LinkedIn

 

This will be the final entry of my MKTG 290 blogs! Today, I will be discussing the social media platform known as LinkedIn.

Before I continue, I must say that this has been an overall learning experience but truthfully, I'm extremely happy that these blogging assignments are over! It has been extremely overwhelming. Trying to balance work, a business, being a parent and school is very difficult. Nonetheless, the show must go on.

So, without further delay, let's get into it!

For my entry this week, I was tasked with finding an interesting LinkedIn profile and making a journal entry about my experience.

I always viewed LinkedIn as an employment platform. Somewhat of a space where you can upload your resume for employers to view. However, it's much more than that!

But what is LinkedIn?

History

LinkedIn is a business and employment-focused social media platform that works through websites and mobile apps. It was launched on May 5th, 2003, by Ried Hoffman and Eric Ly.

The platform is primarily used for professional networking and career development and allows jobseekers to post their CVs and employers to post jobs.

LinkedIn has more than 1 billion registered members from over 200 countries.

Your LinkedIn Profile

Crafting an effective LinkedIn profile is essential for professional networking, job opportunities and personal branding. There are important aspects to consider when creating or updating your profile, and these were formulated by LinkedIn experts:

1.  Great Profile Photo 
2. Branded Background Image
3. Professional Headline
4. Summary
5. Experience
6. Education
7. Skills
8. Recommendations
9. Conclusion

A LinkedIn profile is your digital elevator pitch. It should stand out, tell your story and created opportunities for networking and career growth.

Main Features

• Job and internship search.
• Professional networking and relationship building.
• Skill development and learning.
• Content feed and LinkedIn Stories.
• Individual member profiles and company pages.

My Experience

LinkedIn has so many profiles that I had to enlist the help of a friend to help me navigate and find a profile that interested me.

Eventually I found one of an Operations Manager/Executive Assistant from Canada. I chose her because a lot of the things she spoke of were relatable. She said:

I'm like the colleague at work that everyone wants to know but nobody wants to be. If you want something done, you come to me - everyone knows that! Yet no one wants to have to do what I do because of the amount of personal time and effort that goes into being everyone's go-to

 

Being a "secretary" myself, I know how demanding it can be meeting deadlines and going above and beyond to ensure that someone else's tasks are completed. She also said:

but I also understand the importance of standing your ground and holding your own - Balance

Her profile contained all the important aspects needed for it to stand out! It also had that personal touch where she mentioned that she's the mom of a toddler. Just the right amount of insight, nothing excessive.

All in all I believe that LinkedIn is the perfect platform for persons wanting to "display" their resume online.

The only negative to LinkedIn is that I find they use the word professional a lot which can seem a bit intimidating to someone who is not at that level yet.

Does it mean that this platform is more suited to persons who are professionals?