When I started out freelancing, I dusted off my LinkedIn account. It’s something I’d set up years ago and until last year I had occasionally gone onto it to update job roles but that was about it. I’d never really put too much value on it. However, something made me realise it needed more attention as part of my transition to self-employment.
Connections
One of my first tasks was trying to remember the names of every single person I’d ever worked with. It’s impossible, of course, but the point was trying to go back to all the organisations I’d been part of/worked with and build back connections with everyone I’d worked with. I was surprised how many names I had. It was great to remember past colleagues and partnerships from projects. It was also a great reminder of the variety of places I’ve worked and the range of work I’ve done.
Since then, I’ve been proactive in connecting with new people as I’ve come into contact with them as a default, slowly building a wider network.
Vacancies
LinkedIn jobs is a feature I’ve been exploring more and more, as its one of the ones you can use “freelance” as a key word in when you search for roles. It’s a convenient one to look through since it sits as part of the LinkedIn app but I have spotted it often doesn’t capture smaller organisations who don’t want to/can’t pay the job listing fees. So I also keep an eye in general posts for key words to try and capture where someone’s flagging an interesting opportunity and I’ve managed to spot a few really interesting bits of work so far. You can also follow sector-specific recruiters to find out about new opportunities as they go live.
Advertising
Some people are amazing at it, and I’d say I’m mediocre at best, but I am using the platform as professional advertising. Since you can highlight your previous roles and your experience, the specialisms you offer and even the roles/work you’re looking for, it’s a great way of having a mini CV for people to find.
As part of this I have tried to post twice a week, with mixed success due to general business (and taking on some comms work for two charities means I’m sometimes just social media-d out). But the reason for the commitment was to show relevance and drive up engagement, with the long term ambition of building my network and benefitting from that wider pool of knowledge and experience, as well as positioning myself as someone people want to work with.
CPD
I had completely under-estimated what content was on LinkedIn. Or perhaps I was just remembering what was there, or the lack of stuff on there when I first signed up. Or perhaps I was just at a different place in my career and it simply wasn’t as relevant as it is now. Whatever the reason, I’m really enjoying the breadth of what’s being posted now. Like all social media, there’s a big penchant for inspirational quotes and no practical application, shameless self-promotion and absolutely zero self-awareness and a number of absolute opinions with minimal space for manoeuvre, however there’s also an inspiring generosity of content sharing. I’ve heard about training courses, surveys, new tools and techniques as well as great opinion pieces. It’s made me feel more relevant in my sector and up-to-date on developments and news.
Result
I’ve had some interesting things happen via LinkedIn lately. Firstly, I’ve had a number of people connect with me via a mutual contact. They may be building their own networks for personal gain, but it did give me a boost that I’m worth connecting with. I’ve had also had two approaches about work, both of which have blindsided me. One searched for facilitators in my area of the country and they seem to have contacted a number of people, in the end going with someone more local to their area (a county over). The other had found me through a mutual contact and we explored the possibility of working together progressing their organisation.
It’s exactly what I’d hoped LinkedIn would do, and it’s particularly lovely to think it’s ticking away in the background, offering my name up as a possible when people search for particular support. While neither of those connections as yet has led to work, it’s helped validate my work keeping LinkedIn account up-to-date and relevant. There’s definitely more to do though keeping my posts really engaging/thought-provoking or event fun, so as I finally wind up some comms work for others, it’ll be nice to apply the same time/thought into my own business ones.
Photo by Bruno Figueiredo on Unsplash