LinkedIn twists on the Great Resignation

As long as I knew her, now 10+ years, she was a consultant, speaker, teacher, thought leader.

And then a LinkedIn InMail message from a recruiter came that she had to pursue. And Big Company pursued her back. Now she is starting work at Big Company this week.

Perhaps this will happen to you or a colleague. Yes, a twist to the Great Resignation: not leaving a big corporation for a smaller, or setting out on her own entrepreneurial adventure where we “eat what we hunt,” but rather she is matriculating into the camaraderie culture of the caliber of company she always wanted to work at, leaving behind uncertainties in self-employment and exorbitant health insurance expenses, etc.

As we discussed her counter-journey, I advised her to carefully review her LinkedIn profile before she reported for work on Day 1.

First make any changes in contact details. That’s easy, right?

And while you are on a roll, mostly rewrite the following LinkedIn sections:

1) Headline: in a tight space, sketch out the skills you bring to the table to help future clients, in other words, why did Big Company hire you?

2) About: make it reflect past experience contributing to present abilities, leaving direct reference to entrepreneurial pursuits out of this section

3) Experience: add the newest position and explain why you, how you do it and who can benefit, not what or where, and certainly not fill in this section with an ad for Big Company.

4) Test the waters in Big Company whether showing adjunct teaching roles are accepted, frowned on, or encouraged. Same for how you post new ideas and comment on others’.

And finally, a word of general advice for everyone on a career journey, update and tweak your profile regularly. Her new job perception will change as she and the company changes.

The profile will not unless she initiates the changes herself. Neither will yours.