100% Complete LinkedIn Profiles A Dilemma for Job Seekers

100% Complete LinkedIn Profiles A Dilemma for Job Seekers In my How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile webinar on June 22, 2012, delivered for ilostmyjob.com, an important question arose: If you are a job seeker, how should you complete the â€Å"current position† item in your profile? LinkedIn presents job seekers with a dilemma: The site requires an â€Å"up-to-date current position (with a description)† for a 100% complete profile (see Profile Completeness list on LinkedIn); and according to LinkedIn, 100% complete profiles are 40 times more likely to be viewed. But if you are a job seeker, you might not have a current position other than â€Å"job seeker.† Should you create a â€Å"filler† job description to be 100% complete? Or should you hope that 95%-or-so complete is enough? Adding to this dilemma is that recruiters, according to experts in the careers industry, do not like to see made-up job descriptions in the current position spot. They prefer for job seekers to call a spade a spade, i.e., leave the current position description blank if they are not employed. Resume and LinkedIn profile writers come down on multiple sides of this issue. There are upsides and downsides to all of these options; in the end, let the numbers (how many people find you, view your profile and contact you) guide your choice. Option #1 One camp says to put something in the current position field indicating you are a job seeker. You might give yourself a job title such as â€Å"Target position: VP Operations,† or â€Å"Seeking next opportunity as Graphic Designer.† You can then write a description of what you offer that adds to what you wrote in your Summary. In the company name field, you might enter â€Å"- â€Å"or â€Å"Seeking next opportunity.† Option #2 Some people recommend putting volunteer work as your current position, or your â€Å"job† as Manager of a LinkedIn group. I would not recommend either solution unless your volunteer or group manager work is close to full-time. There is a section you can add on LinkedIn called Volunteer Activities and Causes. That is the most appropriate spot in which to put your volunteer activities. Option #3 A third camp says to leave the current job description blank if you don’t have a job, and to complete as many parts of the profile as possible. If your profile is 95% complete, you should still do well in searches. The Essay Expert’s Recommendation You might want to try both Option #1 and Option #3. I wouldn’t recommend Option #2. The great thing about LinkedIn profiles is that you can always change them and do different things to see what works best for you. Try this: (1)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Write a current position that says, for example, â€Å"Target Position: General Manager, Automotive† or â€Å"Seeking Opportunities as Financial Analyst†   or â€Å"Program Manager   Candidate† and track how many people view your profile and how often you are appearing in search results (this information can be found on your home page in the right-hand column). (2)  Ã‚  Ã‚     If you are getting sufficient activity in your profile, great. Don’t change anything! If not, the first thing to consider is whether you have enough connections to appear toward the top of searches. I recommend having 500+ connections in order to reliably raise your ranking in search results and increase page views. (3)  Ã‚  Ã‚   If you have 500+ connections and your profile is still not getting enough attention, either change what you have in the â€Å"current position† section or make it blank for a month. Track your profile views and appearances in search results. (4)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Repeat Steps #2 and #3 until you get the results you want. There are more options than these of course. One place to get a sense of what might work is a QA on LinkedIn, begun by Executive Resume Writer Laura Smith-Proulx, which sheds some light on this question.   https://linkd.in/xDJhgq What strategies have been working for you? Please share your comments below. Or if you experiment with some of my suggestions, please report how it goes!

8 great jobs for working parents

8 great jobs for working parents The ideal job for a working parent? It doesn’t exist. The best job would allow you to follow your passion, support your family financially, and be there whenever your kids need you. The key is to find a job with flex time, the ability to work from home or create a set work schedule around the school day, or even part-time hours if it’s financially viable. The following list includes jobs that are kid-friendly, jobs where you can set your own working hours, and jobs that allow work life and parent life to coexist in at least partial harmony.8 great jobs for working parents1. Speech and Language PathologistWhile these specialists can work in independent practices, oftentimes schools employ speech and language pathologists to work with kids who need help with their language abilities. Having kids can really help support you in this position to understand how to discuss speech and language issues with parents- plus, the position is automatically keyed in to the school sched ule and offers you insight into available after-school programs if you must work beyond the final bell.2. Real Estate AgentReal estate agents, who often work at open houses or show clients around to homes, aren’t chained to a desk 9-5- making this a great job for networkers who like being on their feet and fitting events in-between other commitments. There’s flexibility to the job, especially for two-parent families where one parent will be home on the weekend. The money is based on commission- so, the more work you put in, the more you will make in theory. This is a job where your network and expertise can grow over time.3. Freelance PhotographerFreelance photographers usually have an area of specialty, but portrait photography is a great option for parents- every day at school drop-off you have the potential to meet new clients for family portraits. Wedding photography or weekend photo sessions can also suit people’s schedules if they work around a partnerâ₠¬â„¢s M-F work week.4. Music TeacherCertified music teachers are often employed by school districts, but if you are musically inclined, running private group classes for small kids and parents at a common space or from your home is a great option- and a place where you can bring your own children, as well. You can also consider offering private music lessons or contracting with schools and local community centers as a visiting artist.5. Web Developer/Graphic DesignerThis job requires technical and design skills in order to create websites, promotional materials, or other web or print graphics for clients. All you need is a computer, so this is definitely a job you can do from home if you want to work on a freelance basis. Whether you are paid by hours worked or contracted for a set fee for your work, you can organize your schedule in order to meet deadlines and keep your work life flexible in order to meet your family demands.6. Working for a Youth OrganizationHere’s another kid-centric position that gets you involved in your community. Youth organizations create educational or recreational programming for children; they usually hire staff to everything from accounting, to fundraising, to directly creating and running specific activity programs. A bonus: you will be aware of the activities available to your own children and may receive discounts on things like summer camps. Plus, a family-oriented organization may be more inclined to family-friendly work practices.7. Freelance Writer/EditorFrom copywriting for a print magazine to blogging for corporate websites, there is a lot of freelance work available for talented writers. These gigs, which often pay by word count, can almost always be done from home. In fact, writing assignments are often flexible enough that you can have kids playing in the other room while you type away. If not, you can fit in a few hundred words after the kids go to bed.8. Social Media SpecialistAnother job that you can do from y our pajamas is social media promotion, where you spend time building the online presence of a company- you need to be able to tweet, create Instagram stories, and generally do all you can to savvily promote the work and goings-on of a business. This can be a job that requires regularly checking in on accounts or updating, but it can almost always be done remotely, on a flexible basis.