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Background

Linkedin in the recent past has slowly emerged as a preferred platform for professional networking. It has added close to 20 million users since last November, which directly bears a testimony to its emergence and ever-growing popularity with professionals worldwide.

For more information on the infographics check the References section below

Limitations

However, as a professional networking tool it falls short if you do not update, and constantly monitor your profile online. Linkedin is a solid online presence management tool. It updates your peers, colleagues, and future employers on what capabilities you are currently building on. It updates them on of your achievements, honors and helps you share your credentials at a moment’s notice. Since debuting in 2002, Linkedin has come a long way in providing value to its users be it networking, sharing or using its myriad services.

Why users connect

Linkedin users connect with each other based on the value they think you will provide them and vice versa. The value can be your expertise, the news you share, the links you post online, the company you belong to and so on. Linkedin has a no-nonsense approach when it comes to adding a connection. It is not easy adding people and sometimes randomly adding people and too many subsequent rejections can result in a “suspension” warning from the service provider. I feel this is one of the reasons the service is still 1/5^th the size of Facebook but its current user base number 150 million in itself huge when it comes to a bonafide marketplace of professionals belonging to diverse sectors across the globe.

Linkedin – your online asset

The essence of getting it right on Linkedin is putting your best foot forward without overdoing it while at the same time not (never) selling yourself short. If done with due diligence, your Linkedin profile can be an asset you can rely on for jobs, growth and connecting with the right people.

All content you worked hard at – writing, re-writing, and pruning from time to time will work 24×7 for you. And an up-to-date profile will make it easier for you to share quickly with your peers, or recruiters in case there is a job opening.

Why people sometimes choose not to connect

Personally, I do not connect if I do not see a lot of activity in someone’s profile. Few things, which give a solid clue are:

• Photo - Photos make it slightly personal. All the more reason you should have a presentable photos in your profile.
• Number of connections – Less number of connections also means less activity. People with 150 or less are people who also don’t bother logging in and reaching out in their network.
• Amount of content – You operate lean with little or no content either on you, your current profile, positions you have held or a summary of your overall experience summary. Less information equals less inclination to connect because people don’t see the value.

The basics

Linkedin has a lot of components that need to be worked on before your profile is up and ready. While Linkedin has it all organized, you need to make sure you fill in the right content that is relevant to and accurate to your profile. While editing your profile you will see the following subsections:

• Skills & Expertise
• Education
• Honors and Awards
• Certifications
• Experience
• Courses
• Recommendations
• Publications
• Organizations
• Projects
• Languages
• Summary
• Additional information
• Groups and associations
• Applications
• Contact advice

Note: If you are logged in on Linkedin right now click on the ‘Improve your profile’ tool for a walk through for
completing your profile.

Your content

Your content is majorly text since Linkedin has kept media such as photos on your profile to a minimal unlike other social media websites and online presence services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. However, it does provide options that add color to your online presence in a strictly professional sense. Applications such as WordPress, Google Presentation, SlideShare Presentations, Reading List by Amazon and others designed for specific sectors such as real estate and legal can be added to your profile.

Objective

Your objective at the time of writing or filling out your Linkedin profile should be to present content in a:

• Clear
• Concise
• Compelling
• Credible, and
• Reader-centric manner

What to avoid

A lot of articles have been written on the buzzwords that should be avoided in your Linkedin profile. Some of the common ones I have noticed apart from the usual are:

• Keen
• Accomplished
• Out-of-the-box
• Expertise
• Expert
• Excellent
• Excellence
• Intuitive

What to avoid once more

Common buzzwords apart from the ones listed above as per Linkedin’s top overused buzzwords in 2011 are:

• Creative
• Effective
• Organizational
• Extensive experience
• Track record
• Motivated
• Innovative
• Problem solving
• Communication skills
• Dynamic

Infographic

The company recently released an infographic on which words feature in which geography the most:

Linkedin Series:

This is the fifth in a series of short essays on Linkedin that will talk about how to make the best use of this service for your professional networking needs, finding jobs, expanding your network, integrating and using the proper settings for your social media channels, and optimizing and maintaining an online profile.

• Linkedin – An Overview
• Linkedin – Products Overview
• Linkedin Signal – Linkedin Signal – Find out who’s hiring and what’s happening in your network?
  
• Linkedin Today – Stay informed, Stay Updated. Now.
• Article update – Linkedin now has 150 million members
• Understanding and optimizing your Linkedin Profile – The basics (currently reading)

Disclaimer

All content in text form is my own except where attributed to the respective authors/owners/creators. The image copyrights of the infographics lie with the respective owners. The sources for the infographic have been mentioned under the References section below.

All content presented in text or image form does not represent the positions, strategies, or opinions of my current or future employer.

The author of this essay/post has not received any remuneration for endorsing or writing favorably about this product or service. Thank you.

For more information on the infographics and the source check the References section below

Copyright and Licensing

Third party copyrights and attributions

References

Infographics featured in this essay have been sourced from the Linkedin official company blog and Visual.ly – a community for sharing infographics and data visualizations. I have listed below the title, link below for your reference.

¹Linkedin Top overused buzzwords in Linkedin Profile. Visit link.

²Linkedin Quick Facts. Visit Visual.ly link.

³Linkedin Q3 Reports. Visit Visual.ly link.

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• Linkedin Signal – Find out who’s hiring and what’s happening in your network
• The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Mastering LinkedIn
• 8 Ways Employees Can Improve Your Company’s LinkedIn Presence

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Pinterest Logo

Why the interest in Pinterest?

Off late Pinterest has been generating a lot of interest online. Mashable recently ran an article stating that the brand new social media phenomenon drove more traffic than Google+, YouTube and Linkedin combined. That is quite a stat if you consider the players that have been bested have either been around for a long time or are backed by tech giants like Google and Linkedin.

Background

Pinterest has been in beta stage for over two years now. I recently stumbled across the service and requested an invite to see what is in store and what the squeaky clean social media service has to offer.

Overview

The service is simple and user friendly. Sharing is the key and having good content on your board is what will determine the number of followers you will have in the future.

I started using Pinterest as recently as two weeks back. The way I go about it is by having a Pin Itbookmarklet on my browser Bookmarks bar for quick pinning.

I love photography, design, infographics and anything related to the visual medium. Pinterest pulls up such media easily from any website automatically grabbing the source link so that the original creator is credited. Pinterest helps me pin and organize the content by boards and share across its platform to other Pinterest users who can then repin the content, share and so on. Pinterest also allows me to embed the content I pinned on my blog or website (example below).

For more information on the infographics check the References section below

Pinterest for me is a nifty organizer of things like photos, infographics, and videos. I also tried pinning a few articles from my blog to “What I write about” board on Pinterest. However, the service did not grab the content despite having a few small sized images in the post. I had to embed a video to coax the service to take up the content and help me pin it on Pinterest.

User interface

The user interface is simple and usability is straightforward. One can add a pin, upload a pin or create a board. Pinterest gives the user an option to repin, like and comment on existing pins and follow other users. Users can follow boards from other Pinterest users too.

Board

A board functions as a collection of similar content. Users name boards according to the content they wish to organize. My Pinterest account has Infographics, Stuff I write about, Photos I like, and so on.

The difference

The concept is the same. Sharing, sharing, and more sharing. The major difference is the way the clutter I find on popular social networks (err….content) is presented – in a visually appealing manner. Pinterest as it describes itself is a virtual pinboard. What I liked most about the site is the simplicity and ease of organizing information I found useful online.

Who can and should use Pinterest?

Pinterest is a visual tool. A blessing for designers, photographers, and people who work in some capacity or the other in the visual medium department. However, Pinterest can also serve as a giant inspiration tool for writers, bloggers, and creative folks who need a fresh perspective set in a soothing grid like form J What I like most about Pinterest is the amount of information I can absorb at a glance.

I am heavy into photography. I like design, books, film, and anything that has to do with creativity in general. Pinterest is my go-to-place for all things people have shared and things I can like, comment, re-pin, re-share, and collect for future reference.

Organizing images, videos and ol’ infographics

Infographics are something I absolutely like and love. I have collected quite a few over the past few months. However, after a while the whole process became cumbersome. The same holds for photos and videos. Pinterest takes care of that aspect. Frankly speaking, I like the way information is organized in the interface.

The only downside here is, if the creator pulls down the image or if the website shuts down, I am guessing it will disappear from your Pinterest board also.

Overall, the way the information is organized and the ease with which I can sift through, I would not mind if a few disappear. And if it’s that important than maybe it deserves a download.

Conclusion

It is simple, easy, and you are missing a lot if you are not on Pinterest right now.

Pinterest Series:

This is the first in a series of short essays on Pinterest that will talk about how to make the best use of this service for organizing content you find online, tips and tricks, finding other pinners, and expanding your network.

• Why using Pinterest makes sense (currently reading)
  

Disclaimer

All content in text or image form on this blog is my own and does not represent the positions, strategies, or opinions of my current or future employer.

The author of this essay/post has not received any remuneration for endorsing or writing favorably about this product or service. Thank you.

Copyright and Licensing

Third party copyrights and attributions

References

Infographics featured in this essay have been sourced from Visual.ly – a community for sharing infographics and data visualizations. I have listed below the title, link below for your reference.

¹Apple Timeline. Visit link.

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Related articles

• Pinterest: 10 reasons why it will be bigger than Twitter
• Pinterest – Who’s Using It, How and Why
• Pinterest – a Flickr killer? A definite YES
• 5 Things You Need to Know About Marketing Your Business On Pinterest
• Fashion and Pinterest

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Its simple and oft ignored. Happiness and a few rules that can help us stay grounded, rooted and firm. These five rules make it worth the while when it comes to claiming your slice of happiness. Happiness is all about staying content. It does not mean letting go of ambition, rather keeping a few things in mind as we live our lives by choice.

1. Hatred – is what binds us, draws energy from us and makes us weak. Thinking continuously of someone or an entity and losing sleep never has helped or will help. Cast away the anger, give up the hatred. Breathe.
2. Worry – about the past, present or future is something we all deal in. Do the karma, script your present so that it becomes a future and a past you truly are proud of.
3. Simple living – is harder than it reads or sounds. Minimalism is liberating if practiced without going over the edge. Strike a balance, live light, live right.
4. Giving – Give someone your time. Give somebody an ear to their pain and thoughts (working on that myself). Give anything that you have in excess. Give.
5. Expect less – Expectations poison mostly everything they touch. Voicing them does more harm than good. Do not suffer silently but make sure that when you expect you need to also understand if you deserve what you expect in the first place. If not, then work toward it and be worth it. But to not voice and kill the monster if need be. Life is so much better when you do not have the millstone of expectation around your neck, ever waiting to burden someone you expect from.

Disclaimer

All content in text form is my own except where attributed to the respective author/owner/creator of the work. The image copyrights lie with the respective owner and serves only as an inspiration for this post. All content presented in text or image form does not represent the positions, strategies, or opinions of my current or future employer.

The author of this essay/post has not received any remuneration for endorsing or writing favorably about this product or service. Thank you.

Copyright and Licensing

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• Jump off
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• Dust.Sweat.Blood
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Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can ~ Arthur Ashe

I do not know of any other attitude that can get an individual further than this one. It has minimalism at its root and that is what matters. Creatives are people usually pushed to the corner, sometimes with their backs to the wall. They might have to sing an audition in torn clothes or dance the dance when asked to while their toes stick out. That’s what makes them great. Dostoevsky wrote when deep in depth.

We all wait for the latest gadgetry, or the new thing or gear that will spark us further. No. Time is of essence while your energies, motivations and will to work ebbs away. So start where you are, with what you have, doing what you do best. ~ Self

Disclaimer

All content in text or image form on this blog is my own and does not represent the positions, strategies, or opinions of my current or future employer.

The author of this essay/post has not received any remuneration for endorsing or writing favorably about this product or service. Thank you.

Copyright and Licensing

Rate, like, share and comment

Feel free to rate or like the content of this post, drop a comment and share this essay across your network on Linkedin, Google+, Facebook, or Twitter. In case you wish to follow this blog or get updates visit my Facebook page. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful day ahead.

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Related articles

• Jump off
• Fear and love
• Dust.Sweat.Blood
• Same kind of thinking
• Loss of enthusiasm
• Defer not

Disclaimer

All content in text form is my own except where attributed to the respective author/owner/creator of the work. The image copyrights lie with the respective owner and serves only as an inspiration for this post. All content presented in text or image form does not represent the positions, strategies, or opinions of my current or future employer.

The author of this essay/post has not received any remuneration for endorsing or writing favorably about this product or service. Thank you.

Copyright and Licensing

Rate, like, share and comment

Feel free to rate or like the content of this post, drop a comment and share this essay across your network on Linkedin, Google+, Facebook, or Twitter. In case you wish to follow this blog or get updates visit my Facebook page. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful day ahead.

Visit the archives page to find content by

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Related articles

• Jump off
• Fear and love
• Dust.Sweat.Blood
• Same kind of thinking
• Loss of enthusiasm
• Defer not