Edit your LinkedIn URL, Optimize your Job Search, Live your Dreams – October 2016

Brand Career Management Monthly Tip Sheet

Oddly enough, all of this month’s posts are from the New York Times (NYT). Even though I was born in the Big Apple, it is merely coincidental. However, I will say this . . . that the NYT has a leg up because I am dissuaded to share from sites that require you to sign in or limit the number of times you can read their posts without subscribing. Thankfully, thus far, I have not found that the NYT does these things. Please let me know if you experience differently. Maybe in the future they will all do this?

Finally, I did want to acknowledge that we had a glitch with the first issue of the MTS which prevented some people (though not everyone) from being able to directly reply to my inaugural issue. Thanks to those of you who made me aware of it. That should be fixed now and our IT folks have thoroughly re-tested again, so in the future it should work.

As always, best wishes to you on your career journey!

Paula

P.S. I only want to send things to those who want to receive them. If you want to unsubscribe at any time, please follow the instructions at the bottom of this message.

Personalize the URL for your LinkedIn profile page! In case you didn’t know, the URL is the web address that lands someone onto your LinkedIn profile page. For example, my LinkedIn URL is: http://www.linkedin.com/in/paulabrandcareers. In terms of being found online, the best customization results from using your name. However, that may not be possible if many others share your name (that’s why I added “careers” at the end of mine). Hopefully you’re thinking: “I’ve already done this!” If not, read my blog post http://paulabrand.com/blog to find out how and why you should. It truly only takes a few minutes to customize your URL.

FYI in recent months, I’ve noticed a glitch with LinkedIn and URL customization. Sometimes you have done everything correctly, but it doesn’t take the first time. After you think you’ve successfully updated your URL, check your profile to see if the new URL shows correctly. If not, do the same steps one more time and it should take on the second try.

After you have obtained your “vanity” URL and you’re ready to drive traffic to your profile page, be sure to use your personalized URL in your branding efforts (résumé, electronic signature, business cards, other social media profiles, etc.).

JOB SEARCH
In Dear Abby style, this Workologist column of the New York Times (NYT) offers two examples of search engine optimization (SEO) or more specifically “résumé optimization” and how they affect your job search.

Tara Siegel Bernard of the NYT echoes some of Workologist’s advice on using keywords, and shares a few more excellent job search tips for today’s electronic world.

LIVING YOUR DREAMS
Cornell Professor Robert H. Frank makes the argument that salary isn’t everything and why following your passion could pay off in happiness, though maybe not financially speaking.

This article offers lighthearted and inspiring words about living your dreams. His post focuses on travel dreams but you can apply it to your career dreams. I’m not suggesting a coin toss to decide your next career, but I am suggesting that you give some perspective to your career decision because the next job you do will not be forever.