A friend of mine who is in sales got a job offer this week. She was very happy. She got the job because of two reasons; relationships and Linkedin. Oh of course she has many other skills that got her the job but the relationship and Linkedin were pivotal. The last time this person found a job was by responding to an ad posted in a newspaper twelve years ago in the Old Normal.
Another friend of mine is in sales and recently lost their job. They were living in the Old Normal and were suddenly launched into a new and uncomfortable world called the New Normal.
They had less than 10 connections on Linkedin, an incomplete profile and no recommendations.
They were not alone. Many people who work for companies not engaged in social networking often are also not engaged with the personal marketing tools of the New Normal. I have blogged about this before.
The friend of mine who got the job this week really leveraged the power of Linkedin. The first thing she did was hire a professional photographer and had a number of photos taken in an office environment. She got photographed in a variety of outfits so she would be able to pick the very best one. It shows her in a Boardroom setting. She looks very professional, polished and like a business leader one would want to hire. My other friend has no picture on their Linkedin page. They were invisible.
The friend of mine who got the job this week had many recommendations from previous clients on her Linkedin profile. Former customers became her references. High level people don’t recommend people publically unless they believe in their capabilities. After all they have their reputation to protect. The other friend of mine had no recommendations on their Linkedin profile.
The friend of mine who got the job found that recruiters were always checking out her Linkedin page. She regularly sent them invites to connect on Linkedin and they responded. They were chasing her as she had adjusted to the New Normal.
My other friend in the Old Normal sent out e mails to his associates asking for a list of recruiters that they could chase.
I continue to be surprised by how many people remain in the Old Normal. This recession started in 2007 the same year the iPhone was introduced and let many people in transition continue to have an extremely weak presence on Linkedin. Why are they not listening? What do they not believe? They certainly don’t need more pain. The time to change has long passed.
Congratulations to my friend in the New Normal. Please wake up my friends in the Old Normal.
Hank Blank speaks to companies and organizations on How to Rise Above the Crowd. You can check him out by doing a Google search on Hank Blank or visiting his site at www.hankblank.com.
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http://www.linkedin.com/in/hankblankcom
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It amazes me when I speak with friends who don’t understand the power of Linkedin. A complete profile is, as you say, essential. I would also add that participation in selected groups is extremely helpful, as well. Thanks to comments or answers I’ve given in groups, I’ve received numerous inquiries and at least three new clients – totally out of the blue! What’s even more exciting is that these clients are geographically distant from me. So Linkedin has literally opened the world for anyone interested enough to take advantage of the opportunities.
Wow. Good for you. Thanks for reading.
Excellent suggestions. Questions: When I attempt to ask for a recommendation, the system first asks me which of my previous jobs or schools I want to be recommended for. This does not make any sense to me. Am I missing something here? I want to be recommended for a future position. And, can I get a recommendation from someone who I have not directly worked with in the past, but who knows me from elsewhere? Thank you.
Hi Hank,
I totally agree with you. Today, there are nearly 160 million professionals, decision-makers, hiring managers, venture capital professionals, and executives on Linkedin, and that’s a place where you need to be as part of your career management strategy. If someone needs help with LInkedin, I would suggest that they should contact Ted Robison – Mr. Link Me In, at http://www.linkedin.com/in/tedrobison or myself. Tom Oliver at Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasoliver
Mr. Blank,
Nicely said. Thank you for writing and sharing this story. I also know many professionals who are unclear or unaware of the career benefits from “really leveraging the power of Linkedin”.
I’m currently searching for a new job. So I thought it wise to follow your advice from a previous blog article (Thank you!) and invest in a professional looking LinkedIn photo. I used Tankersley Photography, http://www.tankphoto.com, in Corona Del Mar and would recommend the the studio to anyone looking for a good, low-cost photographer. He included wardrobe changes and 1 free photo retouch.
Also, once I added keywords to my Skills section, I began to receive messages and requests from local recruiters. Just these 2 additions have been very helpful in obtaining interviews.
Thank you. Your clear definitiions of the “old” normal and the “new” normal showed me some things I have to change. I am grateful to you. I tried to connect with you on LinkedIn, but LinkedIn wouldn’t permit this. Never mind. I will find a way.
Thanks for this. Just sent you a Linkedin invite. Take care. Hank