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    • Achieve - Focus on the Results
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    • Career Management - Discomfort Is Good
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    • Career Management - Mentorship Explained
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- Wise Words -
Getting started on LinkedIn
by fergus mellon

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I am a bit of a social media-phobe in that I am a reluctant member of Facebook and rarely post updates on what I had for lunch and other important aspects of my life. While not being a “social sharer,” I do really value LinkedIn as a professional tool, not just a portable Rolodex, but also as a way to see who in my network could help me with business projects. There may be a long-lost colleague now at a company that I want to do a deal with or someone in my network who can provide a reference on a candidate.
It can also serve as your “professional billboard.” A well-constructed profile can show you in a great light to your industry. I’m amazed when I look at the “who viewed your profile” tab of LinkedIn (yes, LinkedIn shows you this) of just who is interested in me.

Here is the minimum of what I would do on LinkedIn:

Spend Time on Your Profile. Make it look good and ensure that it contains accurate and interesting information. The basics are to have a professional-looking picture of yourself (i.e., not holding a drink), a strong, but concise, summary of your experience and key skills and a description of your current position as well as previous ones. It really is pretty simple: View it as an online version of your résumé.

Remove the dates you spent in college as this can “age” you. Far better that you let your experience and qualifications work for you than being ruled out for roles for which you may be considered either too young or too old.

Link up. Once your professional billboard is complete, focus on getting an audience for it. Connect to everyone you can in your professional network. You don’t need to be desperate about this, but if you have a good interview with someone but don’t get the job, get LinkedIn with him or her. Use your professors and friends from college if you are just starting out and then build your network from there, through current and past colleagues, as well anyone who you take a meeting with and have a professional relationship with. Take advantage also of the service that LinkedIn has of reading your contacts on your personal email account and then inviting these people to connect. 

I have a ton of people in my LinkedIn network, and they help me in my career: Some I ask for introductions to companies that I want to partner with. Some I ask for informal references on candidates and some have even helped refer me for a new job with a personal introduction. Some of the people with whom I’ve LinkedIn may never help me (or I may never help them), but it is a real-time directory of the professionals in my industry and is a serious resource for me.

Trade recommendations. If a friend leaves your company, offer to do a “recommendation trade.” Write one for them and ask for one yourself. This may seem a bit yucky, but do it anyway. View it as a professional favor. On a side note, I always have huge flags when people either don’t have recommendations OR have never written a recommendation for someone else, despite having many of their own. The latter person looks like a selfish taker, the former like someone with no professional buddies, so get some and give some! 

Getting a reference from a peer or someone who worked for you can be even more useful than one from a former manager: It shows that as well as managing up, you can also manage across and below the organizational totem pole. I have recommendations from the IT guy (and wrote one for him, too!) and am as proud of that reference as I am one from a former manager or business partner.

Respond to recruiters. Always respond to recruiters professionally. The reason is simple: A recruiter could help later on. Keep them happy, and view building and keeping these relationships as a high priority. You just never know where the next big opportunity will come from. If you don’t want a job a recruiter wants to offer you, think of someone who could do the job. It will be great networking. The person you recommend will be glad that you were helping them. The recruiter will view you as an influencer and so when you ask for a job they will think highly of you. This is advice I received from my former and now current manager (amazing how staying in contact can work, right?!).

Share your news. Your company is likely going to have articles published about it as well as make announcements through its PR team. Share these through LinkedIn as they will help increase your company’s profile. By “Sharing” or “Liking” an article through LinkedIn you will be amplifying your company’s efforts. 

The other “amplification” I try to do is to post job vacancies in my company to my LinkedIn. This does not just help your company, but as you will have fresh “content” that you are delivering to your network, there is more chance that people will then view your profile. By having more people view your professional billboard you will increase your chances of also landing a great new job.

Lock down your updates. If you are looking for a new job and coming into contact with a lot of hiring managers, recruiters and HR professionals you may want to turn off the “Update My Network” feature. Basically, this is a toggle that lets you stop LinkedIn from broadcasting your updates (new contacts, updates to your profile) to your network. While it is unlikely that your HR team or manager will notice activity around getting a new job, I would still not risk it.

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First Published in USA Today

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Fergus Mellon is author of Early Stage Professional: starting off right.  He is also a digital media executive and has worked at a mix of large media companies (AOL, Gannett), start-ups (PebblePost, Meebo, Federated Media) as well as adtech (Criteo, Rubicon Project).

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In the first 5 years or so of your career?  Want actionable career advice?  Buy Early Stage Professional: starting off right, the no nonsense professional skills book designed so that everyone can succeed in the workplace!  


More Wise Words...

Achieve: Focus on Results
​
Achieve: Leading from the Start
Achieve: Small is BIG
Achieve: Take Action
Career Management: Annual Review. A "How To"
Career Management: Annual Review. As Career Plan
Career Management: Choosing a Mentor
Career Management: Careers Happen
Career Management: Career Journey
Career Management: Mentorship Explained
​
Career Management: Post Graduate Degrees
Career Management: Promotion Frustration 
Career Management: Moving up by moving out
Career Management: Selecting Your Company
Career Management: Understand Yourself
Finances: Retirement Saving (1)
Finances: Retirement Saving (2)
Hindsight: Balance the short- with the long-term
​Hindsight: Embrace learning and your manager
Hindsight: Focus at Work
Hindsight: Millennial Reflections
Hindsight: Regrets: Time, Money & Pride
​Hindsight: Take Advice Sparingly
Hindsight: Take a Career Mulligan
​
Hindsight: Transition from College
Hindsight: Winning Nicely
Hindsight: Work hard, network, be honest. Have fun too!
Managing Up: Manage Up to Move Up
Managing Up: Manager As Partner
Managing Up: New Manager
Managing Up: Questions for your manager
Managing Up: Secret Skills for Managing Up
​
People & Teamwork: Be A Giver
​
People & Teamwork: LinkedIn As Networking
People & Teamwork: Networking Hacks
People & Teamwork: Networking as a Relationship
People & Teamwork: Networking Simplified
People & Teamwork: Teamwork As Leadership
Speedbumps: Chutes & Ladders
​
Speedbumps: Laid Off? Take A Breath
Speedbumps: Layoffs. The Afterlife
Speedbumps: Owning Mistakes
Work Life: Work Culture. America vs. UK
Work Life: Ask Why
Work Life: Be Yourself. Be Genuine
​
Work Life: Browned Out?
Work Life: Business Travel Guide
Work Life: Calendar Management
Work Life: Difficult Situations
Work Life: Focus on Fiyah!
​Work Life: Ghosting
​
Work Life: Help the Early Stage Professionals
Work Life: International Remote Working
Work Life: Pre-Vacation Checklist
Work Life: Smartphones & The Office
​Work Life: Start-Up Glamor
Work Life: Stress Management
Work Life: Take a Walk
​
Work Life: They Quit
Work Life: Unlimited Vacation
Work Life: Welcome the Newbies
Work Life: "Work" from Home

Crushing It @ Work

What Time Should I Start? 
What If I am Running Late? 
Taking Vacation
Sick Days 
Working Outside Office Hours
​
How to prepare for One/Ones
Making Meetings on Time 
Business Presentations 
Social Media, Personal Email and Hanging Out on the Web
Give it Six to Nine Months to Feel @Home
Be Your-professional-self
Staying Positive

Job Search Must Do's

Resume
The Application Letter 
​
The Free Conundrum: Should You Take an Unpaid Internship?
Informational Interviews 
Taking a Shortcut: Using Your Network 
Dealing with a Low GPA
​Responding to Recruiters
The Job Interview
Interview Questions
Questions You Should Ask
Simulations 
Interviews with Other Applicants
Dealing with References
Negotiating Your Salary
How to Resign (if you already have a job)
​
The First Week
You Don't Get the Job: Getting Feedback
​Keeping Motivated Through the Search

USA Today Columns by Fergus Mellon

How to get started on LinkedIn: Do this, not that
Warning: Avoid smartphone shame at work.  Keep them out of sight
To succeed, be a Giver in the workplace, not a Taker
4 ghoulish personality pitfalls to steer clear of at the office
​
How to coach today's not so entitled Millennials as they join the rat race

Crushing IT

Money

Library

WISE WORDS

Bureaucracy

Copyright © 2016 - 2020
  • Home
  • Getting a job
    • Must Do's - Resume
    • Must Do's - Application Letter
    • Must Do's - Internships
    • Groundwork - Informational Interviews
    • Groundwork - Your Network
    • Groundwork - GPA Issues
    • Groundwork - Recruiters
    • Dealing with Rejection - Feedback
    • Dealing with Rejection - Keeping Motivated
    • Closing the Deal - The Interview
    • Closing the Deal - Interview Q's
    • Closing the Deal - Your Questions
    • Closing the Deal - Simulations
    • Closing the Deal - Group Interviews
    • Closing the Deal - References
    • Signing On - Salary Negotiation
    • Signing On - How to Resign
    • Signing On - First Week
  • Crushing It
    • The Hours - What Time Should I Start
    • The Hours - What If I Am Running Late?
    • The Hours - Taking Vacation
    • The Hours - Sick Days
    • The Hours - Working Outside Office Hours
    • Professional Skills - One/Ones
    • Professional Skills- Making Meetings on Time
    • Professional Skills - Business Presentations
    • Professional Skills - Social Media, Personal Email
    • A Level Head - Feeling @ Home
    • A Level Head - Be YourProfessionalSelf
    • A Level Head- Staying Positive
  • Wise Words
    • Achieve - Focus on the Results
    • Achieve - Leading from the Start
    • Achieve - Showcase Your Work
    • Achieve - Small is BIG
    • Achieve - Take Action
    • Achieve - Your New Job. A Plan
    • Career Management - Annual Review
    • Career Management - Annual Review Feedback Meeting
    • Career Management - Annual Review: How to Guide
    • Career Management - Career Contentment
    • Career Management - Careers Happen
    • Career Management - Career Journey
    • Career Management - Choosing a Mentor
    • Career Management - Discomfort Is Good
    • Career Management - Freelancing and Employment Gaps
    • Career Management - Mentally Healthy Choices
    • Career Management - Mentorship Explained
    • Career Management - Post Graduate Degrees
    • Career Management - Promotion Frustration
    • Career Management - Promotions. Move out to move up
    • Career Management - Selecting Your Company
    • Career Management - Understand Yourself
    • Finances - Preparing for a Downturn
    • Finances - Retirement Saving (1)
    • Finances - Retirement Saving (2)
    • Hindsight - Balance the Short- with Long -term
    • Hindsight - Embrace Learning & Your Manager
    • Hindsight - Focus at Work
    • Hindsight - Millennial Reflections
    • Hindsight - Regrets: Time, Money & Pride
    • Hindsight - Take a Career Mulligan
    • Hindsight - Take Advice Sparingly
    • Hindsight - Transition from College
    • Hindsight - Winning Nicely
    • Hindsight - Work Hard. Be Honest. Have Fun
    • Managing Up - Manager as Partner
    • Managing Up - Manage Up to Move Up
    • Managing Up - Mastering Your Manager
    • Managing Up - New Manager
    • Managing Up - Questions For Your Manager
    • Managing Up - Secret Skills of Managing Up
    • Managing Up - Yes Power
    • People & Teamwork - Be a Giver
    • People & Teamwork - First Time Manager
    • People & Teamwork - LinkedIn as Networking
    • People & Teamwork - Networking Hacks
    • People & Teamwork - Networking as Relationship
    • People & Teamwork - Networking Simplified
    • People & Teamwork - Reputations Travel
    • People & Teamwork - Teamwork as Leadership
    • Sliding Doors - Decision Paths
    • Sliding Doors - Success Requires Luck
    • Speed Bumps - Chutes & Ladders
    • Speed Bumps - Layoffs & Survivors Guilt
    • Speed Bumps - Laid Off? Take a Breath
    • Speed Bumps - Layoffs. The After Life
    • Speed Bumps - Owning Mistakes
    • Work Life - American Work Culture
    • Work Life - Ask Why
    • Work Life - Be Yourself. Be Genuine
    • Work Life - Browned Out?
    • Work Life - Business Travel Guide
    • Work Life - Calendar Management
    • Work Life - Change is Certain
    • Work Life - Difficult Situations
    • Worklife - Focus on Fiyah
    • Work Life - Ghosting
    • Work Life - Help the Early Stage Professionals
    • Work Life- International Remote Working
    • Work Life - In the Zoom
    • Work Life - Mom Skills
    • Work Life - Office As A Stage
    • Work Life - Office Ghouls
    • Work Life - Pre Vacation Checklist
    • Work Life - Returning to Work
    • Work Life - Smartphones & The Office
    • Work Life - Speak Up
    • Work Life - Stage Fright
    • Work Life - Startup Glamour
    • Work Life - Stress Management
    • Work Life - Take A Walk
    • Work Life - Tasks We Hate
    • Work Life - They Quit
    • Work Life - Unlimited Vacation
    • Worklife - Vacation Overview
    • Work Life - Welcome the Newbies
    • Work Life - "Work" From Home
  • Money
    • Money - The Basics
    • Money - Saving for Retirement
    • Money - Retirement Saving
  • Library
    • Book Reviews
    • Webinar Hub
    • USA Today Columns
    • Buy Early Stage Professional
    • Bureaucracy
  • Help Center
    • Annual Reviews
    • Career Speed Bumps
    • Managing Up
    • Promotions & Career Planning
    • Stress Management