00:00
If I want to create content on LinkedIn, oh my God, I need to invent something groundbreaking every single day. Because apparently that’s what people do on LinkedIn. And it doesn’t work that way, guys, if I can do it, you can do it, and anyone else can do it because we all have something to share. But we all need to find the right angle and the right way to deal with.

00:33
Hey, welcome to the powder keg podcast, where today, we’re gonna be talking about LinkedIn trends that are changing the way that companies hire and retain talent. We’re also going to talk about how you can grow an audience of fans on LinkedIn, who wants to see you succeed in your career. This is something that is so so important to all of us right now. And, of course, the most in demand hard and soft skills at tech companies and so, so much more. I’m your host, Matt Hunckler. And this is the powderkeg podcast, the show that plugs you into the massive opportunities in startups and innovation and tech hubs beyond Silicon Valley that are exploding with potential. On today’s episode, you’re going to hear an interview and live q&a that we hosted with some of the foremost experts using LinkedIn, to land your dream job and to hire the best talent. First off we have Ashley Watkins, a resume writer, job search coach and a former recruiter. Joining her on the show is Anna likova, personal brand and career advisor, resume writer and job interview coach. Both of these people have been named LinkedIn top voices because they are prolific there and have amazing communities of people following their work. We have a bunch of great guests lined up for future virtual events like this one you’re about to listen to. So be sure to check out upcoming live virtual event versions of the podcast with open q&a opportunities to connect with the community and expert advice. You can do all of this by going to patreon.com/events All right, our first guest today is Ashley Watkins, who is a resume writer, job search coach and former recruiter. Her strategy has helped people highlight their it factor in resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and interviews so that they can land more interviews and job offers at the salary that they really deserve. Ashley has experienced in recruiting top talent for nonprofits such as the American Cancer Society, and Gateway. She has also helped a ton of multimillion dollar companies in the banking and manufacturing industries as well. Joining Ashley on the show is Angela cook Cova, who is a personal brand and career advisor, a resume writer and job interview coach at CDW labs in Calgary, Canada. She’s a talented professional with incredible energy and has a passion for helping people find and create their personal brand. And it focuses on telling her career stories to showcase jobseekers, unique qualities to gain employers attention. I hope you enjoy this episode and get as many actionable takeaways as I did. And I really hope that you are able to apply those to your own LinkedIn profile, your own LinkedIn strategies. And hopefully we can connect there. But until then, let’s start the show you share so much good information about how to really put your best foot forward on LinkedIn in terms of developing relationships that are going to help further your career. But you also I know had a little bit of experience, also as a recruiter, using LinkedIn from that perspective as well. Do you mind sharing a little bit about how you first discovered LinkedIn and when you really started to find your groove on the platform? Right, so I started using I heard of LinkedIn coming up when I graduated college. And so this is like, shortly after because I was still involved with my Alumni Association and and all of that. So as new things were arising because I actually graduated in 2002. So LinkedIn was really poppin in 2002, yet, so I started with the American Cancer Society in 2007. And so that LinkedIn was the wave, you know, at that point, so I had to use it as a recruiter. And so after, you know, a position would post or I would talk to a hiring manager during my intake calls, they would say, Well, do you have any, you know, new ways to try to find people because social media was there, but it really wasn’t, you know, something that, you know, a whole lot of people were like, Yeah, you know, like, now everybody’s everywhere. So I was like, yeah, there’s, you know, there’s LinkedIn, and I can start to find some people there. So I was like, I’m kidding. I connect with people all the time. And at that point, I had no rules about connecting with people. If you sent me a connection request, I pretty much accepted it. You know, it was about, you know, getting to know new people. And I’m pretty much a wallflower when it comes to actually in person networking events. So

04:34
you know, being able to network online was something that was great for me. So initially, it was to actually find talent. So I wasn’t out there really posting and doing a whole lot of interacting and commenting. I was basically a spy. I found people, you know, I looked them up, I had to see what they were up to and, you know, looking at resumes and you know, and things like that. So basically, you know, I had to make that shift eventually into it.

05:00
You know, being actually seen, heard found, you know, and everything. So, yeah, that was an interesting transition for me, because here I am having to coach clients to do something from the other side of it. And so I was like, I haven’t really been on this that I was recruited in my last position with gateway from LinkedIn. So that was my only experience from actually being recruited because I stayed with the American Cancer Society for eight and a half years. So you know, there, there was no recruiting there, I made it, you know, pretty obvious that I was not leaving, I loved my job there. So eventually, an opportunity came up, this company reached out to me from LinkedIn, and recruited me away, surprisingly. And so that was, that was pretty, you know, pretty interesting. But I knew how candidates got in touch with me. And I knew how they got in touch successfully, you know, with hiring managers. So I use some of those same strategies to teach my clients,

05:56
excuse me how to connect with other people, and you know how to reach out to people that they don’t know, because you that can be real weird and have a cringy vibe to it. You know, a lot of times, but you know, it’s just like riding a bike. Once you get on there, you figure out what you’re doing, you don’t forget it, it’s something that you’ll pick up very quickly. And I love for a sales and marketing person to tell me, I don’t know how to use LinkedIn to find a job. I’m like, Well, how do you find,

06:20
you know, how do you get the sales, those same strategies work very effectively, when you’re actually looking forward, you know, looking for a job. And I think what I’ve noticed is if people have a lot of reservation, you know about using LinkedIn, because the platform seems so foreign, and it doesn’t seem like any other social media platform, where you can have fun, where you can, you know, tell jokes and just kind of be yourself, like everybody, you know, wants to make some, oh, I have to be professional employees over here. Like, just be yourself, you know, Be your authentic self, you may not want to put stuff on there, you know, that, you know, somebody may find on your Snapchat or Instagram, but you can use it and you know, much the same way to share your personal stories, because people do hire people. So, um, that was something that, you know, it always sticks out when I’m talking to my clients is reminding them to be themselves that they don’t have to be the structured and straight up and down person, if that’s not who you are, you know, I wear jeans, you know, most days, you know, you don’t have to wear a suit on your, you know, on your headshot, you can actually wear a button up and, you know, maybe a tie in a shirt and not necessarily have to go you know, full on interview suit, you know, if that’s not who you really are. And I’m really just teaching them to how to put their investigator and spy hats on and find what they need to know, find who they need to know, and connect and make it meaningful for, you know, for both give to get, I love the focus on authenticity, and a lot of the advice that you share, is there one thing that you would recommend to companies and employers, if they’re looking to be an attractive place, or an attractive person to connect with, on LinkedIn, yes, be authentic from that side of it, too. When most of the clients that I work with and job seekers that I communicate with on a very frequent basis, they want to know is this something where they feel like they belong, you know, if you’re saying that you you value, you know, social justice, or it could be, you know, cancer or whatever, you know, whatever cause it is, we need to see you actively, you know, participating in those things, let us see what you what your employees do every day. One thing that I do like is if I’m, if I’m ever clicking on someone’s careers page, on their website, or on LinkedIn, and it sends me to a video page, where I can actually take a look at what the day in the life is, like, for those particular opportunities. I love that because it gives, you know, you it’s one thing to read words on a paper, right, and it’s one thing to for you to read through the job description, when a lot of times you can read the posting, you’re like, what I still don’t know what this position does. But to hear it from the mouth of somebody who does it every single day. And they can put put it in words that a real person can understand. And you can see somebody who may look like you who may be from where you’re from, or whatever, to see them grow and be successful, you know, in that job that you’re targeting, that you aspire to be in, you know that that’s something that’s very encouraging. And I do love that when I see that on careers pages, but I will say just show them the real, you know, employee gatherings, you know, don’t let it be structured. Everything doesn’t have to have a professional photographer that comes off fake to me, let me see those camera phone photos that you’ve taken at the company lunch, you know, or whatever, I want to see that so I can then envision myself and say, Oh, these people look like you know, great people to work with. They look like me, they sound like me. You know, they have similar, you know, careers as me whatever you know, whatever the case may be I think finding that true connection and genuine you know, genuine outreach when you allow, you know, open up the doors a little bit and be less manufactured, I guess. You know, I think that will attract a lot more

09:59
cool.

10:00
Quality hires, I think, because people seeing that that would make me be like, Yeah, I want to be there. That’s great advice and is making me want to jump on my careers page right now and get get some updated content on there. Thank you for sharing that. I want to introduce our next guest here is a personal brand and career advisor, a resume writer, and Job Interview coach at CV labs in Calgary, Canada. She’s written and shared inspiring articles on LinkedIn for looking to find job opportunities, and land remarkable roles. She’s a talented professional with incredible energy and has passion for helping people find and create their personal brand. And a focuses on telling her career stories to showcase jobseekers, unique qualities to gain employers attention, helping all of our clients do that. Please help me welcome to the show, personal brand and career advisor and founder of CV labs. And look code Cova. Anna, can you hear us? Yes. Hi, everyone. And thank you so much. It’s so great to be here. And can I just say kudos to you, Matt and the rest of the team for putting such a cool event together. I imagine it was a ton of work. So thank you for doing that. Oh, thanks so much. And thanks for your patience too. I know, there are always things we can be improving upon from unmuting. My mic to, you know, making, making sure we get the right links and the right calendar invites. I’m super grateful to have your expertise here on the show. And I know one of the things and that you talk about a lot is just how to make your LinkedIn profile look good. What are some of the top tips that you have for people? Everyone has LinkedIn profile? What’s the right strategy? I mean, you see people writing in the third person, you see people using images, you see all kinds of things, what actually works in terms of having a great LinkedIn profile? That’s an awesome question, Matt. And it actually comes at a great time, because just this week, I shared a new video on my YouTube channel, which I also do have, and I’m, you know, actively growing it and working on it. And like what I did in that video, I basically asked people on LinkedIn to share their profile links. And there were five lucky winners who got a free profile review from me. So what I was doing in that video, I was just sitting down and looking through those profiles and pretty much sharing my feedback and just being plain honest and straightforward in terms of what those people could improve. And that video was actually a big hits in terms of people still think about their LinkedIn profiles as their online resumes. And pretty much everybody is, you know, using and sticking to those default options, like having just their job title at ABC company in the headline, or copy pasting their resume summary in the about section and just using bullet points in the, you know, the script while describing their previous roles and stuff like that. So you know, and my approach is always to kind of, you know, shift that mindset and get people to understand that LinkedIn is here for you to market yourself and to really tell your story. So it’s no longer the same copy pasted version of your resume that you can just upload and sit back and wait for opportunities to just, you know, jump at you from from somewhere, it doesn’t work that way. And actually the like, when I started using LinkedIn, which was around 2016, which was exactly when Microsoft took over and things changed completely and LinkedIn transformed in a pretty unbelievable way. And then so I’ve seen, you know, I saw LinkedIn before that transition. So while it was just that plain, dry job search platform, and now I see a completely different social interactive learning experience. And I do believe that when you shift your focus to towards marketing towards interaction towards building those real, authentic, genuine connections, everything changes. And that’s how it worked for me. And you know, I can talk like for many hours about, you know, the advantages of LinkedIn and the power and what what you can or cannot do. But ultimately, I’m believing proof and the living example of how this whole thing works. Because I jumped on LinkedIn to get to know people in my industry. That’s how I met Ashley. That’s how I met a lot of other amazing professionals who are like minded, who care about the exact same things that I do, who help people who network who sell who do all kinds of amazing things. And, you know, every single opportunity that I’ve gotten since I started, I can trace it back to that day when I figured, hey, I should be here. I should use this platform. I should network with this community and I should also not be afraid to put myself out

15:00
out there and start creating content. Because I feel like when it comes to LinkedIn, I think Ashley mentioned that already, there’s a lot of like, there’s this huge stigma in terms of Ooh. So now I have to put on a tie in a suit and be all polished up and talk smart and like all of that. But you know, and if I want to create content on LinkedIn, oh my God, I need to invent something groundbreaking every single day. Because apparently, that’s what people do on LinkedIn. And it doesn’t work that way. Guys, if I can do it, you can do it. And anyone else can do it, because we all have something to share. But we all need to find the right angle and the right way to do it. Because if you just jump on there and start writing, because you feel like it. Well, that’s great. That’s better than not doing anything, but it may not get you the result that you want. But if you think about it a little bit and, you know, put on a marketer’s hat and think, Okay, how can I make sure that what I’m putting out there is interesting, is engaging, is telling my story is, you know, targeting the right kind of people that I want to get in touch with. That’s when the big shift happens. Hey, Matt, here again, after having the opportunity to briefly interview both Ashley and Anna, we get to hear some really valuable thoughts and questions from a great lineup of powderkeg members who had questions on the show and got to ask them live their questions about how to improve their profile on LinkedIn. Here’s that q&a discussion. Let’s see this first question. Yeah. And guests. Feel free to turn your your cameras on, because we’ve got guests for everybody.

16:34
This first one is for Jake, and I’m gonna invite Andrew Thompson here onto the show. Andrew, can you hear us?

16:46
Here’s Andrew, I can hear you. Yes,

16:49
I am. I’m trying to get very visual to you. Okay, with just looking at my picture since I’m invited on the spur of the moment. Yeah, you are great. Yeah. Our guests our question askers can be audio only. What’s your question for Jake, Andrew? A if I can take one quick second to give a great shout out to Matt. Matt. When I way back when I was podcasting, you are my very first guest on podcast that I had years years ago. So it’s oh my gosh, it’s great to be here. It had to be like, Oh, my gosh, probably eight or nine years ago at this point? I think it was maybe even 10. Yeah, but not that long. But, Jake, my question for you is kind of offline. From what we’re talking about today, I saw that you posted about hiring a full time VP of marketing or sales. And he said, it’s not necessarily the best way for a company to go and maybe not the best way to is there a short quick answer to what better alternatives for company trying to boost their sales through enhancing their management team looks like to you? Yeah, and yeah, obviously, you hire LinkedIn expert, right. So that’s my relevant to this. But that the side is that look, sales is the only organization that does not use experts to scale marketing, finance operations, all hire and outside experts at different stages of scaling. So sales is like, you know, here’s some here’s maybe you get some training you bring in Morgan and good luck, right? And and I feel like as we grow forward, we need an outbound optimization agency, which, you know, to optimize our outbound efforts, right, we need an agency that looks at optimizing our sales cycle at all times, sales operations, isn’t doing that sales enablement, isn’t doing that they’re looking once every six or 12 months, and we’ve got to start to run our sales organizations more like a performance organization versus a big initiative, then we kind of like set it and forget it. It’s just we can’t keep up with buyers that way. And so being able to hire expert leadership at the different stages of scaling can help you to cheat through that, versus a VP that is only relevant for you for six to seven, eight months, and then you’re on to the next one, you keep it for six months, then you go hire another one for six months, you fire that one after nine months. So I just think that there’s smarter ways to scale as we as we look forward.

19:07
To thank you, good dancer. Yeah. Our next question is from Meghan nicknames, and this is one that I think I’d be interested in everyone’s perspective on this. I’ll bring Megan here on the show, and hopefully, she can hear us Meghan can yours.

19:24
Yes, I can. Hey, welcome to the show. What’s your question for our guests today? Yeah, well, my question is that I get a lot of pressure from pretty much every organization I’ve ever worked for, to participate in their marketing initiatives on LinkedIn by like changing my cover photo or posting content that they send me and want me to post that’s related to their marketing initiatives. I’m just wondering, does this have any benefit for me other than, you know, I’m supporting my company, which I love doing, but do I get something out of that? Is there some way I can leverage that, like, how can I maximize my own benefit when I’m doing that work on behalf of my marketing team?

20:00
Anna, do you want to take first shot at this?

20:03
Sure. That’s a great question, Megan? My answer is yes, you totally can, I would say that the best way to kind of make sure that you get the most out of this is to, well, obviously, there is a certain content strategy that the company wants you to follow. But for you, there’s also space to add a personal touch to it. So instead of, you know, simply copy pasting certain templates or messages that they’re giving you, you can also use your voice and use this as an opportunity to start building that voice. Because there’s one thing about supporting your employer and sharing the content that you know, that they see as strategic or relevant or whatever. But there is another side to it of you adding your voice and making sure that somehow you create your own twist, and you express those similar ideas and similar thoughts from the way you see it. And that would be a great practice for you to start building some initial traction, getting people interested and just also practice some writing. Because if you eventually want to strengthen your personal brand on LinkedIn, it doesn’t happen right away. It doesn’t happen immediately. So it takes some practice, and it takes some time. And I would say, take this as the opportunity to do that.

21:15
Morgan, is there are there any great company campaigns that you’ve seen

21:20
work really well, in terms of companies that have engaged their entire employee base, to really make an impact on LinkedIn? I think the company that, that they don’t do as much anymore, but drift, drift did a fantastic job doing this, they would have everybody be like, alright, this is the campaign that we’re running. And they would have people doing videos, doing posts, posts and their own voice, just like Anna was saying. So that’s something that I would definitely be focused on when your company is like, Hey, here’s the content, we need you to go put out, it’s like, cool, I’ll just add my own context around that. So it isn’t just another post that’s out there. And as part of the noise, it’s something that will stand out. So yeah, drift, drift did it the best, they were really, hey, there’s a campaign and they would have every single person do a video, but it was in their voice and it stood out.

22:03
I love that. Ashley, anything you’d add to that,

22:07
I would say just kind of echo what the others have said already, it’s just making sure that you put whatever it is, you’d have some bit of your voice in there, instead of the copy paste, I think, you know, people are smart enough to know, when it’s just a copy and paste, because they’ve seen other people do it because LinkedIn will there the algorithm is set up, it will throw five different posts in there that have the same content on them. So you know, just really finding that individuality. And then if you see somebody who has who has a question or something like that, try to be the, you know, the one that responds, so that people, you know, acknowledge you as a thought leader, or someone who’s very knowledgeable at the company. So there’s a way for you to have still that individuality while you’re supporting the company. And you know, trying to be as

22:50
I guess, to blend in with it with the company, but standing out at the same time, if that makes any sense at all. But But yeah, you know, you want to keep them with the, you know, the st marketing scheme. But you know, you want to stand out as an authority on that as well. I appreciate that. That’s good context, as well. And you said the buzzword there, which is algorithm. And, Jake, you touched on this a little bit earlier.

23:13
Jake, given the other perspective on the LinkedIn algorithm, and what’s kind of your philosophy on the algorithm, do you play to the algorithm, you try to chase the algorithm? Do you kind of stay tried and true, and I would love everyone’s perspective on this, feel free to, to weigh in. It’s both meaning, you know, it’s about understanding it. And but also about like, like video, for example, under indexes, big time on LinkedIn, massively, right? If you want to get likes and engagement, don’t post videos, unless it’s a meme video about a soldier meeting his daughter for the first time, or a woman walking for the first time, then your video get a lot of traction. But but it doesn’t mean you don’t do it. Because you got to think about you’re building an audience, you’re building a name for yourself and a reputation in your industry. And so video gives people different touch points. So I know when we put out a video, you know, we put out an audio, whatever it is, it’s not going to do quite as well. So for us, it’s a mix. Yes. Like I said, we tried 37 Emojis then we’re trying these texts. It’s like we’re trying to understand it, but it doesn’t mean that every post is a pander to the algorithm. Right. And, and I feel like that’s the because you want to create community diversity and types of content ways to interact. So so that’s how we approach it, it’s scaled.

24:23
And then their perspectives there. I have a perspective Jake and I were talking about this the other night so my My thing is, you know, I’ve been studying it. I’ve been looking at it I’ve been analyzing it as well. Jake is correct about the videos however, it’s having a mix of content was Jake is saying and so just because your video isn’t getting a lot of views, that doesn’t mean that it’s not valuable. I truly believe that the views of the video are more valuable than sometimes your text post views and here’s why. So when you see someone on video, it creates a relation with them. So when I started a YouTube

25:00
Channel, like years ago, people felt like they knew me. And I’m like, yo, I don’t know you. But the thing is, is I created so many videos that I created that affinity that bond with the viewer. So even though it’s not getting a lot of views, I wouldn’t say don’t do video, I would say added as part of your strategy. But do more short form posts. I’ve been playing around with this too. And the highest engagement posts that I’ve had so far, it literally was a sentence. And it blew up. And I was like, Alright, cool, I guess it’s 1000 likes, they like short form, tweet like content. And then also, pictures have high engagement with context around it also are great to put, and the algorithm likes that as well. So these are just things to consider when you’re looking at the algorithm. And this is what I have seen successful success with. And also other people that I know are seeing success with it as well. And the also just telling your story, just as I was talking about earlier, is critical as well.

25:51
And Anna and Ashley, were talking about, you know, getting views getting in front of people. And that maybe makes sense in a sales role. Can you talk about maybe the context of like, why you want to be posting, even if you’re not actively searching for a job right now, in terms of your career?

26:09
Well, I can definitely jump in. And just, you know, first of all, I want to echo what Morgan just said in terms of the algorithm, I mean, I’m a nerd for like understanding LinkedIn and playing with the algorithm. So I love studying it. But you need to remember why you are on LinkedIn in the first place. Because like, I share a ton of posts in all kinds of formats. And some of them get really high engagement. But they but that’s it. So I get views, I get exposure, I get some likes. That’s great, you know, but that’s it. But when it comes to video, yeah, it’s definitely underrated by the algorithm. And I don’t get that many likes, but video has brought me some of my best clients. And it actually helped me to create a more personal relationship with my audience. So my point would be video is really good for your visibility, although it does not have the same reach as a text post. And it will be underrated by the algorithm. But that’s when people actually start seeing you like the real you behind that text. So if you want to create that deeper connection, and that a little bit deeper, meaning behind all of this, I would say definitely include video as part of your strategy. Do not of course, rely 100% on just video or just tax. So like Morgan was saying, it’s always good to like mix format up and make sure that you diversify that strategy. But my point is, you know, likes are good. But are you on LinkedIn just for likes? Or are you there for real connections, leads, relationships and results. Because for that, it’s not the number of likes that matter. Sometimes people would see my video, they wouldn’t even show any kind of reaction to it. But then in two days, they’re messaging me saying, hey, what you said, they’re really, you know, brought it home to me, you nailed it, I want to work with you. So that’s how it works. Algorithm is great for it. Remember, why are you on LinkedIn?

28:02
Ashley, anything you’d add to that? Yeah, absolutely. When you asked the question, you know, initially, like, why would somebody need to, you know, to post on LinkedIn, why would they, you know, why would they need to do that, especially as job seekers, it’s because you want to, for one, let LinkedIn know that this is a live profile. You know, it’s easy for you to get this, you know, and I have to tell my clients this all the time, like, yeah, we can pretty up your profile all you want to, but if you’re not using it effectively, your results are going to fizzle out after that first week, because LinkedIn is gonna say, Aha, we’ve got a live profile. Now we’re going to show it to some people and bring some attention to it now you let it go stay over, you know, for the next three, four months, and you know, of course, nobody’s gonna reach out to you because again, your profile is stale. So you want to keep activity especially if you’re connected to recruiters, because a lot of times that would determine whether or not I would reach out to somebody if I saw that they had recent activity, then I know that they have a far You know, I have a far better chance of getting them to respond to my message because they’ll see it because I’ve been on LinkedIn you know, so active is always better. You don’t have to spend a lifetime on LinkedIn, you can post maybe once or twice a week you know, join other conversations join groups, you know have you know ask questions, you know, you can tag people there are a lot of ways that you can get more views on your you know, on your profile. But again, as Anna and others have said, you want to be very strategic because you have to remember why you’re there you’re there to be found if you’re looking for a job so you need to do some things that draw more attention draw more traffic to your to your profile the same way that someone who is in sales and marketing will be trying to draw traffic to their their website, you know, for purchases and things so you definitely want to keep the profile active and understand that you know, it’s going to take activity you have to like and engaged for people to like and engage you know, with your content. You know, you can’t expect for everybody to you know, you can’t expect to get get get you have to give attention in order for you to get attention back. So that’s great advice. I want to wrap up here with with all of our guests with

30:00
Lightning round your top 10 Second tip.

30:04
And powderkeg is all about the untapped potential in tech communities beyond Silicon Valley. We have an amazing community here. Jake, would you start us off with your 10? Second top tip for LinkedIn? 10 second top tip, 10 seconds. Okay, I got it. Alright. So for me, look, here’s what I’ll say, when you google your name, there’s a very high likelihood LinkedIn is the number one result. And you have a digital presence, you have a reputation, whether you want to pay attention to not to it or not. And so all of you are in this game for the long haul. You’re building a career and a life. And the network that you build on LinkedIn is unlike anything you’ll ever be able to build physically. And so my advice like that is is the number one reason your reputation is digital. You have to get involved. And, Jake, if people want to find you online, what’s the best way to connect? I mean, I’ve got to say LinkedIn, right? Yeah. I mean, it’s pretty simple to shake Dunlap do and LAPD, right, go check us out. Again, you can go to Jake dunlap.com, and get access to all our different social channels as well, as well there too. And thanks again. Thanks again for having me on. It was really good to meet all of you as well, too. That’s absolutely Thanks for Thanks for being here. Jake. Morgan, what’s your top tip for LinkedIn? use LinkedIn video and the LinkedIn voice messages. I’ve been yelling about this for like years. Alright, if you use the LinkedIn videos and the LinkedIn voice messages, you’ll get people to connect with you more, you’ll get more meetings, and you’ll connect with people that probably that were not responding to you in the first place. So LinkedIn videos, LinkedIn voice messages, that’s my hot tip. We’ve seen conversions from 2030 40% and on by using this technique. So that’s, that’s my go to tip right there.

31:40
I love that. I have not tested the waters there yet, Morgan. So this is going to be me tipping the scale and I’m gonna let you know how it goes. Alright, man. And where can people find you, Morgan? Yeah. So LinkedIn, super simple. Morgan J. Ingram, on LinkedIn if you want to connect, and you have any further questions. Awesome, man, thanks for being here today. Absolutely.

32:02
Ashley, what’s your top tip for LinkedIn?

32:05
I would say be authentic. Be your authentic self, no matter what, if you’re looking for a job. Understand that hiring managers and recruiters hire people that they know like and trust. So if I can’t get to the bottom of who you are, and you’ve copied and pasted your resume into your profile, your resume is not you. Your resume is just a summary of what you’ve done. People want to know about you. So don’t be afraid to add some personality, some flair, you know, to your about section, that’s what is there for maximize those 2000 or 2600, whatever it is these days. maximize those characters maximize the headline, there’s 120 characters for you to show your personality. You know, stand out, don’t blend in, you know, just be authentic. That’s great advice. And where can people find you, Ashley? On LinkedIn, Ashley J. Watkins. And on social media, I’m bright step resumes everywhere.

32:57
You all pass the test so far, LinkedIn is the place to connect.

33:02
Anna, well, what’s your tactic for LinkedIn? I would say that if you’re a little bit overwhelmed with everything that we’ve been talking about today, and it feels like too much start by, you know, networking in comments under other people’s posts, don’t think that networking is just you have to actually message somebody has to be awkward, it has to be cold. It doesn’t start with commenting under the posts that you can relate to that seem interesting. And take it from there. And you might be surprised how many awesome conversations and awesome relationships have been started in comments under the content that you see in your newsfeed.

33:41
That’s great advice. And where can people find you, Anna,

33:44
on LinkedIn, what are surprised, I’m there daily. So please feel free to reach out and connect. You can also find me on YouTube. Like I said, I’m growing that channel. There’s a ton of info on optimizing your profile using LinkedIn, and anything job search related. I appreciate you sharing that we’re going to make sure we share the link to your YouTube channel. And for all of our guests today, we’ll share all the links to their social profiles, some of my favorite content that they’ve put out over the years some of their best advice that they’ve shared, I really highly recommend that you add all of them on LinkedIn follow and engage in what they’re sharing because each of these guests today have their own kind of social community that is engaged with their content. And I guarantee you that they’re going to be welcoming of you. If you’re here on the show. You’re wanting to learn wanting to learn to better engage on LinkedIn. I highly encourage you these four guests are great place to plug in highly active sharing the best stuff, testing a lot. And so you can learn a lot from them just by engaging with them every day or to Ashley’s point twice a week. You know, you don’t have to dive in the deep end on day one.

34:53
And if you’re not already spend a little bit of time on LinkedIn each week is a great place to do it. And these people are some of the

35:00
The very best, if not the very best. That’s it for today’s show. Thank you so much for listening. Also huge thank you to Ashley walk ins and Angela Cova. Go check them out at right step resumes.com. And CD labs.ca. For links to their social profiles and all the other people, companies and resources mentioned in this episode, head on over to pattern k.com and check out the show notes. We’re going to be doing a lot more virtual events like the one that you just heard you actually just heard a snippet of one of our virtual events. So be sure to check out upcoming live streams with community q&a and expert advice at powderkeg.com/events. And if you’re currently in the market for finding a new role powderkeg can connect you with awesome tech companies between the coasts that are growing like crazy. Right now you can apply for our free matches platform@powderkeg.com slash jobs. Matches has a specialized focus on the tech hubs outside of Silicon Valley so you can easily navigate this opportunity packed landscape for potential. Our job matching platform leverages 1000s of participants, employers and teams within our ecosystem to get you connected directly to decision makers shortcutting the hiring process, it’s totally the way to go if you’re looking for a new gig. Apply today for matches at powderkeg.com/jobs. And to be among the first to hear the stories about entrepreneurs, investors and other tech leaders outside of Silicon Valley. Subscribe to us on iTunes at patreon.com/itunes. We’ll catch you next time on the powder keg podcast.