LinkedIn Realities-Part 1

LinkedIn has become the litmus test for existence in business.  If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, you effectively don’t exist.  I’m not saying that this is right or wrong; fair or unfair.  I am saying that it’s real.  It’s a thing.  Of course, there are other social media platforms, and many of us use them.  But LinkedIn is the platform of choice for business people.  If you’re one of the laggards still resisting this, stop.  The ship has sailed and you’re only hurting yourself.  Perhaps you’re someone who has created a profile, but it’s bare bones (at best).  Fix it. Take an evening or a Saturday morning, and create a legit profile. This is what serious professionals do in the 21^st Century.  It’s part of your brand.  It’s your position statement to the business world.

Why is this important?  Why do you need to pass a “litmus test for existence” and have a “position statement to the business world”?  Because it will improve your life.

It’s common knowledge that people form impressions of one another within seconds of meeting. Psychological research on first impressions concluded seven seconds, actually.  We’ve always made judgements quickly.  But in the 21^st Century, we make them faster, more powerfully and more rigidly than ever before. (Been on Twitter lately?)

Well guess what?  All that stuff about lightning fast perceptions and swift judgement is true online….TIMES A MILLION.  Think about this…how many new people to do you meet  – for the first time – in a week?  Maybe one, maybe none, maybe a few.  Maybe 10.  Now watch this: you (most likely) are meeting dozens, and maybe hundreds, of people for the first time online.  Ever get an email from LinkedIn saying, “Your name showed up in searches 143 times last week.”  Like it or not, 143 people just formed an impression of you.  Now add in the other platforms you may be on….am I making sense here?

Next Tuesday, I’ll share some of my favorite “dos” and “don’ts” for your LinkedIn personal branding.  Over the past 15 years or so as a recruiter, I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly.