LinkedIn to the Professional World

On Wednesday we had the pleasure of having Geralyn Mitchell come in to speak with us about LinkedIn and how we can use it to advance professionally. LinkedIn is a site that I thought had somewhat passed its prime and was not really in use anymore except for when I get the occasional invite to connect with someone I haven’t spoken to in years. However, I can now see how this site can be used professionally. Using social media professionally is something that I do not have much experience with, so a lot of the things that she said were new to me. For example, I always make sure to have a banner picture on personal platforms like Facebook and Twitter. However, Geralyn told us that unless a banner picture will greatly contribute to our profile, it is probably just distracting. One thing that Geralyn said that really resonated with me was how this is not a repetition of our resume, but a chance to explain and elaborate on it. She also provided helpful tips like adding a personal note when connecting with someone we don’t have a personal relationship in order to increase our chances of connecting. I took Geralyn’s advice into account when creating my profile, and I am satisfied with it and looking forward to seeing how it will help through my professional life.