What I learned from a LinkedIn “Fast”
I was recently challenged to stay off of LinkedIn outside of necessary work use for one week (I did it for two.)I wanted to share 4 insights I had about myself and the platform after going through this “fast”.
1) LinkedIn is truly an incredible tool
Its ability to help someone scale their professional exposure and network are unrivaled.
It was instrumental in helping me land my current role as a recruiter.
It helps me connect with candidates for the roles I work on.
It does have a shadow side...
2) LinkedIn can also just be another form of social media
The scroll is real.
I haven’t used any other social media in any meaningful capacity for years, but have often caught myself scrolling LinkedIn just like on other platforms.
The people that make it are smart! Attention is the commodity of the 21st Century and they are eager to find ways to capture yours.
Which leads me to my third insight:
3) I have a strong tendency to consume as opposed to create
It’s amazing how many books, podcasts, videos, blogs, etc. I can consume—I rarely ever take the steps to actually contribute my own thoughts to a conversation.
I know I'm not alone in this. It really comes down to my fear of rejection or not feeling like I have anything useful to share.
The outcome doesn't matter. The process does. Which brings me to my final insight for all the Medical Device professionals out there:
4) MEDICAL DEVICE ENGINEERS SHOULD BE UTILIZING LINKEDIN MORE
Truly, the work that you do and the products you work on are incredible. They are making the world a better place.
You are also working hard to equip yourself with tools and certifications that help make the products and processes more efficient and cost effective. These are amazing and I want to challenge you to start sharing more.
Some of you may not know where to start. I’d recommend you begin by following people who post in a way that you’d like to replicate.
Share about your work, your products, anything—good luck and see you on LinkedIn!
Joe Moran is a recruiter for the Oxenham Group. You can find him on LinkedIn here.