The Quitter Chronicle: Life without Facebook - Week 4

I feel like I should have been more specific about the parameters around 'quitting' Facebook.

New friends, new connections

Over the past week or so I have made a few new friends, and it was a joy to be able to connect with them through Facebook - to add more the little I already knew about them. I also posted a party invite there.

So I find myself checking in about once every few days to see if someone has a question.

Finding moments of peace

But I'm not trawling constantly whenever I have a spare minute while waiting at the traffic lights or in the coffee queue. Instead I run an errand or two while the barista prepares my daily hit. Or I reply to a text. Or I just stand and enjoy a moment of doing anything.

I've stopped reading people's updates - not that I don't care, but that the updates will happen when I read them or not and no-one ever had their day made, or ruined, over whether I 'liked' their status or not.

I'm enjoying the space I have created. I may well stay like this when the end of February rolls around.

The Quitter Chronicle: Life without Facebook - Week 3

www.billabongretreat.com.au

I’m three weeks into my eight week challenge of no Facebook.

 

Again, I’ve found the need to go back onto Facebook – a need which sprang from a space that had no wifi, no pressure to be on the internet. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

 

I went on a three day yoga and meditation retreat at the beautiful Billabong Retreat. For three days I ate nothing but organic, vegetarian food, yoga and meditation every day and a massage overlooking a billabong surrounded by towering gum trees and water lilies in full bloom.

 

So why the desire to connect on Facebook? I met people on the retreat that I had a great time talking to. We helped educate each other about food and wellness. When it came to saying goodbye to these wonderful people, it seemed that the logical way was to connect on Facebook.

 

So I did. I went back on.

 

Once the seal was broken I drifted back to it again in an idle moment, but found that most of the news and updates weren’t as interesting as I had once found them.

 

I also went back onto Facebook as I’m hostinging a party, and Facebook is the best place for setting up events and inviting people. Within the day I had about a third of my invitees accept, which I think was faster than it would have been by email, and certainly by phone.

 

What I am finding is that Facebook is not having the same role in my downtime than it used to. I’m still on Pinterest quite a bit. I’ve been watching Youtube videos. But I don’t check my phone every time I stop at the lights as I walk across town. And whether it’s because of the peace I feel after Billabong Retreat, or the absence of Facebook, but I am feeling a bit more space in my head at the moment.

 

Space to let in things like this Pharrell Williams song (yes, I know it’s being overplayed, but that won’t stop me from loving it!)

 

Anatomy of a LinkedIn Profile

I’ve been meaning to update my LinkedIn profile. I’ve started working with some international colleagues and it’s helpful for them to get as much info as they can about who I am, and vice-versa.

Also – it’s a good idea to update your profile every 12 months or so. It can even help with your current role as opportunities may open up that are aligned with, and can build on, your previous experience. Businesses might also approach you with products that are better aligned to your needs. 

I’ve also been a bit overwhelmed when I look at optimising my profile – so I thought it would be helpful to break it down into smaller pieces. 

In fact, 14 smaller pieces . . . I present to you my ‘Anatomy of a LinkedIn Profile’:

1.    Photo – self explanatory.

2.    Headline – Describes you, not nessecarily your position. 

3.    Contact info – include as many channels as possible so that people you’re available through their preferred channel. 

4.    Activity – This is where your LinkedIn posts are listed. It’s a way to remind your connections that you are there, and to position you as an expert (or at the very least – a professional who is passionate about their chosen field of work!). 

5.    Summary – Here’s a chance for people to get a sense of your ‘voice’ from the way you talk about yourself. Include lots of keywords. Include contact details here too so that people who are not in your network can still contact you regarding the business you’re currently in. This can also be helpful to potential new clients who want to reach you but don’t nessecarily want to share all their info by becoming a connection. Be sure to include media: examples of your work. Even better if they have some images as it will help break up the page. 

6.    Experience - A chronological listing of your work history. Don’t be afraid to include a lot of detail, so long as it is relevant and you include keywords, sub headings and lists.

7.    Projects – here’s where you can go into detail about specific projects. This helps highlight your capabilities and that of your employers (past and present). 

8.    Skills and Expertise - This is where others can endorse you for skills and experience. It only works if you have lots of people who endorse you – which usually happens when you endorse others. The ‘endorse’ function on Linkedin is very ease to use. 

9.    Education - Here’s where you list all your education including short courses

10.    Recommendations - A text-based testimonial from someone who has worked with you, and a richer endorsement of you as a professional. Again – works best if you recommend others and others recommend you. 

11.    Test results – I don’t have any of these on my profile at the moment – but here’s where you can list IQ or personality tests that might help future employers get a sense of the person you are as a team member or manager. Some of the best profiles I’ve seen have included lots of test results. 

12.    Connections - Connect. Connect. Connect. The more you have, the higher your klout rating and the harder you make Linkedin work for you. If we’re all just 6 connections from Kevin Bacon, you want to make sure you have as many feelers out there as possible. I connect with people I meet at BBQs, friends of friends, colleagues, classmates, past colleagues, the list goes on, as it should. If you never know where a connection will lead, you want to be sure to make it as easy as possible for people to find you. 

13.    Groups - A good way to demonstrate your commitment to your craft – but don’t join groups you have no intention of interacting with. 

14.    Following - The groups you follow indicate your personal and professional interests. 




In the coming weeks I will be updating my profile, and compiling a blog post about how to optimise each section of a LinkedIn profile.