{"id":2337,"date":"2019-09-20T21:47:32","date_gmt":"2019-09-21T01:47:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vapc.org\/?p=2337"},"modified":"2019-09-20T21:47:34","modified_gmt":"2019-09-21T01:47:34","slug":"best-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vapc.org\/vapc\/best-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Workshop Helps VPC Members Maximize Professional Social Networking<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

About\n a dozen VPC members and guests attended a professional development \nworkshop focused on LinkedIn best practices Sept. 18 at Tuckahoe Library\n in Henrico.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The workshop was led by Ken Jungerson, an acclaimed author and \nprofessional adventurer, who has spent years not only using LinkedIn, \nbut also helping others maximize this social networking tool for \nprofessionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungerson\u2019s presentation \u201cMake LinkedIn You \u2014 Professional \nNetworking\u201d focused on best practices to tailor your LinkedIn profiles \nto your needs.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His first and maybe most important advice: A photo is a must, and it \nshould be a professional headshot. You can also add a background to help\n you stand out. A close second: Make sure whatever you are posting is \nprofessionally appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungerson noted the free version of LinkedIn is usually sufficient \nunless you want to message someone you aren\u2019t connected to. The premium \nversion also allows you to view all the people who have viewed your \nprofile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are job hunting, make sure your \u201cCareer Interests\u201d tab is set \nto \u201con,\u201d and consider adding relevant hashtags and people\u2019s names using \nthe @ symbol when you comment on articles or post your own. These \nactions will boost your profile in search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Review your entire profile for length. Brevity is your friend. \u201cAs with most things, do you think people want to read War and Peace<\/em>?\n No, you don\u2019t want to bore your audience,\u201c Jungerson said. \u201cMost people\n viewing your profile won\u2019t see more than the first three lines of your \ndescription, and they are usually skimming the information.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you are adding your experience, make sure you are highlighting \nyour accomplishments versus your job duties. Focus on what sets you \napart from others who do this same job, and make sure to include metrics\n whenever possible.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNetworking really matters to find a job because about 50% of jobs \nare not posted,\u201d Jungerson said. Keeping your LinkedIn profile polished \nand current is a key component of networking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those who couldn’t attend, here are some additional top tips and takeaways from attendees:<\/p>\n\n\n\n