The other day I restarted my 2018 series in a first-in-a-three-part-program teaching underemployed baby boomers how to use LinkedIn for their job search at a social services agency. It’s pro bono work, entering my 8th year, and I choose to offer this to Westchester Jewish Community Services’ very effective Career>Connect program, in my effort to help others in the best way I know.
(I just wish there were a thing called LinkedIn back in the day of my being between jobs many years ago.)
Often the attendees sit in the class with the deer-in-the-headlights look when I start my shtick about why you have to master LinkedIn better than the competition. Like they don’t have enough on their proverbial plate!
Well, this is a group to remember, in a very good way. Each a strong personality with the self-confidence to be heard and want to understand. They continually challenged me, wanting to fully explore my points, asked really astute questions, and found connectivity and inspiration among themselves, not just from me. I was quite impressed, as I told the program manager, my friend and colleague Jill Schreibman.
I had to teach at a deeper level, at a pace and quality that I love challenging myself.
And I had a blast. They seemed to also.
At the end of the 90 minutes, I was spent, mentally, voice hoarse, mind surging about the next session in a week, and that was a great feeling.
Why am I telling you this? Because you enter a room of people, need to “read” them and adapt your expertise to the situation. And when you bring the attendees to a level higher than they expected, everyone wins.
Now they can be “amazing-er,” as I like to say…I will push in 2 more sessions to get them all there.
The rest is up to them, to carry forth my coaching concepts to their personal LinkedIn profiles, to their interviews, and into their next career position.
