TUESDAY TIPS: May 13, 2014: Use LinkedIn to communicate not chatter!

TUESDAY TIPS: May 13, 2014: Use LinkedIn to communicate not chatter!

May 13, 2014 Uncategorized 0

I honestly feel that I could lecture and hold workshops about creating your ideal LinkedIn profile, and how best to use it,  for the next 50 years…and while that would be a damn depressing way to waste those years, there would still be millions of issues I wouldn’t even have the time to address. So much heartbreak to choose from. But perhaps I’ll spend this Tuesday discussing all the people on LinkedIn burdening themselves and their dreams with (horrible) profiles written in some nonsensical office gibberish, instead of any real language known to humans. People, you and I, feed off of real connections. People need real engagement to survive and thrive. If you’re not going to be real on LinkedIn, you’re not going to get real far. And that’s a fact.

To that end, here’s three important ideas to keep in mind:

1. You want a headline that communicates information, not just vague buzzwords like “leadership” or “executive.” The whole point of presenting yourself successfully on LinkedIn (and, on social media in general), is to show, not tell. You can tell me that you’re an executive, or you can show me a resume that demonstrates that over the course of your career, however long or short, you’ve been responsible for executive-level decisions and I’ll think, “Oh, this person is the real deal.” Otherwise, my eyes will start to glaze over your meaningless buzzwords, the way they did in first year law school during civil procedure. (For years, I used that text book whenever I needed to take a disco nap: read a page and suddenly I’d wake up an hour later, drooling on myself thinking, “…what happened??”) Just write a headline, in plain English, that your grandma could understand. A headline that actually does what a headline is supposed to do: convey information. If you’re kind of a big deal, hey don’t worry: write a solid headline, and the rest of us will figure that out real soon.

2.What story is your LinkedIn profile telling? And is the story your profile telling relevant to your stated goals? Otherwise, what’s the point? If you want to do one thing, but your profile is telling a convoluted story about something completely different…how exactly are you planning to convince the people who can help you achieve your goals that they should do so? Allow people to help you! Use your summary section to state the legitimacy of your own story, and communicate it to anyone and everyone who reads your profile. And yes, you can and should update your profile as many times as necessary as your story and goals change. Ask various people you know to read your profile, and see what types of reactions you get: do they understand what you’ve done, and why it’s important. An even bigger question is: do you?

3. NO to buzzwords, YES to real human communication. How many times have clients, in explaining their experiences, told me amazing stories…and yet when I look at their LinkedIn profile…*crickets.* Eventually, clients start prefacing stories, with the words, “Oh, no this isn’t on my LinkedIn; don’t even bother looking.” That makes me extremely grumpy, and like the Hulk…you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry. If you want to get better interviews–or any interviews, for that matter–you have to sell on your LinkedIn. You have to sell on LinkedIn to have the opportunity to sell in person. It’s your responsibility to write a profile that gives people a reason to contact you. If you hate to write, oy, fine, then hire a professional. Hire several professionals, and some helper- monkeys, and an underemployed English major, knock yourself out, but at the end of the day, you want a LinkedIn profile that is clearly and intelligently written. A LinkedIn profile that concisely explains who you are, what your experience is, and what you’re looking for.

Now. If you’re starting to realize that the bigger issue is that you’re just not sure what it is you’re looking for…my email is carlotazee@gmail.com. Email me, and let’s get to work.

U2- I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

 

 

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