Channukah Hints, Jewrican Factoids #6: Show your passion!

It seems that within the last two years or so, LinkedIn went from being this weird little site that no one quite knew what to do with, to a powerhouse networking device. I personally love the way LinkedIn demonstrates everyone's connection to everyone else. It gives the people, who really understand the art of networking, tremendous opportunity and ability. I would even suggest that LinkedIn has sped up my business development by years.  LinkedIn in the hizz-house, yo!
But unfortunately, it appears that many people think that LinkedIn is just another, slightly more serious, version of Facebook. Or, so they treat it.
I'm talking about people who have photos of themselves that are out-of-focus, or "interesting," or no photo at all. (It is LinkedIn people, not OkCupid or AshleyMadison. Your spouse won't freak out.) Or, when I run across people who have 300, or even 500+ connections...and they're unemployed, or under-employed, or their resume is full of gaps. You have 500 connections and you don't have a staff job? Who exactly are these 500 people you know? Where did you meet them? I'm going to argue that if you have 500 connections, and your career isn't en fuego, then you're adding people who have no emotional relevancy to you or your career search, which suggests to me that you haven't fully defined your career search, which means you're wasting your time at these "networking events." This makes my inner 1980s fly girl come out, "Are joo for serious, papi?"
I also get cranky about people--frequently the same misguided people-- who have 400 connections and no information in the summary section of their profile. Or maybe just one irrelevant sentence. The cherry on top being a description of themselves as "Entrepreneur" or "Media Professional" or "Talented Writer" or "Consultant." Translation: Unemployed. Or at least, that's how it looks to the rest of us and HR.
You might as well describe yourself as "Fun at Parties," or "Looks Great in a Bikini," or "Doesn't Get 'The Muppets.'" Is it just that you don't want a career? I don't mean to sound like your mom but come on: help me to help you! Because, as someone who excelled in network news for ten years, I truly have no idea what a "media professional" is. And I suspect that you don't either.
Your LinkedIn profile can be an amazing source of positive free advertising, and useful connections...but only if you allow it to be. Only if you let it reflect your passion for your career, and explain who you are, what you've done and what you look forward to doing. It's that simple: craft a LinkedIn profile that anyone can read and afterwards think, "Wow." Not, "....wait, I don't...is this a joke?"
So if, for example, there is a gap between your college graduation and your first job, yeah you need to address it. You needed to address it yesterday. If you link to a website that is not your own...? Don't make me angry; you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.
Or those people who have a summary, but write things like: "looking forward to new opportunities to shine." Um, okay. Is the Opportunities Fairy supposed to read that and figure out, on your behalf, what those opportunities might be and grant them?
Instead, how about you consider your past work experience and extrapolate from that what you might be good at? Then, go through your 400+ connections, and see who might be able to help you...? (I know, I know: why am I introducing logic into this scenario? What's that about?)
The long and short of all this is: your LinkedIn profile can be a tremendous asset...or it can explain exactly why you're career is stalled. Please choose door number one. Read it often and tweak it. Read the profiles of people whom you admire and see what makes their profiles great. Have your friends read your profile and be honest. Rinse and repeat.
Jewrican Factoid #6: Three Kings Day, January 6th, was always my favorite holiday, since by then, all of my friends would be slightly depressed because the holiday/present season was over. Not for me! Also we used to leave out hay for the Three Kings' horses and one time, I heard munching. Overwhelmed, I ran into the living room...to surprise my pet rabbit, Newspaper, eating all the hay.

I read this article http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303714704576383641752966666.html?KEYWORDS=lawyers+settle#articleTabs%3Darticle, “Lawyers Settle…for Temp Jobs” in the WSJ and was infinitely depressed. Not that it’s a new idea—overeducated people demeaning their talents and skills, because they don’t understand their value, nor do they see how to make use of said skills in a difficult economy—but because it’s so prevalent.  

We all have talents, right? Yes, we all have skills, or talents that make us unique. But what many people aren’t grasping is the idea that until you acknowledge this, and understand your worth, you will, more than likely, be trying to make your skill a one-size-fits-all model…which never works.  It ends up ruining your confidence, your competency and lowering your worth. No me gusta!

So, for example, the attorneys profiled in this piece went to good law schools, probably graduated with decent, if not sterling grades, and due to the horrendous state of the economy, they believe that contract work is the best they can get. *shudder* “Each lawyer reads thousands of documents online and must quickly “code” ever one according to its relevance in litigation or an investigation. Supervisors discourage talking and breaks are limited. The computer systems count each lawyer’s speed.” (Just typing those words made my skin crawl.)

This, I think we can all agree, is not law; this is not why anyone, anywhere went to law school. By now I suppose you’re rolling your eyes and saying, “Right, but people need to eat and pay rent, so what are they supposed to do?”  Here’s the thing: we now live in a world wherein the people who will do well, are those who create. Specifically, create opportunities for themselves, and hopefully others, to advance, to use their skills and potential, to keep on creating. You can either rejoice in the freedom that offers…or , I guess, be terrified, but life goes forward and keeps getting cheaper. So, what else could these people do, besides continuing to work at jobs that offer no future, no room for personal growth and improvement, and no stability?

How about: temp by day, and do volunteer legal work in the evenings and weekends, thus creating a viable resume, enhancing your skills and networking? You think that’s a fantasy? Okay, say hi to all the partners and senior associates trolling the “coding” rooms for new talent.  Or, how about you start consulting for small smart-ups, thereby creating a client base? They can’t pay much, but you’d be using your degree, and if one of these start-ups take off…guess who gets to be senior in-house counsel with the corner office?

Or, how about you get a laptop, a Lexis-Nexis ID, a card table and make a sign “Legal Clinic” (a la Lucy Van Pelt) and take up a position on the street and start answering legal questions for $25 a pop? In NYC, you’d probably end up on the local news and publicity equals cash, so what’s your ish? You're too good for that? Right, I'm sure those associates were treating you with tons of respect...tons.

Any of those seem preferable, and all at least have the possibility of helping you network into a real career (whatever that means nowadays), that would allow you to grow your skills and achieve your goals. Be an attorney, dammit…not a coder…