Although 2020 has brought so many changes, LinkedIn continues to be the largest online business networking platform and a top influencer in how we leverage and advance our careers. Learning how to negotiate the ins and outs of this powerful social media tool is to everyone’s advantage. Here’s 9 Top Strategies for Diving Deep into LinkedIn:
Create a profile with a professional photo and pertinent details. It might seem obvious, but attention to detail is important when looking to network and make significant career connections. Be succinct in your accomplishments and don’t forget to include your efforts at volunteerism. The goal is a well-rounded profile, just as when you’re applying for a new position. Think of LinkedIn as your online resume.
Make meaningful connections. The first connections are the obvious ones, but then what? Browse your connections’ connections to see if there are any that may be an acquaintance, and think about adding those. Don’t send blind connection requests—include a brief message of how you have a mutual connection, etc. As you start to build your network, requests will organically come to you. You’ll be surprised how it grows!
Post regularly. Creating meaningful content that is of interest to others (that they in turn may share) is key to broadening your LinkedIn presence. Also, be sure to share articles you find interesting. This is another method of organically growing your network.
Ask some colleagues for recommendations. Having a balanced number (not one or two, but not necessarily dozens, either) of well-written recommendations are a plus to those looking at your profile. They can often lead to new opportunities when making connections.
Always keep an eye on career trends and available positions. You may be perfectly happy on your career trajectory, but don’t underestimate the power of keeping an eye on that Job section of LinkedIn. Why? Because it allows you to keep up with industry trends, see who’s hiring and how they may be expanding positions in their organization, and keeps you up to date with the key words, phrases, and HR terminology that’s in the forefront.
If you are unemployed, it is especially important to look on LinkedIn as much as you would any other source for potential jobs. The advantage here is that LinkedIn is built on people and connections, rather than sending a blind resume to an email box of the HR Department. Be sure your profile is ultra professional, and you may choose to tactfully state that you are looking for an opportunity in your field. Let a few key connections know you are searching for that next opportunity as they may know of a possibility or be able to introduce you to some of their key connections or a great recruiter.
Use Company Profiles to your advantage. Read about companies you are interested in and/or are highly regarded in your field. You can also search to see if you have any connections at a particular company. Continuous learning will pay off, if not immediately, but in the future. You never know when an opportunity will present itself, and having knowledge of your desired company is always beneficial.
Follow influencers in your field and join LinkedIn groups of like-minded individuals. We know that many experts and those at the top of their field do not accept invites for connection; you may wonder how you can form a relationship despite this brick wall. Mutual connections are of course important, but so is joining groups that those people may have started or are actively involved in. Just keep connecting, and even though the connection that was your goal may not transpire, you’ll be sure to meet many interesting and influential people along the way.
If you’re recruiting for a position, check out Recruiter and Recruiter Lite. It’s an excellent option to make connections and meet new prospective candidates and there are free trial versions. The search capability is excellent, and again, you’ll meet people who may keep you in mind for the future.
If you are unemployed (or as I like to say “between successes”), it is especially important to look on LinkedIn as much as you would any other source for potential jobs. As with anything else, you’ll get out of LinkedIn what you put into it. Remember that networking in a professional atmosphere is as key as in a more personal, social arena. Spend some time on this network, and you’ll be certain to reap the rewards!
I wish you a very prosperous 2021! As always, I’m available to assist you in your journey. For more information on my coaching services, visit my website at www.mbrownassociates.com.
Entering the last month of 2020, we have a great deal to reflect back on, particularly when it comes to our careers. The changes in how we successfully navigate the workplace have been vast, and for now, there doesn’t seem to be a definitive end to our new way of working. That said, we still need to consider developing our career amongst these unique circumstances. Today we’ll discuss some ways we can accomplish that, despite the current climate.
Even though we’ve been caught up in the seemingly endless virtual meetings, we need to take time to evaluate not just how we’re working, but look at our current performance and future goals. It may seem counterintuitive at the present time when some days it may seem all we can do to accomplish our norm, but the time is right to do a lot of introspection. How has working from home affected your performance? Did you acquire new leadership skills or become more self-reliant in your home office? No longer surrounded by the office noise, have you discovered that you really love what you do—or discovered that it’s time to change directions? It’s just you working away solo now—you can be honest with yourself. Express your feelings by journaling or whatever notetaking system works best for you.
Self-study
Once you’ve laid your thoughts out, it’s time to formulate a plan which includes the necessary education and certifications. To that end, you may not be aware of how many free or low-cost opportunities are at your disposal. Let’s take a look at some resources:
Certifications You Can Obtain for Free! From AES Certification to Project Management, check out these great ideas: https://www.jobscan.co/blog/5-certifications-add-resume-free/
Recent College Graduate? Check out Handshake, a job portal that has become a leading community for those early in their career: https://joinhandshake.com/
Continue to Build Your Tribe: Take advantage of the virtual meetings to introduce yourself with a brief “elevator speech” if you will, and actively engage with other meeting/event participants. Pay special attention to opportunities to share contact information. Check out some of these great apps to make your virtual business card:
HiHello: https://www.hihello.me/
Haystack: https://thehaystackapp.com/
Inigo: https://inigoapp.com/
Managing Your Mind: The very habit of practicing mindfulness is a deliberate action, and one that can not only help us through current career challenges, but in our personal development as well. Here’s a mindfulness quiz that can help you evaluate where you are in the mindfulness sphere. After your score is tabulated, a list of valuable recommendations are given. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/take_quiz/mindfulness
Learn, grow, and document: Be proactive and go a step above and beyond (perhaps use that time was formerly spent commuting). Use tools like Google Drive, Evernote, etc. to document what you have done in the way of continued development so they are easily accessible for future reference. In the event you’re asked to perform a self-evaluation, you’ll have this information at hand. As far as sourcing the courses, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Udemy, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and other major players. Here’s some interesting alternatives:
A Collection from The Muse – 41 Free Classes from Various Sources: https://www.themuse.com/advice/43-classes-you-can-take-right-now-to-advance-your-career-and-theyre-free
Free Professional Development Courses: https://www.futurelearn.com/subjects/business-and-management-courses/professional-development
500 Free Learning Resources for Nonprofit Professionals: https://www.nonprofitready.org/
Performance Assessments
Another method that can be utilized is the 360-degree Performance Review, which can be adapted to the remote office situation. This is where the employee, managers, subordinates, and a cross-section of peers perform a review, as well as extending this to outside sources such as vendors, associated companies in different cities, etc. In the remote situation, this is a great tool to assess communication, conflict resolution, and interpersonal skills. Communication can be a bit off kilter in our virtual world, and this assessment reinforces its importance. There are a variety of tools that can be utilized including Doodle or Survey Monkey polls, or even the poll feature in Zoom. Managers can take the existing performance evaluations and with some creativity adapt them to the remote learning environment. With continuous improvement in mind, this exercise is extremely valuable.
Continuous Improvement of Soft Skills
Now more than ever, we need to master our soft skills so that we can communicate effectively from a distance. Problem solving is paramount, and being able to devise adaptable solutions allows the team to flourish. Strong flexibility and adaptability skills will serve us well during the pandemic and going forward in our careers. We had to switch gears so fast with the onset of the pandemic that we just did whatever we needed to do to get our work done; now we can refine processes such as responding to new challenges, continuous learning, and even some novel improvisation when things in our virtual world don’t go as planned. By encouraging employees to stretch their creativity and step outside their comfort zone, you may find a plethora of great ideas to strengthen the sense of community while accomplishing goals.
There is so much to be learned from the times we are faced with in regard to continuous career development. If you’d like to speak with Marshall about coaching services, please contact him at 202-669-2065. Visit the website for more information, and follow us on our social channels. www.mbrownassociates.com.
Wishing you a healthy, safe and successful new year!
This year has brought changes to all our careers; the way we work, interact with others, and manage to stay connected. Challenges usually bring learning opportunities, and today we’re examining what COVID-19 has taught us in regard to our careers.
We have become more adaptable: Flexibility and the ability to adapt to ever-changing situations is the name of the game in 2020. As the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” and it’s never been more true. Recognize your ability to create strategies to help yourself, your colleagues, and your family, and share those ideas freely.
There’s a new humanity: Remember the old joke that no absence was excusable, save for your own funeral (if you gave proper notice)? Things are different now, and the fact that families work and learn differently has given us the opportunity to see each other as people, not just well-dressed colleagues who occupy
It’s another Monday morning. For the home-based employee, it’s another week of working virtually. Another week of trying to juggle kids, our career, and perhaps a barking dog or curious cat while we’re maintaining a professional atmosphere in which to complete our work. Your home isn’t designed to be an office, but overall, you’re managing fairly well.
A PwC survey in June found that 44% of employers felt employees were more productive working at home during the pandemic, vs. 31% who believed they were less productive and 25% who felt work output was roughly the same. How would you categorize yourself?
There are many factors at play here to be your most productive. The key is in planning as much as you possibly can, and this means as a family. Women are particularly stressed and job statistics show they are increasingly leaving their jobs to provide childcare and assist with virtual learning. For single parents, the stress is even greater as there’s no partner to balance things out.
However, the world keeps churning. Bosses still expect top quality work and the same dedication they were accustomed to pre-COVID-19. Is this possible, you ask?
Yes, in fact, it is. It just takes a lot of creativity.
Consider:
According to a Gallop poll, 1 in 4 adults is working entirely from home. Statistics vary, but approximately 50 percent of students are participating solely in online learning, with the remainder in some sort of hybrid arrangement. That’s a lot of people home together all day trying to accomplish what was once done with the support of others in a designated environment. It’s no wonder there’s stress!
We invite you to grab a cup of your favorite coffee or tea and explore these tips and resources:
- Dual working couples can and should stagger their day. Finding a unique solution that is amenable to your family while meeting your supervisor’s expectations is crucial. Communicate this information to your supervisors and work together to create a realistic plan.
- Respect each other’s space, both for adults and children. Ensure everyone has the best working and learning environment possible. Take this very seriously to minimize frustration.
- Outsource what you can afford (grocery delivery, housekeeping, etc.) Consider child care or utilization of a “pod” schooling situation for those days or even a week when you must be in a conference or nonstop meetings. Allow yourself the ability to give proper attention to the task at hand, especially if you are a presenter or you are participating in continuing education.
- Curb unrealistic expectations and let go of perfection. If the laundry is a bit piled up or the grass needs mowing, don’t be so hard on yourself. It will get done. You need less stress, not more. Prioritize.
- Demonstrate compassion for others and practice understanding. We’re all in this together. Be creative in solutions to help each other during this challenging time.
- Practice your best self-care. We all know what we need—proper sleep, exercise, eating right. We also intuitively know what makes us feel our best on a very specific level. Whether it’s yoga, walks in nature, reading for an hour each day, taking particular supplements, or sticking to a certain nutrition, continue to make that activity a priority. As the saying goes, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Take care of yourself both emotionally and physically.
- Set boundaries. Turn that laptop off and put the phone up for a bit. Resist the urge to check emails during family time. If you’re fortunate enough to have a home office, shut the door when the workday is complete. Learn to say no, and stick to it. Prioritizing will bring clarity to the things that can be postponed or even eliminated from daily life right now. Saying no tends to make us feel guilty, but for our own mental and physical wellbeing, it’s a necessity. Make your decisions and stick to them.
- Have a plan for emergencies such as sick children or your own need for a sick or personal day off. Have a plan for when (not if) your internet has an issue or there are other technology issues. We all run into this from time to time. How can we adapt and pivot and still get our work done?
- Remember to advocate for yourself. This is something that a virus can’t diminish. Maybe you were in line for a promotion earlier in the year, or you were facing a particular challenge. Again, communication is key to allow your supervisor to see that you haven’t missed a beat and you’re ready to tackle anything from a promotion to advancing your skills to dealing with sensitive issues with coworkers.
- Recognize that this is temporary. Institute practices that will help you look back and remember how your family conquered this challenge successfully.
Ten Resources to Navigate our COVID-19 World:
- The Cloud. If you don’t already utilize Google Drive, Dropbox, One Drive, or the like for your work projects, now is the perfect time. By sharing documents securely, you can work together efficiently and in real time. Google has an entire suite of products to help: https://www.google.com/docs/about/
- Productivity software. From Monday to Microsoft Teams to Trello and all the others in between, these help keep us on track for virtual or on-site tasks. Most of these platforms have free trials. Try: https://monday.com/product/
- Lost your job due to the pandemic? Spend time on not only the popular job boards such as Indeed, but do some searching on LinkedIn. There are wonderful opportunities to be had, and the search feature is excellent. https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/
- Need help with health and human services in your state? Many resources are listed here: https://www.hhs.gov/programs/social-services/index.html
- Self-care apps have increased in popularity. Many suggestions are listed here: https://psychiatry.ucsf.edu/copingresources/apps#a
- Looking for some different educational opportunities for your children? Try these:
- Virtual Field Trips: https://www.discoveryeducation.com/community/virtual-field-trips/?fbclid=IwAR3xAaEuF9L6zycO_xBL5Nd8lhk63Dnyqp6z30iMGkMS_E2ijMiEOmGH_WY
- Keep everyone learning with Kahn Academy: https://keeplearning.khanacademy.org/
- Stream stories for free: https://stories.audible.com/start-listen
- Nature and animal webcams from around the world: https://explore.org/livecams
- Looking for some support, even for a few hours? Try https://www.care.com/
- Childcare specific resources by state: https://www.childcare.gov/covid-19
- COVID-19 Prevention in the Workplace: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/businesses-employers.html
- Coping with COVID-19 from the National Institutes of Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/education-awareness/shareable-resources-on-coping-with-covid-19.shtml
What are your favorite tips for juggling work and home life during COVID-19? Please share in the comments. We’d love to hear your insight!
Coaching can play a part in helping you identify, think through, and put sound practices into place. If you’d like more information on our services, please visit www.mbrownassociates.com and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MarshallBrownAssociates. Interested in making an appointment? Call Marshall at 202.669.2065
The best way to have a good year is by living life on a daily basis, letting the good days accumulate, one by one. And it doesn’t have to be New Year’s to resolve to have a good year. Start anytime. Today, for instance.
- Take time, slow down. Be present in your life and mindful of the present.
- Care for your body, eat well, exercise, treat yourself to loving, nurturing self-care.
- Spend quality time with family and friends. Communicate, keep in touch. Say I love you. Tell people you appreciate them.
- Take time throughout the day to renew yourself. Take a walk, read a poem or a good book, listen to music (really listen); bring beauty into your life. On a monthly basis, take a whole day for yourself — play, treat yourself to something you want to do; retreat from your daily life. Mark these special days on your calendar (in ink) so you’ll be certain to take them.
- Clean up what needs to be cleaned up. Make amends, fix what’s broken, clear away clutter, forgive what needs to be forgiven and let go.
- Commit to a project you really want to do or to learning something new or attaining something you want. Commitment is the first step. Then set achievable goals and work toward them on a daily basis.
- Give yourself to a cause, volunteer at a nonprofit organization, a community group, your church or lend a hand to an individual or family who could use your help.
- Practice your spirituality in whatever form you express it, on a daily basis.
- Laugh every day.
- Take time to dream.
Wishing you a healthy, successful and joyful 2017!
To Your Success,
Marshall
