HOW YOU CAN ATTRACT GREAT JOBS, GROW A RELEVANT NETWORK AND ACHIEVE CAREER SUCCESS

WHY TAKE THIS CLASS?

You may be holding a great job but you’re not sure how long it will last. You may want to keep your options open and ensure that when great roles do come up, you are noticed and headhunted. You understand that key to being approached is to be visible professionally, to have a network of relevant people who can support you when you need it and to have others understand the value you bring in your area of expertise.

But how and where do you start?

You may be unsure what you need to do or where to even begin. You may be hesitant about all this content people seem to be posting on social media sites like LinkedIn – you don’t really want to sell yourself like that. You may think you’re not that much of an expert – why should others listen to you?

Stop right there.

There's a good chance that you've been working for a number of years and developed a range of skill sets. Perhaps, you’ve completed a diploma or degree programme. But even if you haven’t studied, your years of work experience will be relevant. So right off the starting block, you’ve got value to bring with you. But in order to get professional success and career growth, you need a plan that can take you from here to there, in the direction you choose.

This class will help you do just that.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

In this class, you will learn the fundamentals of:

Why building influence is critical to your success;
What happens when you start to build influence;
Making the case for digital influence;
How to build digital influence through a professional network like LinkedIn by developing three specific areas – your profile, your network and your body of work;
A LinkedIn profile – why you need one and the baselines necessary to developing your profile;
Taking the first step: developing a kick ass digital profile or if you have one already, refining it.

WHAT IS A BODY OF WORK?

I mentioned developing a body of work above. This is, in effect, a digital portfolio which captures the essence of all your effort and ideas, across multiple repositories. What you're working to do is bring your ideas to life by creating tangible representations of it.

Artists, designers and musicians - they all create a body of work. This does not and should not be limited to artists - the internet provides such a breadth of experience and opportunity you can explore and leverage to your advantage.

Let me help you with that.

Along the way, you will become more familiar with LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network with more than 610 million users across more than 200 countries and territories. While this class concentrates on your LinkedIn profile, the ideas shared here transcend LinkedIn and can be applied to other social media platforms you choose to use.

THIS CLASS IS GREAT FOR PROFESSIONALS OF ALL AGES AND ESPECIALLY THOSE:

who have a LinkedIn account but have not done much on the platform and looking to kick start their efforts;
who do not have a LinkedIn account but are curious about its benefits. You will learn how to begin developing a profile;
with very little social media experience but are interested in using it to support their goals;
who are on the lookout for new opportunities – a different company/location/industry to work in and want to be considered, board directorship nominations or interesting projects to be part of;
who want to gain more professional visibility, be invited to speak at conferences or workshops or are looking to see how they can better support their industry.

THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF THREE CLASSES

My goal for you is to build more influence so that you can do all of the above. You will do so by developing three specific areas – your profile, your network and your body of work. In this class, you will learn about the first part – developing a profile (if you don’t have one already) or refining your profile (if you have already developed it).

Separately, in my second class, you will learn about growing a relevant network. You will learn why you need a network, who should be part of it and how you can build one from scratch. In the third and final class, you will learn about building a body of work. You will learn what it means to have one, why you need it and how to build it.

Individually, these classes will strengthen you professionally but together, they will enable you to become a powerhouse, helping you achieve the professional success you’re after. While each class is separate, they build upon each other and it is best to complete all the classes and watch them in the order presented.

DO YOU NEED PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OR EXPERIENCE TO TAKE THIS CLASS?

While it will be easier if you have a passing familiarity with LinkedIn and other social media platforms, it is not necessary to have this to join this class. This class just assumes that you are already part of the workforce, even if you are taking a career break or between jobs.

WHAT THIS CLASS IS NOT ABOUT :

an in-depth how-to about the LinkedIn platform;
a deep dive into all aspects of social media mastery;
a resume writing class. Although there are similarities between a resume and a LinkedIn profile, there are differences that need to be addressed.

WHAT WILL YOU NEED TO TAKE THIS CLASS?

A LinkedIn account – a free membership is available. If you haven’t already, you can simply start with creating your account and populating it briefly.
Your resume. At the very least, you should have some notes on your work history and goals in terms of roles you are keen on, industries you would like to work in, organisations you may be interested in etc.
If you currently don’t have a LinkedIn profile, please let me know in the project description. But go ahead and create your account and populate it as well as you can. You will get guidance in the class as to what else to do with your profile and what areas you should concentrate on.
If you have a LinkedIn account and a profile :
- take screenshots of the profile and save this in a word document. This will help you capture what you had at the start and then compare it with what you’ve developed at the end of the project;
- make a note of how many connections you currently have and keep this record handy, reviewing this after a month, three months, six months and annually.
- keep notes on when you started down this journey, what changes you are making and when, recording what you have at present so you can compare with developments later.

ADDITIONAL COMPLIMENTARY RESOURCES

Feel free to check out these articles either before this class or after to get a few more ideas about having a LinkedIn profile and what it takes to build more influence:

Creation vs consumption
Which side of the table should you be on?

Become an influencer
This is not about becoming a guru or achieving celebrity status. This is about becoming a different kind of influencer. A person – an ordinary person in many respects – but one who has earned a significant and loyal following simply because of their particular expertise.

How to better engage with your LinkedIn network
A two-pronged approach for success: presence and engagement

Creating a Compelling Presence on LinkedIn
Presence is more than just being there, says Malcolm Forbes.

Do You Need a LinkedIn Profile Today?
Something in addition to your resume

How to Start a Conversation With Someone New on LinkedIn
More than just sending connection requests out, you want to develop a relationship

Your Resume Is Simply Not Enough
Why looking for a career change or a new role requires more than just sending out your résumé or uploading it on various ATS (applicant tracking system)

You Need to Be On More Than One Platform
What would you put on a personal website that you don’t already have on LinkedIn?

EDWIN MEDEARIS

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