RECOMMENDATION

UPDATED ON 12/27/2021

LinkedIn isn’t just for presenting professional profiles, networking, and applying to jobs. We can do so much more to engage interest.

In May 2019, I wrote an article called “Employee Experience: Operations Highway to Customer Experience.” Although I was aiming for an operations role at the time, the matter I posed could be applied anywhere, anytime.

While we are still in the mist of this pandemic, this matter is one I ask myself everyday.  It is likely more prevalent now than ever.

What can I do right now to help someone else so that that person can help more people?

We live in an unprecedentedly challenging era. Issues from every sector of our lives have showed up front and center, taunting us for resolutions that pivot or improvise classic ways.

One of those things is our own unemployment.

We fight to stay diligent throughout the job search process. We go online, search for openings, and network with as many people as we could just to get a lead.

However, out of all the resources we use for this endeavor, LinkedIn is very likely the one tool on which we probably spend majority of our time.

It consolidates everything we need to do into one website.

Every morning, it would greet us the latest newsfeed or advertising from our connections. Employed people post updates about their company. People share interesting articles they have read and opened them up for debate. People even post funny pet videos on LinkedIn. (Don’t those go on Facebook?)

We attempt to do the same to stay optimistic. In fact, I have recently noticed that people are beginning to put it all out there that they are looking for new opportunity and distributing their resumes (which I do not recommend).

It’s everyone’s prerogative to do so, but I assert that there are two other posting ideas that will be more worthy of your time.

Divide Precious Time

When it comes to job searching, it really truly is a full-time job…to a certain degree.

Yes, when we hunt for those openings or connections, we need to concentrate all in.

However, we shouldn’t spend 40-hours a week doing it. Otherwise, we will rapidly cripple ourselves.

Believe me, we do not want to go there.

So how do we stay resilient and productive?

Divide our time into three parts. Divide how you wish.

• Part 1: Job Search. We know the drill.
• Part 2: Work. We have bills to pay, so pick up a part-time job. Even a minimum wage one. Make sure not to become too tired to do the other two parts. Initially, this was the best decision I made at the time because I made it meaningful. While working as a grocery stocker, I networked with other project managers and data analysts there. I also analyzed store operations from the perspective of a data analyst and listed recommendations that I could potentially propose to corporate.
• Part 3: Productive Fun Time. Work on passion projects related to our desired role(s). It could be for charity. It could be a personal project. It could be helping a family member. Anything that will simulate the exact skills we are promoting on our resumes and LinkedIn profiles. This maintains our knowledge and, most importantly, our sanity.

Use LinkedIn as an Accomplishment Journal

So great! Where does LinkedIn come in?

Well, create an authentic engaging profile that promotes you the way you want to be promoted, of course. Connect with recruiters or other professionals working in your target companies or roles. Search for openings and leads.

Ah, yes. We already do all that.

But there are two additional activities I encourage us to do on LinkedIn.

One, use LinkedIn as our weekly accomplishment journal.

After spending quality time pursuing our professional passion projects, post the progress or accomplishment we made as a LinkedIn post. At least once a week. Every week.

It adds up.

I have seen people post completions of training courses, which is good. What would be better for hiring managers to see is us actually implementing our newfound knowledge in the real world. By posting progress and accomplishments every week, we show people that we are able to apply ideal academic insights in less-than-ideal situations. It also shows our capacity and speed. We will no longer be telling people how fast we are; we will literally be showing people.

Moreover, by keeping weekly logs on LinkedIn, we have just created an accomplishment journal that we can potentially use for future resumes or job interviews. You never know when that business website you built for your cousin for free will come in handy.

Provide Pivotal Ideas

Spending time working on productive fun projects could conjure up new ideas.

This goes hand-in-hand with advice from my favorite mentor. He recommended I write down at least three ideas about anything a day.

I can now see why this is such a crucial practice, especially after attending a webinar hosted by real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran.

In short, she claimed that it is wrong right now for businesses to ask and figure out how to rebuild to what it was before the pandemic. The correct question to ask is, “If I have to start this business from scratch today, what would it look like?”

We are currently in a world where every business in every industry is scrambling to come up with innovative ways to pivot its current business model, yet millions of business owners have difficulty answering this question.

But isn’t it possible that we have an idea that would actually help them out?

What if we were to post this idea on LinkedIn for everyone to see?

What if our idea is what a business — even an industry — really needs to turn around and grow?

Then we have made ourselves be seen as proactive critical-thinkers who understand a business’ bottom line.

We allow others to see us as potential game changers.

Optimize LinkedIn

Search for open positions. Inmail interesting people. Research companies. Share and discuss articles. Scroll the colorful feed. Edit the profile like there is no end.

Let me ask you. Have those activities gotten you a step closer to being employed?

For some, it may be a resounding yes. Others need more.

Still, what if more can be done on LinkedIn?

Maybe, just maybe, what hiring managers need from us is for us to show them how we can take one step forward at a time, week after week.

Maybe what they need from us is that one game-changing idea that would keep their companies afloat for at least the next two years or so.

Those are things we cannot keep to ourselves.

And if it turns out that no one wants to take advantage of our mind and deeds, who is to say we cannot take advantage of them ourselves?

If you need a LinkedIn makeover or advice using LinkedIn to your advantage, connect with me.