Value of creating professional portfolio of work experiences, tips for using LinkedIn

1. CAREER AGILITY USING LINKEDIN
Sun Microsystems Career Webinar
Series
Christian Gray, Reprints Desk
and
Cindy Hill, Hill Information Consulting Group
19 November 2009

2. ABOUT US
 Christian Gray
 Safari eBooks
 Reprints Desk
 Cindy Hill
 Sun Microsystems alum 2007
 Digital Libraries & Research

3. TODAY'S TOPICS
 Your online profile
 Creating an e-portfolio
 LinkedIn demo

4. USE WHAT YOU HAVE

5. YOUR ONLINE PROFILE
 Be aware of your digital footprint
 Vanity search often
 Take charge of your online profile

6. ONLINE IDENTITY: THE INFORMATION ON
THE INTERNET ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL
PC Magazine Encyclopedia
45% of employers reported in a recent CareerBuilder survey (June 2009)
that they use social networking sites to research job candidates.
35% of employers reported they have found content on social
networking sites that caused them not to hire the candidate.
 53% Person posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information
 44% Person posted content about them drinking or using drugs
 35% Person bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or customers
 29% Person showed poor communication skills
 26% Person made discriminatory comments
 24% Person lied about qualifications
 20% Person shared confidential information from previous employer
http://www.careerbuilder.com/

7. ONLINE IDENTITY, continued
18% of employers reported they have found content on social networking
sites that caused them to hire the candidate.
Top examples:
 50% Profile provided a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit within the
organization
 39% Profile supported candidate’s professional qualifications
 38% Candidate was creative
 35% Candidate showed solid communication skills
 33% Candidate was well-rounded
 19% Other people posted good references about the candidate
 15% Candidate received awards and accolades
http://www.careerbuilder.com/

8. WHY HAVE A PORTFOLIO?
“Think of your career as a portfolio of work. Think of yourself in
terms of a portable skill-set rather than a specific job title.”
Mark Kimeldorf
“The only job security you can count on is the transportability of
your own skills.”
Joyce Lain Kennedy, “Job Talk” Columnist, Los Angeles Times
 Proof of skills and learning
 Opportunity for creative self-expression
 A marketing and self-promotional tool for job seekers
 A performance appraisal and promotional tool for employees

9. TRADITIONAL PORTFOLIOS
Resume Professional development
Work samples Works in progress
Papers, articles Research
Presentations Web projects
Letters of recognition Documentation of
References achievements & awards

10. WHO ARE YOU, REALLY?
 Use your e-portfolio to create a professional
and distinct persona

11. USE WEB 2.0 TOOLS TO BUILD
 Visibility
 Portfolio
 Community of Colleagues

12. IT’S TIME TO CREATE YOUR
E-PORTFOLIO - NOW!
 Accessible
 Storage
 Easy to create, easy to maintain
 Easy to share
 Sociability – harness the power of social media
 Boost of professionalism
 Allows for more freedom, creativity, information
than the traditional cover letter, resume &
references

13. E-PORTFOLIO TIPS
 Keep it simple and clean, avoid “cutesy”
 Keep it organized and think about how others are
going to view and use it
 Include documents & materials that highlight your
skills & experience
 Convert documents to PDF (security)
 Keep it professional, only include materials that
you would show a current or prospective employer

14. E-PORTFOLIO TIPS, continued
 Be cognizant of naming files, sections and pages
 Make your contact information visible, very easy
to find and very easy to use
 Keep contact information to a minimum
 Use tags & keywords, when possible, to help in
searching
 Keep it current
 Use it to promote yourself

15. PLACES TO CREATE YOUR
E-PORTFOLIO
LinkedIn
 Your college alumni association
 Google Profiles
 Zoominfo
 Facebook
 Plaxo
 Blogs, microblogs
 Others?

16. PERSONAL BRAND:
A DEFINITION
Total perceived value
As compared to other choices or competitors
In the eyes of your target market
Valerie Gonyea, Career Encouragement Officer
2009 Right Management presentation

17. “…create information that people want. Create
an online presence that people are eager to
consume. Establish a virtual front door that
people will happily link to…”
David Meerman Scott

18. “…And one that employers will find.”
David Meerman Scott, www.webinknow.com Nov 11, 2008

19. To venture causes anxiety. Not
to venture is to lose oneself.
Søren Kierkegaard
Start exploring your professional
options

20. Hell is where you just drift –
heaven is where you get to steer.
George Bernard Shaw
Take charge of your online identity
by creating an e-portfolio

21. THE RESILIENT CAREER IS
Agile
Opportunistic
Sustainable

22. THE BIG PICTURE:
A SOCIAL NETWORK DIAGRAM
Christian 1st Degree
Christy
Cindy 2nd Degree
Rich
3rd Degree
Sun Alumni Group Mike

23. PUT THIS INTO PLAY
 Write up a one-page LinkedIn plan
 Build and improve your profile
 Request endorsements
 Search “just for fun” & some serious surfing
 Add some apps – go beyond the basic LinkedIn
profile
 Invite friends to join – experience the network
effect

24. RESOURCES: LEARN MORE
 The Virtual Handshake by David Teten & Scott
Allen, www.thevirtualhandshake.com
 www.careerbuilder.com
 Guy Kawasaki, http://blog.guykawasaki.com
 Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success,
One Relationship at a Time, Keith Ferrazzi
 YouTube: LinkedIn tutorials

25. THANK YOU
Christian Gray, Reprints Desk
cgray@reprintsdesk.com
Linkedin.com/christiangray
Cindy Hill, Hill Information Consulting Group
cindyvhill@HillInfoConsultingGroup
Linkedin.com/cindyvhill