There was a time when LinkedIn was viewed as an electronic version of the Rolodex — the new way to collect the most pertinent vitals about your co-workers, clients and friends in a more high-profile place. Sure, it was a website, but it seemed to be more about finding out who really liked andor respected you than it was about receiving business-generating leads or bona fide job offers.
For many, it was the first time they’d updated their resume in years — instead of just waiting patiently in a folder in case you were “ready for a change,” your work history was on the web for all to see. Inflated GPAs suddenly seemed a bit more risky. And there was the profile picture. Millions of people shuddered at the prospect of putting their faces front and center.
Then the bubble burst. Make that many bubbles. Over the last few years, announcements of economic indicators have been like a barrage of mini-shots of Alka Seltzer hitting our proverbial upset stomachs. Suddenly, LinkedIn seemed less like a grown-up MySpace page and more like a life-saving ring. You not only looked to your Network for possible job leads, but, as sweet sailing got a bit rocky, you went to those who were Linked for personal Recommendations — and the resulting much-needed ego-boosts. Because let’s face it: no matter how good you are, no matter how great a job you know you’ve done, when you’re laid off, you begin to question the reality you’ve been living. You feel awful. And you wonder, “Am I as good as I thought I was? What am I best at? What words would people who knew me use to describe me?”
Then you know.
For me, writing a Recommendation on LinkedIn is more than just a post in cyberspace. It’s an opportunity to tell someone what I should have while I worked with them. A Recommendation could also be what makes the difference between someone getting a call for an interview or spending another frustrating week trying to stand out in a sea of lost workers. I’ve written a few pro-active Recommendations for people I’ve worked with, and one for someone after she was laid off. I’ve also read dozens of Recommendations for people I know who’ve lost their jobs. It’s not as depressing as you’d think.
My sister in law, a VP who’d worked for the same company for two decades, had to lay off several of co-workers a few months back. As she was preparing to do so, she called to ask if I knew about any employee placement firms that could help her employees with leads and spent a week of late nights writing thoughtful LinkedIn Recommendations for them.
Last week, the tables turned, and it was my sister-in-law’s turn to try to make sense of office rumors and dwindling incoming emails. When I talked to her on the phone, she realized she probably only had a day or two before she got her notice. The next day, when I saw a huge spike in her LinkedIn Recommendations, I knew it had happened. But along with learning that she had been laid off, I also learned a lot about who my sister-in-law (hostess-extraordinare, multitasking mom, gourmet Italian cook) was at work. Seeing her through the eyes of her co-workers, I realized that everything she brought to her family, she brought to those she worked with. She was called “an expert in her field”, “a great mentor,” “highly versatile,” “a constant professional,” “understanding and fair,” and, the basic requirement for real success in an organization, “someone who truly cares.” I believe she will find a great new job sooner rather than later. I know that LinkedIn will help her. And I hope that she realizes what’s most obvious to me: it wasn’t her loss, but theirs.
Author Bio:
Christy Parker, Alstin's Creative Manager, has barraged us with brainstorms for more than 15 years. A multitasking copywriter who teaches head-first slides to her daughter's t-ball team, Christy believes equal parts ignorance and confidence - and regular shopping sprees - are all you need to succeed.
Entries (RSS)