fbpx

Category: Networking

How to Request a LinkedIn Recommendation

Posted on by spc@outcome.life

Requesting a LinkedIn Recommendation

Utilise LinkedIn for your professional networking and development

the power of LinkedIn

Did you know as of August 2020, LinkedIn has over 706 million users?

We all know why LinkedIn is so successful – it acts as a resume to promote yourself to potential employers, colleagues, and networks. And as a platform, it makes it relatively simple for us to connect with these people. So with 706 million profiles out there, how do you make your LinkedIn profile stand out from the crowd?

The answer:

Compile a number of LinkedIn recommendations from credible people!

Wait, what is a LinkedIn recommendation? A LinkedIn Recommendation is a recommendation written by another LinkedIn member to acknowledge and highlight you as a colleague or business stakeholder. A recommendation can act as a reference for employers before they have even interviewed you. It could just be the defining factor to get you to an interview.

What are Recommendations?

Okay great, who do I ask though?

When thinking about who to ask for a LinkedIn Recommendation it is important to ask credible people.

Think Managers, Senior Managers, colleagues, direct-reports, or mentors.

The more recommendations you get from different levels will give you a well-rounded view of you as an employee, as well as a person. Ensure you also ask for recommendations from people who have worked directly with you and can provide a genuine recommendation and can indicate to what it is like to work with you. You can also think outside of the workplace, community clubs, sporting clubs committees, these networks could also give you a valuable recommendation.

What do I ask them? And how?

Do you simply just ask “Can you please give me a LinkedIn recommendation?”.

The answer is yes, but with a little more tact. Acknowledge that they may be busy and when they get a chance could they please write a recommendation.

LinkedIn also has a feature that allows you to request a recommendation, ensure you always leave a comment, or a shared experience that might act as the basis of the recommendation. If you feel nervous about directly asking for a recommendation, you could also leave them a recommendation and chances are they will write one back in return.

How and When to Ask

When is the best time to ask?

You can ask for a recommendation at any time. If you have just completed a big project successfully at work, someone could write a recommendation on you based on that project and how you helped with the project’s success. If you are leaving your job you could ask for a recommendation as an overall employee.

Any other tips?

It is important to remember, when asking for a recommendation make sure that you always provide context around your

recommendation. If you want a recommendation on your customer service, mention that in your request. If you are wanted a role in project management, identify a time you worked well on a project, who you worked with and ask that person for the recommendation.

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Recording Your Internship Experience

Posted on by spc@outcome.life

Recording Your Internship Experience

how you can use social media to your professional advantage during your internship

We love to Share

In a world of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, it seems the world is obsessed with recording every detail of our lives and sharing it with anyone who is willing to scroll and ‘Like’.

But have you ever thought about using social media to your advantage professionally?

Utilizing these mediums to capture your internship experience can also help you to engage with your colleagues, promote the company brand and even prove to future hiring managers that what you have on your resume is actually true! So, what is the best way to capture your internship experience and what should you avoid?

 

Here are some of the Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to capturing your internship experience…

What you should do

1. Politely request the permission of any supervisors or colleagues before you take a picture. There is nothing worse than someone taking a sneaky photo of you and you not knowing what they’re going to do with it!

2. Make sure you’re in the photos and you’re smiling!

3. Try and capture the company brand or logo in the picture and make sure you’re dressed professionally (again you must ask if it’s appropriate for you to do so)

4. Upload your photo and maybe even a brief article about your experience and what the company is trying to achieve

5. Tag or Hashtag the company if you’re posting on any social media sites

6. Send your images to: hello@outcome.life with a brief description of the photo and your host company

Things to Avoid

1. Don’t capture any IP or data that may not be adhering to privacy policies

2. Don’t post anything negative about the business or staff on any social media sites

3. Only post items that you have permission fromyour host company to share

4. Make sure you are following the company’s social media policies at all times. If you aren’t sure what your host company’s policy is, ask! If the company doesn’t have one, maybe you could offer to write one? (Hint: this could earn you brownie points with your supervisor!)

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

CEOs Predictions About The 2020 Workplace

Posted on by spc@outcome.life

CEOs predicted a Pandemic in 2020! But did the world listen?

Domenic Saporito examines "the 2020 Workplace", a 2010 book about the future of work and the new normal

DSC01922-2

In late 2010...

I remember reading a book titled “The 2020 Workplace”.

The book was a summary of interviews conducted by the authors Jeanne C. Meister & Karie Willyerd with hundreds of forward-thinking CEOs as they prepared to lead their businesses through the next decade.

I was so taken by what I read, I summarised the top 20 predictions of what our workplaces would look like in 2020 and passed it onto my senior staff. I told them, “If what we do doesn’t align with what is in this book, we ain’t doing it!”

Now, having plenty of time on my hands thanks to COVID-19, I took some time out to look back on the predictions of 10 years ago to see how accurate they were. Remember, some of the biggest and most successful tech businesses in existence today, like Zoom, Monday and Instagram, didn’t even exist when experts made these predictions!

But you could have knocked me over with a feather! When I re-read this stark warning in Chapter 8:

"Smart companies should prepare now for wild cards as disasters such as pandemics, terrorisom and mass climate change that will create an even greater focus on teleworking ... and migration to all forms of virtual work."
Jeanne C. Meister & Karie Willyerd
The 2020 Workplace

Creepy amazing, I think you’d agree!

So, if 100 CEOs can predict a COVID-19 type pandemic that would be the catalyst to redefine our workplaces 10 years before it happened, I wonder how accurate they were with their other predictions?

I’ll let you decide. Here are their top 20:

  1. You will be hired and promoted based on your reputational capital
    Your personal brand, expertise and the breadth, depth and quality of your social networks will be vital in getting a job in 2020.
  2. Your mobile device will become your office, your classroom and your concierge
  3. The global talent shortage will be acute
    Fast-breaking technological breakthroughs in new products and services will create a huge demand for new jobs with more complex skills.
  4. Recruiting will start on social networking sites
    Questions from employers will include: How many followers do you have on LinkedIn? How many people have recommended you on LinkedIn? Have you turned any of your followers, connections or friends into new business? Do you blog regularly about issues related to your job or industry? Have you participated in any innovation events?
  5. Web computers will force corporate offices to reinvent themselves
    Knowledge workers will increasingly elect to work at “third places”. Not at work or home, but informal public spaces such as cafes, coffee shops and coworking spaces.
  1. Companies will hire entire teams
    Instead of individuals, to tackle big business problems.
  2. Job requirements for CEOs will include blogging
    The fastest way to communicate broadly with customers and clients will be via social media (right, Donald Trump?!)
  3. The corporate curriculum will use video games, simulators and alternate reality games as key delivery models
    Corporate training will be transformed into a nimble, fun and highly collaborative experience, to develop leadership and complex critical thinking skills.
  4. A 2020 mindset will be required to thrive in a networked world Employees will communicate, connect and collaborate with one another, around the globe, using the latest forms of social media, working in virtual teams, to solve problems and create new ideas. Other mindsets needed will include: Social Participation, Global Thinking, Ubiquitous Learning, Thinking Big, Acting Fast, Constantly Improving and Embracing Cross-Cultural Power.
  5. Human resources’ focus will move from outsourcing to crowdfunding
    A bit like the open source community, rather than outsourcing problems to third-party providers or consultants, companies will empower their communities to provide solutions to their biggest problems.
  1. Corporate social networks will flourish and grow inside companies
    Millenials and Gen 2020 will demand access to external social networks. Forward-looking companies will exploit the power inherent to social networks to attract new staff, develop new skill sets, support and enhance team knowledge, drive collaboration and improve innovation.
  2. You will elect your own leader
    Companies that allow employees to elect their own leaders have become the “employers of choice”.
  3. Lifelong learning will be a business requirement
    Lifelong learning will be required to continually update one’s skills for both current and future roles
  4. Work-life flexibility will replace work-life balance
    Uber-connectivity and virtual workspaces will allow employees to choose the times of day to work that suits them.
  5. Companies will disclose their corporate social responsibility programs to attract and retain staff
    Increased focus on people, planet and profit.
about-banner
  1. Diversity will be a business issue rather than a human resources issue
    There will be a focus on multicultural talent.
  2. The lines between marketing, communication and learning will blur
    Companies will create online learning that not only teaches customers how to use their products, but builds brand loyalty along the way.
  3. Corporate app stores will offer ways to manage work and personal life better
  4. Social media literacy will be required for all employees
  5. Building a portfolio of contract jobs will be the path to obtaining permanent, full-time employment

How do you think they went? Not bad for 10 years ago! I can’t imagine trying to predict, in such detail, what the world would look like in another 10 years.

10 out of 10, or should I say 20 out of 20, to Jeanne C. Meister and Karie Willyerd and the CEOs they spoke to. I can’t wait to get my hands on “The 2030 Workplace”.

Source: Meister, J. C. & Willyerd, K. (2010). The 2020 Workplace. Harper Collins.

Domenic Saporito is the co-founder of Outcome.Life and GADA Technology. Dom has started, run and sold many businesses throughout his career, ranging in industry from property to tech, and even golf! As a business owner, product developer and chartered accountant with 15 years’ experience in the recruitment industry, Dom enjoys sharing his knowledge, insights and advice with international students looking to enter the job market in Australia.

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Have a Virtual Coffee With a Colleague

Posted on by spc@outcome.life

Having a Virtual Coffee With A Colleague

Week 3: Exceed Your Host Company's Expectations

The importance of Coffee Meetings

Going for a coffee or a drink with a colleague is a great way to build your professional network in Australia. Getting to know your teammates on a personal level, outside of the workplace, is how we build strong business relationships.

All relationships, business or otherwise, grow stronger when a personal connection is developed and nurtured. Personal connections at work build trust and enable greater productivity within the organisation.

Another thing to remember is that many people in Australia have been introduced to new clients, suppliers and even offered new jobs over coffee meetings!

A Valuable Learning Experience

Coffee meetings are a great way to start a conversation with your colleague or supervisor about their career, their professional background and how they got to where they are today. You might also learn some of the tips and trick they learned along the way, which might also help you in your own career.

The person you’re having coffee with may also ask you about yourself and your hopes and dreams for your career. Keep your answers work-appropriate and be prepared to ask follow-up questions for advise about the things you can do to get ahead.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask for a referral! By this, we mean asking your supervisor if there is anyone they could introduce you to who might be worth catching up with to explore different aspects of your industry, look to as a mentor or maybe even employment opportunities that someone in their network might have.

Virtual Coffee Meetings

Sometimes, in-person coffee meetings aren’t always possible – especially in the current COVID-19 lockdown situation! Don’t let that deter you. Send one of your colleagues an email or instant message over your workplace Slack to invite them to have coffee with you virtually.

You can both grab a drink and connect via a video conference meeting to have a conversation. Not only will you likely get some great advice, but it breaks up your routine and can give you a nice break if you are interning remotely. It will also make you feel like you are part of the team and help you to not feel lonely!

Remember, you don’t have to drink coffee to ask for or accept a coffee invitation. Your colleague won’t care if you don’t drink coffee (plus, they probably won’t even be able to see what you’re drinking! Coffee meetings are just a great way to get to know more about your host company, your colleagues and your network connections, so don’t be afraid to extend an invitation or two during your internship.

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Or get in touch with us directly via the form below!