Did you know your LinkedIn profile can be converted into “resume” format and downloaded as a PDF with one click of the mouse? I didn’t until today. It’s right at the bottom of your profile introduction, see:
The PDF option generates a classic resume layout based solely on the information you’ve provided on your LinkedIn profile. This includes your contact info, summary, experience, skills, honors and awards, interests and education. It even organizes your LinkedIn recommendations. Here’s a sample: Read More…
Nothing makes me cringe more than people choosing to use the very public Internet as their very personal diary. It’s altogether worse when folks don’t realize that is what they are doing.
Exhibit A: young professionals who Tweet drunk photos of themselves, not realizing they’ve perviously set their Twitter feed to autopost to their LinkedIn profile. I’ll not “out” this gal here on FlackRabbit, but I did email her and suggest she take down the unflattering photo perched atop her very impressive skills summary and employer information. Then, I Tweeted about it:
I received a flurry of replies, from folks who wanted to know who the gal was (I’ll never tell!) to the social media savvy who strongly believe streaming your Twitter feed shows future employers and peers that you possess a working knowledge of the Internet.
While I agree that having a visible link to your Twitter account makes good sense, I can’t see the logic in auto-posting my sometimes “unprofessional” thoughts/opinions/beer selections to my “professional” resume. I’d much rather a head-hunter see my skills and work history than my excitement over finally getting to try DC Brau’s Penn Quarter Porter. Which, by the way, is very tasty.
Fortunately–thanks to Twitter hashtag magic–we can Tweet about our beer and appear professional on LinkedIn, too, by displaying only the Tweets that include #in. Here’s how my settings look: Read More…
Using LinkedIn to seek career guidance and advice from a complete stranger may seem like an odd thing to do, but is totally acceptable and may even lead to your sliding a foot in a door you may have otherwise never known about.
Like most things, there’s a way–and then there’s the more effective way. Before you send a LinkedIn message to an industry pro you admire, make sure you’ve got these three bases covered:
1. Be specific: when seeking useful advice, you must communicate what it is you actually need help with. Lately, more and more folks reaching out to me via LinkedIn are asking for “my thoughts” on social media, PR or a relocation strategy, but don’t really ask me about anything in particular. It drives me nuts. There’s not a lot I can tell you about “living in D.C.” or “Twitter” because there is SO MUCH to tell you. Same goes for how I “feel” about working at X company or “networking.” There’s just too many ways to answer those generic questions, so I end up giving generic, not-at-all helpful answers.
2. Be brief: introduce yourself, explain why you are seeking the connection and what, specifically, you need to know/help with/advice on/are worried about, etc. then, thank the stranger for their time. The end. Read More…
The past few weeks ushered in milestones, lessons learned, odd requests and fun events. July was busy and productive! Here are the highlights:
My niece was born!
Check it out, folks! The world’s cutest baby, Beverly Emmeline, was born on July 19 and I get to paint her toenails pink VERY soon! Congrats Pavis and Dave; I can’t hardly wait to teach her show tunes and jazz hands:
Photo Credit: Dave Cone or Jon Fletcher; not sure which one of those guys took this, but I’m sure Pavis will let me know when she reads this.
My MacBook died.
I was minding my own business, watching an old episode of Bones on Netflix when my beloved MacBook just up and died. And with it, took every photo, document, file and Christmas card list I’ve ever had. Even our honeymoon pictures. The fault is all mine; Dave has often encouraged me to run a copy of my data on an external drive, but I never did. Lesson learned: back that asset up, people. Read More…
I’m so happy I have a contact form on this website. I get a steady stream of mail from you folks; mostly with questions about breaking into the public relations industry, how to handle various PR issues or a comment about one of my Her Nashville columns.
Today’s question comes from new reader JM:
I’m a recent graduate who just moved into the Nashville area from California and have found myself to be one of the millions of fish in the employ-me-sea. Any advice/tips for a upward minded new guy?
FlackRabbit says:
Dear JM: You’ll love Nashville. I was born in raised there. I moved to D.C. a year and a half ago, but Nashville will always be home. Family and friends are still there; I still write for Her Nashville magazine; many Nashville folks believe I still live there. Here’s three ways a recent grad can stand out in Music City:
Talk to strangers: many fantastic job opportunities are discovered by word-of-mouth, so start meeting folks! A great way to meet fellow recent grads and potential employers is through Meetup.com. That’s where the Nashville Flacks PR happy hour lives; the first meetup is Tuesday, August 10 in downtown Nashville. If you don’t find a Meetup group that suits your fancy, start your own. That’s what I did when I moved to D.C. and DC Flacks now has 270 members! After you meet someone new, stay connected with them with LinkedIn. Read More…
If you are a professional communicator, you MUST maintain your own personal slice of the Internet. (You can’t convince a client, boss or co-worker of the importance of online reputation management if you don’t even manage your own online reputation.)
More than a blog, you should have an online portfolio to communicate to the world your talents, skills and experiences. Creating an accurate, impressive web presence is especially important if you are on the lookout for a new job/client. And let’s face it, if you’re a good communicator, you’re always networking for the next opportunity.
Before you panic–or send me more emails about how you don’t know how to create a website, nor have the cash to pay someone to build one for you–I’ll remind you of a little something called Linkedin.
Linkedin is free, it boasts a fabulous Google Page Rank and now features most of the bells and whistles you’d want on your website (like syncing with your Twitter account). So, mosey on over to your Linkedin profile and start spreading your news. And please, don’t be so humble; tell the world all about your irreplaceable skill set and achievements. Seriously, tell us. Because if you don’t, who else will? Read More…
I’ve often wondered how one goes about creating a LinkedIn group. The other day, I found out by starting one for DC Flacks. Now, if someone at work asks me about the pros/cons/ins/outs of this particular tool, I’ll be able to speak with some authority because I’ve actually done it.
Some goes for the social media consulting I do on the strategic use of blogs, , PitchEngine, Facebook, Foursquare, Yelp, etc. I know how to do these things well because I’ve used them for myself and continue to explore their uses.
It’s the story of Team Newman‘s life, really. Dave and I play around on the Internet and try out new things. The stuff we try personally often ends up benefiting the folks who hire us. It’s not that we magically know geekery, it’s that we get a lot of practice. Read More…
