Career coaches and social media experts are in an uproar about the recent decision by LinkedIn (LI) to allow teenagers fourteen and above to join the site. The concern is that allowing teens on LinkedIn will bring an unprofessional air to the social media site and that executives will then lose interest in using it. Amazing. I guess I’ll have to go on it all day, like I do on Facebook.” This, like much of what my 13-year-old daughter says these days, was dripping with sarcasm. She’s not being disrespectful here; she’s just trying to be cute, asserting her individuality from what she knows is a very important online tool to her mother. Plus, she’s just not that interested in social media. Since the whole point of teen development is to assert one’s independence, my feeling is that you won’t find many teens jumping at the chance to sign up for a LinkedIn account. Especially if it’s a parent that suggests it, hoping their kid will use the site to explore data LinkedIn will be listing on its new “Colleges” pages. In his post for Forbes magazine titled, Precocious! 14-Year-Olds Can Join LinkedIn, Size Up Colleges, George Anders agrees, saying, “If the ensuing battle for teens’ attention is measured by time spent on sites, Facebook is guaranteed to super-poke LinkedIn into oblivion.” My 17-year old son’s response to my asking if he’ll want to set up an account: “Are you going to force me to join it?” I asked if teens will be interested in using LinkedIn, and he remarked, “Not unless the teenager is a really professional weirdo.” Before you think my kids are total slackers (which they are not – both excellent students, Shakespearian actors, avid readers, talented musicians – all around good kids, if I do say so myself), their response was not unique. I surveyed some teen friends on Facebook, and the response was underwhelming. Actually, there was no response — the only respondents were adults. (And, I have quite a few teenaged friends!) But, if teens do sign up for LinkedIn accounts in droves, and decide to create obnoxious, fake profiles, will this turn execs off to using the website? Or, is this any different from what we already see on LinkedIn? There have been problems with scammers, “adult” entertainers, and other illegal activity on the site. Are these profiles irritating? Yes. Does it ruin my LinkedIn experience? No, because I just ignore them. It’s a pretty simple solution! Will all teens cause problems on LinkedIn? Of course not. There are many responsible kids who would benefit from using the site. But…after all, on social media, kids will be kids. To LinkedIn’s credit, they do encourage teens to “Remember that the way you conduct yourself on LinkedIn is a reflection of who you are. This means taking a moment to think before you post, and being thoughtful when you do so.” I can see where LI thought this was a good idea. I think they want to help kids think about their futures from an early age, and figured there was a market for that service, but whether this will actually happen in reality is another story. I mean, I tell my kids to do things that are good for them all the time, but do they always do it? LOL. I wish! Overall, I don't think we've got much to worry about here. I highly doubt teens will flock to LinkedIn and undermine our professional efforts. Kids want to be where the other kids are. Not where grown-ups think they should be. Plus, we do have to give teens a bit more credit. Not all are completely immature or incapable of handling themselves appropriately. Could that be a problem? Sure. Will every teen be a trouble maker on LI, though? I don't think it's fair to assume they'll be the demise of LI just because of their age. What do you think? I’d love to know in the comments below. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
BigstockMake a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
- How did I learn about this job?
- How did I apply for the job?
- Did I earn an interview?
- What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
BigstockAre you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
BigstockYour job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
- Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
- Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
- Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.