How My LinkedIn Journey Began

How did my journey with LinkedIn begin?

Do you ever think you are going to do something and get partially into it and then back out? This was my LinkedIn journey. I thought I would share that journey in case you too struggle with the same questions or fears.

As a member of the career industry, I have the inside track on new job search initiatives and endeavors. However, even that inside information doesn’t propel me into motion.

The Career Connection LinkedIn Journey

In 2006, my career industry friends from Career Management Alliance and Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches started to talk about LinkedIn.

I’m not afraid of new applications so I went to the site and set myself up on LinkedIn.

Next, it asked me who I would like to connect with? Oh-oh, this meant I would have to ask someone… scary! My profile was there but I didn’t want to take a chance to invite someone. So I left the site and LinkedIn left my mind.

The Wausau Whitewater Connection LinkedIn Journey

For 12 years as the Operations Manager for Wausau Whitewater, I developed contacts with paddling enthusiasts from all over the world, many I met in person. My city, Wausau, has a world-class whitewater course and hosted numerous national and international events, including World Cups.

Bob Campbell coached the US Slalom Team in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. Joe Jacobi won Olympic gold in C2 in 1992. Bob and Joe came to Wausau to coach during Junior Slalom Team Trials in May 2007, the event that selects the US Junior Team which competes in Europe.

We visited once again and promised to keep in touch. In October 2007, first Bob then Joe invited me into LinkedIn. I said yes since I knew them and was honored that these Olympic connected people wanted me in their network. I told them both I didn’t know a lot about how LinkedIn worked.

I got busy and forgot about LinkedIn until January 2008. At that time, another whitewater competitor, Jimmy Blakeney, asked me into his LinkedIn network. I knew Jimmy too also from Wausau Whitewater. Jimmy was a premier freestyle competitor who competed in major freestyle events in Wausau. I told him too that I didn’t know much about LinkedIn.

But those encounters with Jimmy, Bob, and Joe started me thinking. I went back to my career groups and watched for information about LinkedIn. I reviewed my LinkedIn profile and revised it

In steps Jason Alba!

In the dialogues on the e-lists, I noted that Jason Alba seemed to have the most information about what LinkedIn was all about. I started talking with Jason by e-mail and he talked back to me!

It always amazes me when people go out of their way to talk to me. Jason is the founder of JibberJobber.com, a career management tool that helps you keep track of your job searches.

I learned Jason authored the book, “I’m on LinkedIn, Now What?” and decided to order the e-book to check it out. As I said, I’m not afraid of new applications. I am pretty intuitive and taught myself many different applications. Jason’s book gave me a multitude of tips in very easy to understand terms.

The beginning of my LinkedIn Journey

My LinkedIn Journey started a long time ago. Since then I read, studied, took a course to be certified as a LinkedIn profile writer, and continue to evolve. I find as I work with clients, they are at different stages of their LinkedIn journey. A few still don’t have a LinkedIn profile, many have a less than robust profile, and very few know how to use LinkedIn successfully. This is why I chose to add LinkedIn to all three resume packages.

Where are you on your LinkedIn Journey? Today LinkedIn is used by hiring managers to find new candidates in specific areas. In addition, it is a tool that can be used to research clients, vendors, customers, and people in general. Do you understand the nuances of LinkedIn or could you use a guide?