CAREER: NEW HEADSHOTS & LINKEDIN TIPS
Hi hi hi! Welcome back and happy February. While I joked about how January felt like an entire year, I have to say I'm happy to have time actually seem slow for once. Time always seems to fly otherwise, doesn't it? Today's post is kind of a hodgepodge of things but they are all related to Linkedin. If you aren't familiar with Linkedin (visit the site here), it's essentially the professional version of facebook. You can connect and interact with other professionals and share your career history and highlights. I've been a longtime user of Linkedin and a huge advocate of the site (this is not sponsored btw). Whenever I talk to my friends and colleagues who are looking to make a career move, I'm surprised that most of the time, they don't have a Linkedin profile or their profile isn't up-to-date. I thought it would be awesome to share some of my thoughts and tips with you.
1. Invest in a great headshot: At the end of last year, I decided it was time to invest in some professional headshots. My previous Linkedin profile picture was a cropped photo from an outfit post I shot with my brother in 2012. While it looked nice enough, it was dated and it wasn't as professional as I wanted. Not only that, Whenever I need to submit pictures to a publication or for an event, I always struggled to find the right picture to send over. I decided that professional headshots were the way to go. Not only is my blog a brand, I believe my professional career is also a brand we well. It was important for me to make sure I had a headshot that catered to both my day job as an attorney and my side hustle as a blogger. I strongly recommend having professional headshots done and updating them as often as necessary. You want people to be able to recognize you if they look you up online after you meet them in person. You also want to stand out and show your personality to people who run across your profile or your business site. Back in the day, recruiters or clients would see you in person first, perhaps through an interview or meeting. Now, people often find you online first. What impression do you want to make?
LOOK THE PART: Here are some pieces I would suggest for your headshots. If you want black and white pictures (like some of mine), consider wearing black or white. They both look the best in black and white photos!
2. Connect, connect, connect: One of the best things about Linkedin is your ability to connect with other professionals. I've been lucky enough to connect with people within my industry as well as PR professionals that could potentially connect me with like-minded brands. I've also found out about professional groups in the area by connecting to people who are members.
3. Utilize your connections: So building your network is step one. Step two is utilizing your network. There are so many ways your network can help you. I love this article from Muse about how to reach out to people who have viewed your profile. You could potentially turn a connection into a job opportunity. Linkedin also has a feature where you can ask a connection to give an introduction and share your profile with a job poster at their current company. I've agreed to share profiles for former colleagues and a couple were able to secure jobs as a result. A few years ago, I connected with an attorney who was also a fashion blogger and stylist. She was able to give me some great advice that I really found valuable. So connect and reach out! The worst someone can do is say no or not respond.
4. To share your side hustle or not: For years I have debated sharing my blog on my Linkedin. Initially I didn't because Law can often be a very conservative industry and a blog about fashion and beauty can seem shallow and not serious. I wanted to make sure that I was taken seriously professionally. For the same reasons, I never shared my blog with my coworkers but they would often find out. I also hesitated to connect with coworkers through any social media. A couple years ago, I decided to really focus on my blog and treat it just like a job, not a hobby. At that point, I really had the urge to add my blog to my Linkedin profile. I recently added my blog to my Linkedin. If you are considering adding your side hustle or blog to your Linkedin, here are some tips: (1) Determine if your side hustle or blog is in the same industry as your day job. Could it be seen as a competitor? If so, it could potentially hurt your standing at your company if your coworkers find out. (2) Describe your side hustle or blog in a way that shows what skills you are gaining and using. For example, are you learning how to use social media to market your business? Make sure you share that!
Photography: Sara Coffin Photography
Makeup: Tiwa Lawrence