Social Media Archives - Page 19 of 51

Why Every High School Student Needs to be on LinkedIn

by Caroline Leach | Jul 6, 2018 | Social Media

Do you have a high school senior applying to college this fall? Or a sophomore or junior starting to gear up for college apps?

In any event, you and your student are busy. Academics. Athletics. Activities. Test prep. Community service. College apps. Family. Friends. And so on.

The Common Application for the 2018-19 college application cycle opens on August 1. It’s the same date for the University of California and many others.

As a high school parent, just thinking about it all makes me want to stop and take a break.

As a corporate VP with a side gig writing, researching and speaking about career building through social media, it gets my wheels turning.

There may be an aspect of college prep we’re missing. What is it? Social media.

No, this isn’t the post warning you about all the bad things that could happen on social media. You know about those. And your student isn’t the type of person anyway to disparage others or do things in poor taste, whether it’s on social media or IRL (in real life).

No, this post is all about the good things that can come from being active on social media, and LinkedIn in particular. (Note: opinions expressed in this blog are my own).

There are more than 560 million people on LinkedIn. That includes college admissions officers, college application readers, internship recruiters, corporate recruiters and many more.

That makes LinkedIn the perfect place for a high school student to tell their unique story … the one only they can tell.

Here are the benefits for a high student of creating a LinkedIn profile …

An unlimited opportunity to share interests, passions and accomplishments … in words, images, videos and links. That’s much more than the 650-word limit in the Common App essay prompts. A LinkedIn profile can become a supplemental portfolio of accomplishments, awards and interests.

The ability to explore colleges and demonstrate interest through University Pages. Beyond visiting a college campus, being active on a University Page shows interest. Students can engage in content by engaging in content on a university page by liking and commenting on content, as well as asking questions.

The chance to begin building a professional network. This can include friends, friends’ parents, community leaders from activities like scouting and athletics, and many more. Be aware that sometimes teachers must wait until a student is 18 before they can connect with them on social media.

What does this all add up to? A powerful ability for a high-school student to shape and control their narrative in our highly social world.

Why does it matter? Because “more than two-thirds (68%) of colleges say it’s ‘fair game’ for them to visit applicants’ social media profiles to help them decide who gets in.”

That’s according to a 2018 Kaplan Test Prep Survey of 388 admissions officers from top schools. CNN reported on the prior year’s survey, saying that social media can help a student’s college prospects.

Another study by AACRAO, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars Admissions Officers, says more than 75% of colleges are looking at social media, according to Social Assurity, a firm advising students on social media.

Of course, you never know for sure if an admissions officer or application reader will look at a student’s LinkedIn profile or other social media activity.

But students can certainly include a link to their profile in their application (tip: create a customized LinkedIn URL with the student’s name). They can be active on the University Pages of colleges of interest. They can share compelling content that establishes their personal narrative and a digital presence.

Anyone who’s 16 or older can start a LinkedIn profile. Several of my previous posts can help you and your student take the first steps:

And this post may turn into a series of posts specifically for high school students and their parents. What could be ahead? How-to info on:

Starting a LinkedIn profile
Building a professional network
Telling a story through content
Engaging with University Pages
Bringing other social media into the mix

What else do you or your student want to know?

Let’s get started!

3 Mistakes Not to Make in Your LinkedIn Profile

by Caroline Leach | Jul 5, 2018 | Social Media

What does organizing guru Marie Kondo have to do with LinkedIn profiles?

Starting with The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie is the author of four best-selling books. She “helps people transform their cluttered homes into spaces of serenity and inspiration.”

Many of her clients say she changed their lives for the better … gaining clarity about their life’s mission, improving relationships and accomplishing long-languishing goals.

If decluttering your surroundings can change your life, think what decluttering your LinkedIn profile can do for your career.

By focusing on the essential and eliminating the non-essential on your profile, your best attributes will stand out. People don’t have to spend precious time figuring out who you are, what you do and where you’re heading in your career.

As you establish an all-star profile, fixing these three mistakes can clean up and bring clarity to your LinkedIn profile.

Keeping content more than 10 to 15 years old

Most content that’s not from 2000 or later is likely irrelevant. It can safely be removed from your profile. This makes more room for your recent accomplishments to stand out and point the way toward your future.

There’s no need to keep positions more than 15 years old. If the experience was formative to your worldview today, you can mention it (briefly) in your summary.

There’s no need to keep graduation years from college. If it’s been more than a decade or so since you graduated, you can take off the dates.

As the world continues to changes more and more quickly, removing dated information will become even more important. This keeps the focus on what you’re learning and doing now.

Including content not relevant to your future

What do you want your next job to be?

You can use that question as a lens to decide what content is relevant to your future and what can be deleted. Look at all the sections of your profile and remove the extraneous.

Here’s an example. Recently I deleted that I’m a senior professional in human resources, or SPHR. At one time I reported to a Chief Human Resources Officer (one of many awesome bosses, BTW) and the credential was valuable to my work.

It wasn’t an easy test to pass. There were prep books and flash cards and practice exams. That’s why it was slightly painful to take it off my LinkedIn profile.

But my current work in marketing and communications is my future. The SPHR designation is now extraneous. I comfort myself knowing I’m well schooled in HR, which is ever valuable in leading teams and coaching people. But it’s no longer a credential that needs to be highlighted.

Another place to pare down is your endorsements. Choose the skills that most strongly support your current and future professional direction. Delete the ones that don’t.

Although I appreciate the people who endorsed me for “project management” and I like to believe my skills are strong in that area, it’s not something I want to be known for.

By removing the endorsements for non-essential skills, you’re making your most relevant skills stand out.

Sharing anything too personal

LinkedIn isn’t Facebook. There’s no need to share your birthday in your contact information. Do you really want to get happy birthday messages in your LinkedIn feed?

While some could make the case that wishing people a happy birthday in LinkedIn is a good way to touch base with your connections on an annual basis, there are better ways to do that.

The best ways are to comment on people’s LinkedIn content, share information that will be of interest to individuals in your network, and offer to introduce people in your network who could benefit from knowing each other. On introductions, be sure to ask first if both people are open to it.

What other mistakes do you see in LinkedIn profiles?

Jessica Sterling Profile: What Do You Want to Get More Of?

by Caroline Leach | Jun 25, 2018 | Social Media

Jessica Sterling at Dodger Stadium

What do you want more of in your professional life?

Let that guide what you share in social media. It works as its own magnet and its own law of attraction, bringing into your life what you’re focusing on.

That was one of several gems I heard from Los Angeles-based photographer Jessica Sterling. We chatted recently about her social media strategy for her business.

Jessica shoots extraordinary portraits, epic events and awe-inspiring architecture – helping people and businesses share their stories. Here are a few samples of how she draws out the essence of people in her portraits …

She’s photographed many notable people, including Serena Williams, Justin Timberlake and Michelle Branch, to name just a few.

Jessica and I met through work in my DIRECTV days, when she photographed several events for us. (Note: opinions expressed in this blog are my own).

Later, I booked her services personally when it was time for a new headshot. That experience turned into one of my top 10 articles in 12 Ways to a Great LinkedIn Profile Photo.

When I did a study about how people are using social media to build their careers, it surfaced several people who are doing it well. Some of them will be profiled in future posts.

Jessica was a natural to be the first profile. She makes me smile every time her images and videos pop up in my Instagram feed. Here’s what she told me about how social media helps build her business …

Why are you active in social media?

Social media keeps me in touch with my clients – past, present and future. It keeps me connected to people and top of mind. It gives me a fresh presence and a reason why people should care about me and my work.

What platforms are you on?

Instagram is perfect for photographers, so I’m there. Facebook too. And LinkedIn. Once in a while I’ll do a blog post on my website.

What type of content do you share?

Shoots I’ve booked lately, and what I’d like to book more of in the future. Portraits are big. People are passionate about what they do. I love capturing that in images. Events are fantastic. A recent one was at the Mayor’s office – for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

What content gets the most engagement?

Selfies! People love them. They want to connect with your story. You can tell your continuing story through selfies.

How has social media changed photography?

It’s been huge. People are used to seeing beautiful images. People want and demand them. They don’t always know what it takes to create them. That’s what I’m passionate about doing in my work.

What’s your personal brand?

It’s seamless and fun to shoot with me. I strive to make it as pleasant and as comfortable as possible. People tell me I’m quiet when I shoot. I can be inconspicuous at a big event, but I’m there when you need me. The best validation is when someone hires me and loves the experience.

What do’s and don’ts do you observe?

Two don’ts: No political stuff. No social causes. People want to have fun, and that’s where I meet them in social.

Why isn’t your young son on social media very much?

Social media is so powerful. We don’t fully understand its ultimate impact. I want my son to have control of it when he’s old enough to do so.

What’s the next big thing in social media for career building?

Instagram Stories are interesting. There’s a lot to explore here!

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Inspired by Jessica? Here’s how you can connect with her: