9 Steps to a Better LinkedIn Profile
I apparently am not a follower of these best practices and perhaps I need to get my behind in gear…the balance for me between marketing and fact is tough when looking at Social Media…but honestly, I see other people’s profiles and they are certainly more exciting than mine…maybe I’m just boring. But if you are competing for budgets or attention, I guess you would be well served to consider some of the tips in this blog post.
Profile pic - OK, I need to update mine :)
Snappy headline? OK I need to update that
Relevant Workplace Experience - Check
Skills - likely need to make that better
Edit URL - What???? Makes sense
Add Certificates - nothing but gift certificates here…
Ask for recommendations - I always feel weird with this, but it’s relevant…need to do more of this.
Publish articles - I could do more of this…I have lots of opinions…and opinions are like…
Optimize search visibility - if you’re in the system, you might as well learn to manipulate it…
Common Social Security Misconceptions
The LA Times called out some misconceptions that we should be aware of and feel at ease about when thinking about Social Security. The columnist Liz Weston wrote an article in question and answer format. There are some good questions AND answers indeed.
Can one suspend, and should one suspend? Or would you pay back your social security benefit because of a new job? IN that section there are some cool calculators too. But as she notes, it’s ALWAYS important to check with your financial advisers before making complex decisions. There are also some other good examples of common misconceptions that people have about social security and potential taxes you might be responsible for when you return to the workforce in retirement.
Direct tuition payments or trust? A shorter question, but more direct towards the pros and cons of paying grandkids tuition directly or in trust.
Battling Ageism on College Campuses - USC
This article in the Daily Trojan, a publication on the campus of the University of Southern California caught my eye not only because of the headline around Ageism, but also because it called out how many STUDENTS on the campus are actually 40 years or older - remembering that even in a college atmosphere there are large numbers of middle-aged or elder students coming together with younger peeps.
They said there are over 2,500 college students over the age of 40 wandering the halls of academia (excluding faculty). They also called out other interesting stats like 1,200 military personnel enrolled each semester, etc. What we generalize as an image of a “college” isn’t necessarily the truth when you start to look at the individuals that make up the undergrad and grad universe. It’s good to see some of the young reporters calling out some of the misperceptions or stigmas that might be associated with attending higher education later in life, but I would argue that rather than avoid topics (like life path), we might want to be willing to address questions more openly. Hopefully we can all let our defensive walls down a bit and recognize curiosity as just that, curiosity. Sometimes a blunt, albeit not sensitive, question might get the most meaningful response and help combat misconceptions rather than remaining silent and simply believing what “we” think…
