How 20 days of effectively using LinkedIn gave a kickstart to my career and confidence?
Aashi Gupta
Driving APAC digital & marketing communications to grow revenue for Merck's solutions advancing human health
In 2017, when I first logged into LinkedIn, like many other college students I assumed it to be just a Job-search platform and that it isn't interactive or user-friendly. Never did I ever imagine, I'll be head over heels in love with this platform fast forward to 2019. It was just a matter of 20 days and look at me, here I am, sharing my personal experience of how LinkedIn helped me become focused and confident in such a short span, nevertheless ever evolving.
( Also, If you do not #believe in the power of this platform, this post is for YOU! )
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-> 2017- I made an account on LinkedIn 2 years back, never thought it's going to make a big difference to my perspective and professional approach.
-> 2018- In my first job, I was asked by my then Manager to update my LinkedIn profile and I was like "Anyway, who even looks at it?". Yes, I was naive.
-> Initially, I wrote two articles, a few posts and shared some. It was so disappointing to see there was little or no response. I wondered "What's wrong? Why are my content and profile not being viewed enough?"
-> This led me to be convinced that Instagram and Facebook were more effective #socialmedia platforms with a large user base and more visibility. And I ended up uninstalling the LinkedIn app at once.
-> 2019- I was facing some lows, caught in emotional crisis, in despair, ready to give up it all. I needed a change- some freshness in life. That's when I wondered If I could search for an opportunity on #Linkedin. And in mid-April, I re-installed the app again.
-> Luckily, I got in touch with one of the best people in the LinkedIn community- Mr. Gurdeep Mann, who encouraged me to do the simplest thing every time I open the LI app - ENGAGE. Sounds simple? Indeed, it is. IF you know Whom to engage with!
-> For the first 5 days, I was skeptical if it could ever work, but thought of seriously implementing Gurdeep's advise to begin engaging. Initially, I was unclear of how to get quality content in my feed so that I naturally make a comment instead of doing it just for the sake of 'engaging'.
-> Ah! I went haywire. I needed a direction. So, I created a rough beginner plan for 15 days as a trial to optimize my LinkedIn usage. Here are 5 easy things I did:-
- First, I started following people who resonated similar interests like mine along with the Top Notch professionals of my Industry. Impact- I was now able to have apt, knowledgeable, and interesting content in my feed from my targeted pool of connections including Sales professionals, Influencers, Content Marketers, Life coaches, and Growth Hackers.
- Second, I began thoroughly reading blogs, watching videos, and exchanging my opinions on meaningful poss through comments and personal messages within my community. Impact- As I grew an active Engagement with my connections, my profile's Visibility also increased linearly.
- Third, I did not send a massive number of connection requests all at once. I decided to be selective, so cherry-picked only the people whom I wanted to interact with. Impact- Around 90% acceptance of connection requests. Filtered community. Quality over Quantity, anytime!
- Fourth, I did not straight away start posting on my feed. I observed, took time to understand and analyze what kind of content adds value to my community. Impact- This helped me have a flair of the kind of content I should put in the future as well as to realize the type of content accepted and preferred by my connections.
- Fifth, I began accepting any big or small opportunities that came my way and luckily, I completed my first Freelance Writing Project just on the 15th day of my LinkedIn journey. Impact- I am now a confident writer and a curious individual, ready to grab collaborations which help me learn. share and be better.
-> Right after following these 5 simple steps, I was amazed to see a whopping rise in people who viewed my profile, search appearances, previous post likes and skill endorsements thus leading to my first Freelance paid project, my first Freelance Intern in a Digital Marketing startup & my first BIG time when nearly 95% of my total Job applications through LinkedIn were selected for next round.
So Guys, I started out with zero hope in this platform and here I am, appalled with my personal growth in the first 15 days. Now, I plan to continue this journey with consistency and see the metrics speak for me soon, sooner and the soonest :)
My Key-takeaway: DO NOT EVER UNDER-ESTIMATE LINKEDIN! (wink wink)
Paralegal | Former Broadcaster and Pilot | Lifelong Learner
5 年I opened an account on LinkedIn eleven years ago, hoping it would help me find a job and because I read I should. LI did nothing for me in that regard. However, during the last few years I have connected with some wonderful people. I engage and share with many of them, and have met and engaged F2F with a few of them. I sincerely believe through LI I have made a couple of friends for life. To paraphrase the Mastercard commercial, lifetime friendships, especially later in life, are priceless.
The Patriotpreneur | Buying & Investing In $1M-$20M Revenue Businesses | Investor & Executive Mentor | Helping Business Owners Exit Their Business Into Freedom | Ask Me HOW
5 年Thank you for sharing such a great story with us. Your takeaways and experiences are valuable more and more of the younger generation comes to the platform. Well done! Trevor Kong, Beth Hunt, Sharon Lok, Walid Masud, Roland de Vries, Marius du Plessis, Brandy La Roux, Waqar Ali, Hope A. White, Stoddard Worman, Stacey Garrett
Payroll Tax Compliance Professional
5 年Aashi such a awesome story, thanks for sharing.