People are People
My clients are often not excited about reaching out to people on LinkedIn.
I'm a Gen Xer, so I completely get it. I joined LinkedIn back in 2007 and wasn't active for a long time. The best practice back then was to only connect with people that you had met in real life.
So, I kept my network small and really didn't reach out to connect with others.
I regret that now for a lot of different reasons.
The good thing is that it is never too late to build a strong network on LinkedIn. Now, I don't recommend going LION (LinkedIn Open Networker), but it does make sense to reach out to new people strategically.
When I'm presenting to a group, I always reach try to get a participant list before the webinar and connect with those folks on LinkedIn (this also helps me to better understand my audience). I'll also connect with fellow presenters (again, this helps me to better know who I'm working with).
You don't have to go crazy here - but after a week of meetings or a conference or a business trip, make a point to connect on LinkedIn with the folks that you have met.
And, if you are open to it, there are easy ways to meet new people on LinkedIn - I like to connect with alumni from my colleges as a way to grow my network.
You don't have to send connection requests everyday, but I think sending connection requests on a weekly basis (even if it's just one or two) is a great way to keep your network current.
Question of the week
I'm aggressively looking, but only hearing from recruiters who appear to be scammers on LinkedIn. They want my resume, and then disappear. It's getting harder to discern what is even real in the job market, and that is emotionally exhausting. Honestly, are there marketing jobs out there?
First, let me say that marketing is among the hardest hit areas right now.
I don't know if you've seen this recent article in AdWeek, but marketing job postings are down 42%, so the numbers back your experience up. I have worked with a number of marketing executives in the past year and I know from their experience that marketing is particularly tough right now.
I will also say that it's just tough in general to know what is real and what is not.
When I'm unsure of whether or not an opportunity is real or fake, I typically do a little more digging. I will check LinkedIn to see the company/recruiter profile and usually it's pretty clear. You can also Google search the phone number and see what comes up (spam/scam numbers are typically flagged). In the end, it's smart to get with your gut - if it feels like it isn't real, then it probably isn't real.
In case you missed these LinkedIn posts:
"I am a healthy, thriving 64-yr-old who was laid off and have not had any success in finding my next move."
Poll: Have you ever held a contract, project, or fractional role? (800+ votes)
How to change things up
During the 2008 recession, I was a writer for The Motley Fool - helping investors (and job seekers) make smart moves in a tough market.
My Gen X client just turned down a $165K offer.
Want to up your game on LinkedIn?
Need a new resume or executive bio?
I deliver resumes, executive bios, LinkedIn profile optimization, and 1-hour strategy calls.
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Limited time only: We'll be offering the current version of the Ageless Careers Toolkit through June 30, so if you're looking to take the course, you'll want to start it now.
The Ageless Careers Toolkit is a self-paced job search program with 5 modules:
- Build Your Ageless Career: I answer your biggest job search questions and troubleshoot common issues for Gen X and Baby Boomer job seekers
- Write Your Ageless Resume: I've written 1000s of resumes - this is my 43-page guide for writing a winning resume
- Craft Your Ageless Cover Letter: My tips for writing a cover letter in 10 minutes or less
- The Art of Ageless Interviewing: Boost your confidence through my biggest interview tips
- Create Your Ageless LinkedIn Presence: We are going to optimize your LinkedIn profile so that opportunities find you
The toolkit includes both written guides and video presentations with 10 sample resumes across various functions (marketing, finance, engineering, manufacturing, sales, etc) and roles (Project Manager, Director, VP, C-Suite).
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Other ways that I can help:
Corporate Presentations: I deliver customized presentations for businesses and universities, offering webinars/in-person presentations across topics including ageism, resume best practices, LinkedIn optimization, job search, and more.
Hiring Help: Reach out if you have any open roles that you would like to share with this community.
Sponsorships: Reach Gen X and Baby Boomer executives by sponsoring this newsletter (we're currently at 4000+ subscribers for the newsletter and 70,000+ followers on LinkedIn, so you can easily reach a wide base of readers).
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Take care of yourself and have a wonderful weekend!
Colleen
