|
Rhona’s experience consists of fifteen-years-plus as a technology recruiter and prior to that she was a technologist for a leading global CPG organization. Through-out her years of vast and diverse experience, she has interacted and worked with hundreds/thousands of IT professionals and corporations. Through-out the years, Rhona quickly developed a keen eye for detail, enabling her to notice small but important things that other people might not notice.
At our mentoring circle session, Rhona shared her insights and tips about building our brand and managing our social presence on LinkedIn. Unbeknownst to us, prior to our session, Rhona had taken the time to review each of our profiles. At our session, she shared her observations; which we definitely found to be eye-opening.
Many of us go through the day-to-day of a busy professional and home life. We get caught up with managing what is right in front of us, but we do not take the time to manage what may be ahead. Rhona provided some insights that each of us took away to consider how we manage our professional brand:
“We all appreciated the time that Rhona took to review our profiles. For me, my job details were clear, to someone who does not understand my environment they were not.”
-Mary Donohue
“The session was enlightening. I did not realize how disjointed my work history would look to someone else; to me it made sense. Rhona pointed out some things to tighten it up and focus on some of the measurable, objective achievements in each role that I have had.”
-Jason McKay
“It is important to use value-add words which would easily be understood by the reader and would be picked-up by search engines.”
-Montos Vakirtzis
The following is a summary of our key takeaways:
- Your social profile has to cater to the reader. Recruiters, employers, colleagues and others look at Google and LinkedIn
- Pictures are important. People want to see who they are working with. Ensure your picture is publicly available
- Resume and LinkedIn should match. Pay attention to detail
- Don’t make it difficult for the person reading it. Reader has to be able to logically follow the profile
- Show what makes you stand-out from others. Show results/accomplishments in your work experience
- Show positive growth trajectory in your experience
- Use value-add words; don’t verbal-hedge
- Think like a search engine; you have to be searchable. Do not abbreviate or shorten words; e.g., “project” vs “proj”. Do not use non-standard jargon
- Be yourself. Give people a glimpse of who you are; be human; show your personality; show your passion; “smile”
- Leverage the space under your name to show who you are
- Be cautious using subjective words such as “excellent”, “outstanding”, etc.
- Don’t come across as outdated. Keep your work history updated. Periodically review and update accordingly
- Check your settings on LinkedIn. If you are open to opportunities, check to ensure that the setting is active
- Use the same picture on all of your social media to establish your brand
- Activity increases visibility. How recent you touch your profile helps get you at top of search list results. Comment on other’s posts. Participate in LinkedIn groups
- Never put negativity, political posts, etc.
- Consider the ways your profile will be viewed including via mobile devices and be sure it represents well.
Recommended reading: “These 5 Mistakes Will Kill Your LinkedIn Profile” by Zach Friedman, Forbes.
Social media allows one to establish their expertise through their content and endorsements, view job listings, make connections and interact with communities of like-minded professionals. You could damage your brand and sabotage your chances of getting ahead if you don’t use the tools wisely.
Profiles should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis.
Have you updated your profile recently?
| Written by |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Mary Donohue |
|
Jason McKay |
|
Montos Vakirtzis |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sincere thanks to |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
Rhona Kannon |
|
Jim Panos |
|
|
|