For the Curious Mind

Hosts Contact Information

Dr. Ivy Buchan '04: ivy@helixllc.org | LinkedIn

Jolynn Hotlzman: jholtzman@ycp.edu | LinkedIn

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Additional Q&A from the Webinar

Q: Can you tell us more about the LinkedIn algorithm?

A (Ivy Buchan): Great Question! 1) Your Personal Connections are more likely to see your posts and those profiles you regularly share/comment on but might now know. 2) Your posts are more likely to be seen by those who have a shared interest aka the Interest Relevance factor. 3) Your posts will be more visible to those for whom there is a high Probability of Engagement with you.

Q: I would like to create a LinkedIn page for my brand rather than use my personal profile. Are there any positives or negatives in doing this?

A (IB): I struggled with this as well. I recommend you do start a company profile as a landing spot for searches. If you are the face of the company or the only employee, I would lean towards promoting through your personal brand. You can always post on your company profile and share it on your personal page, but it's hard to pull off the other way around. If you are one of many promoting the brand, putting more energy into the company page makes sense. However, there are some (mostly minor) limitations to what a company can post/share, so read the fine print before you put all of your eggs into that basket. LinkedIn was created for personal connections; generally, a company page is easier to push on other platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Q: What is the best app or software to do subtitles on your videos?

A (IB): There are so many. It's hard to say which will fit your needs. I would post this on your profile or in a group! Ask for advice to get a conversation going.

Q: How can you get around the 30-day commercial use limit?

A (IB): Here is the link to a resource I use to address this.

Q: Is there a way to get your recommendations section pushed higher up in your profile?

A (IB): I’m not aware of a way to reorganize your profile. However, you can post about a new recommendation you are excited about and/or put a recommendation in your bio section so it catches the skimmer’s attention, then direct them to read more below.

Q: How would you recommend utilizing posting on LinkedIn to relay to your network that you are actively seeking a new job, but your current employer is a connection or you are concerned that they will discover you are job searching?

A (IB): You can still post items that highlight your specific skills so you’ll be active. You can risk marking yourself as open to recruiters if you think your employer isn’t doing their own searches. Most importantly, I would prioritize contacts (those who have influence, good advice, may be hiring) and start reaching out to them directly. Then, do your own searches and message potential employers or new contacts. 

Q: Is there a need to tweak your resume with those bullets for each resume and what happens when it doesn’t match my LinkedIn profile? A lot of things I do can cross translate into multiple roles. How much would you say employers cross-check what is in your resume with your LinkedIn profile for consistency? 

A (Jolynn Holtzman): I would suggest staying with the most relevant positions, remembering that you only need to show 10 years of employment history on your resume. The LinkedIn profile could pick up with the rest. Regarding the bullets, I would say that they should paint the same picture as your resume. Do not put something that changed the whole line of work or company savings on LinkedIn and then not put that on your resume.

Q: What is a professional way to ask for a LinkedIn referral?

A (JH): I would contact the individual and let them know that you are seeking a new position, first-time job, or experiential education opportunity. Inform them that you appreciated them as your supervisor, advisor, or mentor and ask if they would provide you a Linkedin referral. If you are a business owner, you may want to ask a client for a referral. In that case, you may say, "I appreciate your business and you seemed very happy with said product. Would you be willing to provide me with a referral on LinkedIn"?

Q: Will future career development webinars be available for alumni?

A (JH): The Career Development Center would be more than happy to extend our Career Presentations to our alumni. We will plan to share our future offerings with the Office of Alumni Relations which will be communicated to alumni as they come available. If you have specific topics or skills you would like to see a webinar on, please email alumni@ycp.edu to let them know.