AJA Marketing LLC - Connecting on LinkedIn -Douglass Fall 2014 Newsletter
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forward long after the conference ended. I would like to share some of the basics of LinkedIn and how to create a profile and how to get involved as a member of LinkedIn to begin connecting with sister alumnae on the Douglass Alumnae LinkedIn group and beyond. Degrees of Separation I know I am dating myself, but I am hoping you’ve heard of the movie Footloose. Did you ever play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon? If so, you’d know two things: 1. Kevin Bacon has acted in a TON of movies, and 2. Almost everyone involved in Hollywood can be linked to Kevin Bacon within six easy steps. If you are a LinkedIn member with a fully maximized profile, you may know what it feels like to be as connected as Kevin Bacon. If you’re not a member of LinkedIn, you are missing out on an important tool in today’s networking reality. LinkedIn offers tremendous opportunities to get involved and get connected. That is one of the main reasons why the AADC created the Douglass Alumnae group: to share announcements and discussions. Individuals can promote themselves, companies, causes, nonprofits, and professional services to over 313,000,000 registered users (with over 100 million in the United States alone) with the click of a button. LinkedIn launched in 2003, and has withstood the social media tide. According to LinkedIn, professionals are signing up at a rate of more than two members per second. With a brief investment of your time, you can embark on a journey of networking with a robust community of alumnae, colleagues and more. Through the sharing of status updates, connecting with professionals, and following organization that you do business with (or would like to do business with), the possibilities abound. Create a Robust Profile If you are new to LinkedIn, the first step is to register and create a robust profile. Add a professional headshot. People like to “put a face to the name.” Include information pertinent to work, volunteer experience and educational background. Be sure to include Douglass on your profile so sister alumnae can find you more easily. Once you handle the basics, you can enhance your profile by adding your skills, projects and publications. After you have completed your profile, it’s time to start connecting with the professionals you know on LinkedIn. You might be surprised to learn how many of your contacts, clients, and colleagues have a LinkedIn presence. Once you have amassed your connections, you may have the “Kevin Bacon” experience. You will see just how small the world can be. You may even find that your colleague just may be connected to your former Douglass roommate! LinkedIn allows you to uncover these relationships by indicating the “degrees of separation” between you and another member. The platform also remains one of the most efficient ways to keep track of your contacts as they change positions — the Rolodex of years gone by could never accomplish such a feat! 10 D OUGLASS ASSOCIATE ALUMNAE NEWS • DouglassAlumnae on A s a communications and marketing professional, I have had the pleasure of attending various industry conferences. LinkedIn, the social networking platform for the business community, has provided me with an opportunity to research conference speakers and to learn more about my colleagues who would be in attendance. Later, it enabled me to connect with new colleagues and to carry the conversation Amy Guiney Adams ’99 is Vice President of Communications on the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College Board of Directors and a member of the Strategic Planning Committee Working Group on Branding. She is Executive Director of the Association of Corporate Counsel Greater New York Chapter, and managing member of AJA Marketing, LLC. By Amy Guiney Adams ’99 Interested in being a Sponsor or have questions about the Extern Program? Extern Dates for the 2014–2015 Academic Year WINTER: January 5-9, 2015 (one week) or January 5-16, 2015 (two weeks) SPRING: March 16-20, 2015 Please complete our online form at www.douglassalumnae.org/alumnae/extern-program or contact [email protected]. Update Status Frequently Update your professional status on a regular basis to keep your connections informed of your professional endeavors. Updates may include a post on an interesting article, a recent speaking event, or about an industry conference. Spend some time posting about relevant issues affecting the business community or the clients you serve. Connect with Members Everywhere Once you have optimized your profile, connected with colleagues and posted frequent status updates, consider joining in one of the millions of LinkedIn Groups has to offer. Research where your clients, prospects (and competition) have a presence. You can find the AADC group by searching for “Douglass Alumnae” under Groups. There are a great deal of discussions that occur daily within groups. You can add to discussions by bringing value and adding helpful input. Engaging in these groups can provide great opportunities to share your knowledge, showcase your skills, and present yourself as a thought leader in your respective field. Take Advantage of Features There are many additional features in LinkedIn that can be utilized. You may wish to ask for recommendations from colleagues or employers. Much like the letters of reference utilized in years past, recruiters do look at recommendations posted by you and about you. Be mindful that if someone does not write the recommendation you were hoping for, you have the ultimate decision to post it or keep it hidden. Another feature is LinkedIn’s publishing platform. This platform is similar to a blog, minus the commitment of having to write as frequently. LinkedIn offers a free opportunity to connect with a diverse audience. Consider LinkedIn your living, breathing resume or CV that must be updated and maintained. Don’t just “set it and forget it.” Keep your profile as current as your competition, colleagues and potential clients. The Associate Alumnae of Douglass College Extern Program gives Douglass students an opportunity to experience a “week in the life” of the profession of an alumna or friend of Douglass. Sponsors who host a student or students in the workplace provide exposure to career and post-graduate study options, and also afford students a preview of the working world and networking possibilities. Connecting on Li n kedIn TM
Transcript of AJA Marketing LLC - Connecting on LinkedIn -Douglass Fall 2014 Newsletter
forward long after the conference ended. I wouldlike to share some of the basics of LinkedIn andhow to create a profile and how to get involved asa member of LinkedIn to begin connecting withsister alumnae on the Douglass Alumnae LinkedIngroup and beyond.
Degrees of SeparationI know I am dating myself, but I am hoping you’veheard of the movie Footloose. Did you ever playSix Degrees of Kevin Bacon? If so, you’d knowtwo things: 1. Kevin Bacon has acted in a TON ofmovies, and 2. Almost everyone involved inHollywood can be linked to Kevin Bacon within sixeasy steps. If you are a LinkedIn member with afully maximized profile, you may know what itfeels like to be as connected as Kevin Bacon. Ifyou’re not a member of LinkedIn, you are missingout on an important tool in today’s networkingreality.
LinkedIn offers tremendous opportunities toget involved and get connected. That is one ofthe main reasons why the AADC created theDouglass Alumnae group: to share announcementsand discussions. Individuals can promotethemselves, companies, causes, nonprofits, and
professional services to over 313,000,000registered users (with over 100 million in theUnited States alone) with the click of a button.LinkedIn launched in 2003, and has withstood thesocial media tide. According to LinkedIn,professionals are signing up at a rate of more thantwo members per second. With a brief investmentof your time, you can embark on a journey ofnetworking with a robust community of alumnae,
colleagues and more. Through thesharing of status updates, connectingwith professionals, and followingorganization that you do business with
(or would like to do business with), thepossibilities abound.
Create a Robust ProfileIf you are new to LinkedIn, the first step is toregister and create a robust profile. Add aprofessional headshot. People like to “put a faceto the name.” Include information pertinent towork, volunteer experience and educationalbackground. Be sure to include Douglass on yourprofile so sister alumnae can find you more easily.Once you handle the basics, you can enhanceyour profile by adding your skills, projects andpublications.
After you have completed your profile, it’stime to start connecting with the professionalsyou know on LinkedIn. You might be surprised tolearn how many of your contacts, clients, andcolleagues have a LinkedIn presence. Once youhave amassed your connections, you may havethe “Kevin Bacon” experience. You will see justhow small the world can be. You may even findthat your colleague just may be connected to yourformer Douglass roommate! LinkedIn allows youto uncover these relationships by indicating the“degrees of separation” between you and anothermember. The platform also remains one of themost efficient ways to keep track of your contactsas they change positions — the Rolodex of yearsgone by could never accomplish such a feat!
10 DOUGLASS ASSOCIATE ALUMNAE NEWS • DouglassAlumnae on
As a communications and marketingprofessional, I have had the pleasure of
attending various industry conferences. LinkedIn,the social networking platform for the businesscommunity, has provided me with an opportunityto research conference speakers and to learnmore about my colleagues who would be inattendance. Later, it enabled me to connect withnew colleagues and to carry the conversation
Amy Guiney Adams ’99 is Vice President of Communications on the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College Board ofDirectors and a member of the Strategic Planning Committee Working Group on Branding. She is Executive Director of theAssociation of Corporate Counsel Greater New York Chapter, and managing member of AJA Marketing, LLC.
By Amy Guiney Adams ’99
Interested in being a Sponsor or have questions about the Extern Program?Extern Dates for the 2014–2015 Academic Year
WINTER:January 5-9, 2015 (one week)
orJanuary 5-16, 2015 (two weeks)
SPRING:March 16-20, 2015Please complete our online form at www.douglassalumnae.org/alumnae/extern-program
or contact [email protected].
Update Status FrequentlyUpdate your professional status on a regular basisto keep your connections informed of yourprofessional endeavors. Updates may include apost on an interesting article, a recent speakingevent, or about an industry conference. Spendsome time posting about relevant issues affectingthe business community or the clients you serve.
Connect with Members EverywhereOnce you have optimized your profile, connectedwith colleagues and posted frequent statusupdates, consider joining in one of the millions ofLinkedIn Groups has to offer. Research where yourclients, prospects (and competition) have apresence. You can find the AADC group bysearching for “Douglass Alumnae” under Groups.There are a great deal of discussions that occurdaily within groups. You can add to discussions bybringing value and adding helpful input. Engaging inthese groups can provide great opportunities toshare your knowledge, showcase your skills, andpresent yourself as a thought leader in yourrespective field.
Take Advantage of FeaturesThere are many additional features in LinkedIn thatcan be utilized. You may wish to ask forrecommendations from colleagues or employers.Much like the letters of reference utilized in yearspast, recruiters do look at recommendationsposted by you and about you. Be mindful that ifsomeone does not write the recommendation youwere hoping for, you have the ultimate decision topost it or keep it hidden. Another feature isLinkedIn’s publishing platform. This platform issimilar to a blog, minus the commitment of havingto write as frequently.
LinkedIn offers a free opportunity to connectwith a diverse audience. Consider LinkedIn yourliving, breathing resume or CV that must beupdated and maintained. Don’t just “set it andforget it.” Keep your profile as current as yourcompetition, colleagues and potential clients.
The Associate Alumnae of Douglass College Extern Program givesDouglass students an opportunity to experience a “week in the life”of the profession of an alumna or friend of Douglass. Sponsors whohost a student or students in the workplace provide exposure tocareer and post-graduate study options, and also afford students apreview of the working world and networking possibilities.
Connecting onLinkedInTM
