went from close to 100 in rankings to 13.

2. Demonstrate commitment

Spend at least four times a week on LinkedIn. For the diligent job seekers, every day of the week should be the norm. Spend at least 20 minutes a day on the platform. LinkedIn never sleeps; it’s 24×7. But don’t overdue it. You don’t want to be un-followed.

3. Frequent updates

Update at least once a day. Occasionally you can explain your situation but not every day. Your updates can also include industry news, questions you have, sharing articles and media, tips or advice, and more. Updates keep you top of mind. If you’re really adventurous, you can consider posting short videos (only from the LinkedIn app).

4. Develop a quality network

What I call phase two of a successful LinkedIn campaign is accumulating quality connections, totaling at least 250 over a two-month period. Twenty connections will not impress anyone. You’ll be seen as timid and afraid to develop relationships. As well, your search engine optimization (SEO) will suffer, unless your a taxidermist.

5. Skill & Endorsements

Playing the Skills and Endorsement game, where you can list as many as 50 skills and be endorsed for those skills. All one needs to do is click on any of your skills to endorse you. It’s not necessary for them to witness you demonstrating your skills; although, LinkedIn now asks about your level of expertise and how the person knows you. Can you tell I’m not a big fan of this feature?

6. Recommendations

A certain number of recommendations were once necessary for All Star status, but this sections was taken over by Skills & Endorsements. I’ve been vocal about my displeasure at how Recommendations are disrespected. Request recommendations from former employers who are your 1st degree connections.

7. Companies

Use one of LinkedIn’s best features, Companies, to locate key players in your job search—the better to get your résumés in the hiring managers hands. Before you connect with someone, ask for an introduction from one of your shared connections. Or mention your shared connection in a cold connection request. Read 5 steps to connecting with LinkedIn members.

8. Jobs

Use LinkedIn’s Jobs feature which has been enhanced to include demographic information, including other positions viewed by job seekers, who you know at the company, the ability to apply to the company on its website or through Easy Apply. For Premium members there are additional features that give you access to big players and provide you with demographics.

9. Engage on LinkedIn but be professional

This is a very important part of you LinkedIn campaign, so work hard on it. But, keep your engagement on LinkedIn professional. If you are more of a Facebook fan, refrain from posting family photos, video of the presidential primaries, and no mention of your frustration in your job search. Be relevant.

10. Use LinkedIn after you land your next job

There’s one more thing to consider. Once you’ve created a great LinkedIn profile, have established a presence, and are active on LinkedIn leading to a job; don’t give up your activity on LinkedIn. You may need your network in the future. This time instead of having four measly connections, you’ll have hundreds.

Do you get the sense that LinkedIn will require hard work and may not yield immediate results? Good. Do you also feel that joining LinkedIn on the bottom floor will be to your benefit, as opposed to giving up on it? Good.

Photo: Flickr, João Guilherme de Carvalho Barbosa

10 reasons why your LinkedIn profile photo is important to me

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Adrienne TomI published this post less than a year ago, but the need for a photo on your LinkedIn profile can’t be emphasized enough. 

One day a customer of mine came up to me appearing quite irritated and told me he had sent me an invite on LinkedIn. But I didn’t accept his invite, according to him. I asked him if he wrote a personalized message with his invite. Yes he did. I then asked him if he had a photo. No he didn’t. “Ah,” I said. “That’s why I ignored you.” This is one of my principles, as harsh as it sounds.

While many of my colleagues won’t connect with their customers/clients, I see no reason not to connect as long as my customers embrace the necessity of having a LinkedIn photo. If they don’t embrace it, they’re in for a disappointing LinkedIn campaign. One of my favorite things to say when I’m critiquing a customer’s profile that lacks a photo is, “What’s wrong with this picture?” I know, not very funny.

Jeff SheehanPerhaps I’m getting old and stodgy, but here are 10 reasons why your LinkedIn profile is important to me.

I recognize you. If you only have the default light grey ugly box in the photo area, I have no idea who you are. I’m terrible with names, so a face helps me. I feel closer to you, even if we live 3,000 miles away from each other.

Your photo tells me something about your personality. My photo tells people that I’m caring, sincere, and friendly. All of this is true. I’m assuming your photo would say what kind of person you are, creative, authoritative, welcoming, etc.

AntonYou’ve gone though the effort to have a professional photo taken of you. One of my jobseekers told me he had his photo taken for $50. This told me that, despite not having the resources, he felt that having a photo is important.

You know that having a photo will increase your chances of your profile being opened. I’m conservative when I tell my LinkedIn workshop attendees that their chances of getting their profile opened and read increases by 7 times. Some estimates are as high as 14.

You understand the importance of branding. It was commonly believed that a LinkedIn photo was either highly professional or business casual. Now people are breaking boundaries by posting photos that reflect what they do. Take a look at one of my connections (above left) who understands this concept.

Stevie PuckettOn the other hand…your photo is not inappropriate. Some that come to mind are those you’d post on Facebook where you’re captured partying, or you’re with family on the beach, or you’re using LinkedIn as a dating site.

You realize LinkedIn is a networking application, not your resume which doesn’t include a photo. LinkedIn members feel more comfortable networking with people we can see.

You’ve gotten over yourself. I’ll be the last to say that age discrimination doesn’t exist but it’s less prevalent than you think and employers are more suspicious when they don’t see your photo. Besides, who would want to work for someone who judges you on your age.

Hank BoyerYou’ve taken that step toward online networking. Scary, huh? For some of you it was enough to simply get online, but now you’re being told–by not only me–you need to disclose your identity. I salute those of you who are making that step, albeit a reluctant one.

Your photo is about you, not your company. Talk about not trusting someone. That’s how I feel when someone presents themselves as their company logo. The profile is about you and not your company–that’s why there are LinkedIn company pages.

When it comes to the LinkedIn photo, I want to know what people look like. I guess it’s as simple as that. That ugly light grey box is disconcerting to say the least; it says to me, “I’ve got something to hide.” If I’ve got nothing to hide, why should you?

Top left, Adrienne Tom

Second to right, Jeff Sheehan

Third to left, Anton Brookes

Fourth to right, Stevie Puckett

Fifth to Left, Hank Boyer

6 things to think about before including your LinkedIn profile URL on your job-search documents

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I often get this question during a Résumé Advanced workshop, “Should I include my LinkedIn URL on my résumé?” My answer to this is, “Sure, as long as your profile will serve you well.” This is to say, your LinkedIn profile must impress prospective employers, not turn them away.

LinkedIn puzzle

Here are 6 rules to adhere to if you’re going to list your LinkedIn URL on your résumé, personal business cards, or cover letter.

  1. Customize your URL. LinkedIn provides a default address that includes additional numbers and letters behind your name. In Edit Profile, click on Edit next to your default URL and remove all the additional numbers and letters by simply typing your whole name in the field provided. A public profile URL that is clean tells employers you’re LinkedIn savvy, not a babe in the woods.
  2. Your profile must be complete. You’ve probably read many articles about the importance of a complete profile. The bottom line is that a barren profile shows a lack of effort, At the very least your profile must have the following: 1) professional photo; 2) branding headline; 3) creative, story-telling Summary; 4) full Employment section, which includes quantified results; and 5) LinkedIn’s added marketing tools.
  3. Think about your profile as a complement to your résumé. In other words, your profile is not your résumé; it is more dynamic. To make your profile more exciting, you can add additional sections to it, such as Skills and Endorsements, Certificates, Projects, Languages, Media, and more. LinkedIn aficionados can spot when someone simply copy and pastes their résumé to the profile–not impressive.
  4. Make it easy for people to find you. If you’re in the job search and prefer not to list your phone number on your profile, I might accept that as an employer. However, if you also don’t list your e-mail address, I’d be on to the next profile. Don’t play hard to get and make it hard for potential employers to find you.
  5. Participate. Participate in what? you may wonder. Show employers that you update on a regular basis and that your updates are related to the work you’re pursuing, not about how Big Kitty is doing well after his surgery.
  6. Show off. I’m not saying go overboard, but make use of the media section as your online portfolio. You can post PowerPoint presentations, videos, audio clips, your résumé, photos of your architectural work (one of my customers did this), and more. Make your profile truly dynamic by doing this.

If you haven’t followed the above suggestions, sending employers to your profile (via your résumé, business cards, and other written communication) will cause more harm than good.  One more thing, certain elements of your public profile will be absent from your full URL, such as Media, Recommendations, view of Endorsements, and list of connections. This is why you must provide access to your full profile.

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4 reasons why your LinkedIn profile needs a strong Media section

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recruiters (1)This article marks the third of making your LinkedIn profile stronger. The previous two talked about your Summary and Experience sections.

Before you read any further, I’d like you to take a moment to read one of the most comprehensive articles on LinkedIn’s Media feature. It’s an article written by my colleague and valued LinkedIn connection, Sabrina Woods, in which she describes 18 different ways to use this feature. Eighteen different ways! Boy, did she do her homework.

With at least 18 ways to use LinkedIn’s Media section, this gives you plenty of options to show off your goods. So why not take advantage of it? You can use it in your Summary, each in your Employment section, and in your Education. Here are four major reasons why you should utilize Media on your LinkedIn profile.

It’s your online portfolio. This is what I tell my LinkedIn workshop attendees when I describe Media. Similar to when you bring examples of your work to an interview, you have the opportunity to show the world your best work. As Sabrina writes, there are at least 18 ways to use this feature.

Everyone can find a reason to use it. And they should. For example, I lead workshops where I use PowerPoint presentations—please no heckling from the true presentation purists out there. I use Media to show off three of my PowerPoint presentations.

An engineer may use this feature to illustrate his work on wind turbines by using YouTube. One of my customers who’s a graphic artist highlights her graphics in Media. Neal Schaffer, an expert on social media for business and author of Maximize Your Social, uses YouTube to share with the world his interview by Kooger in London. Check it out.

It fits your communication style. Some people are visual communicators as opposed to written communicators. They have the knack for making people see the value in their graphic design or photos or architecture…but can’t express it as eloquently in words. One of my customers expressed it nicely when she said some people express their thoughts with words, while she expresses her thoughts through images.

The options are numerous. While you’re given the option of adding a link or downloading a file, the number of providers is mind boggling.

  • Image providers: 12, including Twitter and ow.ly
  • Video providers: Approximately 70, including ABC News, CBS News, YouTube
  • Audio providers: 13, including Mixcloud, Spotify
  • Presentation and document providers: 3, including PowerPoint and Prezi
  • Other: 4, including Behance and Kickstarter

Two of the more common documents displayed in Media are Word and PDF documents, which would be ideal for posting your résumé for employers to see, or a whitepaper you’re particularly proud of.

To see some of the media used by LinkedIn members go to Sabrina’s article where there are samples of various types of media. I think you’ll be impressed. I was.

4 reasons why you need a strong LinkedIn Summary

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I still remain perplexed that some LinkedIn members put little effort into their Summary section, or don’t have one at all.

LinkedIn Flag

Would you go to an interview or business meeting without shoes? Of course not. So I wonder why people feel that a Summary statement on their LinkedIn profile is unnecessary. Having viewed hundreds profiles, I’ve seen many  that simply begin with the Experience section and have no Summary.

The absence of this section of your profile can greatly hurt your potential of capturing the attention of visitors, e.g., potential employers, networkers, and business associates.

Read: Create a kick-ass LinkedIn Summary

I have three theories why people don’t include a Summary: 1) they don’t have the time or energy to write one; 2) they don’t know what to write; and 3) they follow advice of those who say, “Recruiters don’t read a Summary statement. You don’t need one.”

I can understand the first two reasons, although I don’t condone them, but the third one escapes me. Many pundits, recruiters included, say a Summary is necessary, as long as it adds value to the profile. So if you don’t have a Summary because you lack the energy or don’t know what to include, consider 4 reasons why the Summary is important:

It gives you a voice. You’re given more freedom of expression on LinkedIn than you have with your résumé; so use it! Be creative and make the employer want to read on. Your voice contributes to effective branding. It should be some of your best writing and can be written in first person voice or even third person.

Most pundits lean toward first person, as it expresses a more personal side of you. A Summary written in first person invites others into your life. Not many people pull off the third-person voice well; it can sound stilted. But if done right, it can also make a powerful branding impact. People who are established as leaders in their industry warrant a third-person Summary.

It tells a story. Perhaps you want people who would consider connecting with to know you on a more personal level. You have aspirations or philosophies to share; and it’s not about impressing people with your accomplishments in marketing in the nonprofit sector, for example, as much as the positive impact your work has had on the population you serve. You want people to connect because of a share common bond.

The Summary is also a clear example of how LinkedIn differentiates itself from the résumé. It’s a known fact that the majority of hiring authorities don’t enjoy reading a résumé, which is due, in part, because of its Summary. The Linked profile is more creative because it tells your story, your aspirations, and philosophies.

You can make an immediate impact. Stating accomplishment statements with quantified results are a real attention grabber. If a visitor is going to scan one section of your profile to determine if he’ll read on, make it be your Summary, and leave him with a positive image of you.

Here’s part of a Summary from Doug Caldwell, who calls himself a Facilitator Extraordinaire. (I told you I read a lot of profiles.)

MANUFACTURING COMPANY

✯ Improving unit output by 2,200% over a five-year period.
✯ Reduced manufacturing cycle time by 30%.
✯ Achieved cost saving in excess of $25,000 annually.

Read the rest of his Summary to feel it’s power and excitement.

It’s another place to include keywords. Keywords are the skills employers are looking for, and the more you have the closer you’ll be to the top of the first page. So don’t think “less is better.”  In this case, the more of the 2,000 characters you’re allotted, the more you should use. Please don’t use your Summary as a dumping ground for your keywords, though.

I tell my Advanced LinkedIn workshop attendees that excluding their profile Summary is like neglecting favorite pet. You shouldn’t do it. Find the energy to write one, figure out your story or unique selling proposition, and get to work writing an attention-grabbing Summary. By all means, don’t listen to naysayers who don’t believe in this very important part of your LinkedIn profile.

Next read: 5 reasons why you can’t ignore your Experience section.