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2. Building your presence

Let the world know how amazing you are: showcase your accomplishments and personality

Why it matters

In a world where in-person coffees aren’t an option, your online presence is essential. By building your online presence and leveraging your network to identify sponsors, you increase the chances that someone who might not have known about you now does - and the chances that they’ll push for you when a role that works for you lands. This is critical for mitigating much of the bias that pervades our hiring process and

holds back BIPOC⁠

and women in their careers.

As Telle Whitney, former CEO of

AnitaB.org⁠

has said:

It’s not who you know, or what you know. It’s who knows what you know.

This is also a time to identify what skills you’re excited to build out to set yourself apart from others.

As a note - while we focus on LinkedIn here as one key space to build your presence, there’s many other platforms (e.g., Twitter, Instagram) to consider and leverage, too.

What to remember

Own your accomplishments

It can be deeply uncomfortable to feel like you’re “bragging” about yourself - but you’re simply stating what you’ve done. If you don’t tell the world what you’ve done, who will?

You’ve been networking your whole life

You just didn't call it that. Ever asked a stranger at a restaurant what their favorite dishes are and why? You’ve networked! All it means is finding people and talking to them about something specific. The only difference now is that instead of dishes at a restaurant, you're asking about opportunities at someone’s company or in their field (and who knows, maybe they’ll share restaurant tips with you, too!).

Take it one chat at a time

Networking is important, but you’ll need a slow and steady approach to make this manageable for yourself and to prevent burnout. Gauge what’s a reasonable number of conversations (phone calls or video) for you and schedule accordingly, as much as possible.

Privacy settings matter

The first thing a new connection or potential employer will do is Google you. Be sure your private social media and web presence have a level of privacy you are comfortable with.

Everyone can see LinkedIn activity

No, not in a creepy way. But comments, likes, etc. on LinkedIn are all visible - be thoughtful about what you decide to post and why.

Brag, don’t buzz

⁠

Concretely highlight your skills and accomplishments⁠

, but avoid overusing jargon and corporate-speak that obscures your personality and hides your real experience behind phrases that don’t mean much. This will help set you apart from everyone else!

What to do

Create a work support squad

This is a group to keep you motivated, hold you accountable, and help you strategize. Start with those you trust most, then work outwards.

Build out your LinkedIn (LI) profile

To highlight your accomplishments - including volunteer roles - and by adding new connections (e.g., former colleagues). See linked resources below in the More Resources section.

Reach out to existing networks

These can be alumni groups and professional organizations, along with personal friends. This is key to helping you be more visible and more informed. It’s also critical for securing your next job. Focused professional networks, like

AfroTech⁠

AnitaB.org⁠

Latinas in Tech⁠

Lesbians Who Tech & Allies⁠

, are great places to start.

→ For BIPOC in or looking to move into the Tech space, be sure to check out Plato HQ’s

Circles for inclusion⁠

Rethink "networking”

To include learning more about your industry and about roles and opportunities, not just asking others for help. A few ways to do this include:

⁠

Commenting on different LI posts⁠

to start engaging with folks.

Attending industry conferences (many of which are now free!) and webinars

Sending a short note to the presenter(s) whose topic interests you via Linkedin about something you are looking forward to learning or something you learned.

This is an easy way to make a connection with a leader in the industry - because there’s a built-in excuse for the message - and add them to your network. Credit to

Naana Boampong⁠

for this great tip!

Learn the language

As you conduct informational interviews and read job descriptions, take note of the way things are described and how the people in those roles speak about what they do. This includes checking out LinkedIn profiles of staff in the roles you’re looking at to see how they describe their work. Correctly using the phrasing established in your industry signals to a new connection or potential employer that you understand the work they do.

Identify skills to invest in

Especially as you assess what you might be interested in and based on your networking conversations.

Add yourself to talent lists & groups

This includes LI groups specific to your industry, your previous company, and affinity groups. It also includes company talent lists (e.g.,

Airbnb⁠

Uber talent directories⁠

) and

Parachute List⁠

What to leverage

Webinars focused on navigating layoffs, improving communications, etc. One resource is

General Assembly’s Free Friday workshops⁠

⁠

LinkedIn learnings⁠

to target specific skills to build

LinkedIn profile reviews from friends and former colleagues

⁠

More Resources

Tips for building your brand and LinkedIn presence

[Forbes]

The Most Common Personal Branding Mistakes Women Make--And How To Fix Them⁠

⁠

[Belinda Aramide]

My Guide To Building A Powerful Presence on LinkedIn⁠

⁠

[Rev]

7 Clever Hacks to Increase LinkedIn Engagement⁠

[a little long, but worthwhile if you want to really geek out on LI]

Tips on networking

[POCIT]

Networking for Introverts⁠

⁠

[Higher Ed]

How to network while you are social distancing at home (opinion)⁠

⁠

Tips for improving your LinkedIn profile

[Latesha Byrd]

5 Things You Can Do Right Now To Upgrade Your Linkedin In Only 30 Minutes⁠

⁠

[The Muse]

9 Surefire Ways to Boost Your LinkedIn Profile When You Only Have 10 Minutes⁠

⁠

[LinkedIn Talent Blog]

10 LinkedIn Profile Summaries That We Love (And How to Boost Your Own)⁠

⁠

[The Muse]

The Best LinkedIn Profile Tips for Job Seekers⁠

⁠

Tips for updating your resume

[The Balance Careers]

How to Write an Effective Resume⁠

⁠

[Indeed]

Listing Accomplishments on Your Resume (With Examples) | Indeed.com⁠

⁠

[Resume Coach]

How to Write Accomplishments on Your Resume⁠

⁠

Ready for the next step?

⁠

3. Applying for the right role⁠

⁠

Back⁠

⁠

Let the world know how amazing you are: showcase your accomplishments and personality

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