Career Musings

Are you just getting started on LinkedIn? Are you someone with a LinkedIn account but an incomplete profile? Set aside some time today to work on your LinkedIn profile. “Why?”, you ask. LinkedIn has been described as your “Résumé on Steroids”. This means your profile is available online 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. In addition, more than 85 percent of hiring managers use it to find candidates. With the potential for so much exposure, you should familiarize yourself with some LinkedIn basics.

• First, replace the blank avatar in your profile with a professional headshot. People are more inclined to accept an invitation when they can see a face. If, for some reason, you don’t want to use a photograph, use an image that is closely aligned with your profession or your personality.

• Second, customize your LinkedIn invitation. Do not use the generic, “I’d like to add you to my professional network” invitation that LinkedIn offers. Create a short personal message such as “I was reviewing my professional network on LinkedIn and realize you are not yet on my list. Please accept my invitation to connect.”

• Third, create a Personal LinkedIn URL. When you first created your profile, LinkedIn automatically assigned you a profile URL that included letters and numbers. Change this URL to include your name. For e.g., my LinkedIn URL is www.linkedin.com/in/daisywright.

According to LinkedIn, members with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive career opportunities. Put yourself in a position for new career opportunities. Begin working on your LinkedIn profile, and have a great Monday.

When you are taking time away from work for motherhood, keep networking. The single most important thing you can do is keep in touch with former co-workers and other contacts.

Stephanie AuWerter, Senior Editor SmartMoney.com

Tip # 8: Seek out family-friendly employers. Get a hold of surveys or publications of the best employers, and find out if they support family-friendly initiatives such as onsite daycare facilities, flexible work arrangements (telework, telecommuting, or part-time employment). You should also explore social media groups such as Redsphere Network (www.redspherenetwork.ning.com/), YummyMummy (www.YummyMummyClub.ca), Connect Moms (www.connectmoms.com), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com), Twitter (www.twitter.com), and Facebook (www.facebook.com), and see what they have to offer. Create a profile on a couple of these sites; sign up for job alerts from different job boards, and connect and share your expertise with likeminded individuals.

Tip # 9: Sharpen your computer skills.  The Internet has made it very easy to upgrade or learn new skills, so search for free or fee-based courses offered online, via teleclasses or on CDs. A good place to start for Beginner’s Training for Microsoft is http://office.microsoft.com, and if you are looking for tips and tricks for MS Word, visit http://wordtips.vitalnews.com.

Returning to the workforce may have its challenges, but if you create an action plan, engage in professionally-related activities, and continue to upgrade and keep abreast of trends in your field, it makes your transition that much easier.