How to Update Your LinkedIn Profile with Stealth-like Precision

Every social circle has that one friend who occasionally “stalks” people online. Don’t be alarmed. It’s more common than you might realize and can give you greater perspective on your career path. You mention someone’s first name to the group, and moments later . . . voila! Your friend has found that person’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts.

In my group of friends, that investigative person is me.

I aim to use these powers for good. But having this level of social media awareness comes with consequences. It means that, when I’m trying to operate online in stealth mode, I trend toward the paranoid end of the spectrum. What if I want to update my LinkedIn profile, network privately, or investigate future employment opportunities? Is there someone at my company that can uncover these items as efficiently as I can?

To be safe, I always assume the things I type online are public. Regardless of privacy settings, medium, or channel, I know I’m one screenshot away from any information becoming public. But when it comes to professional “research,” I do have a few tips to make your networking, job search, or plans to exit a company more discreet.

1 LinkedIn Profile Evaluation 101

In order to get a sense of the level of awareness you need on LinkedIn, let’s start by viewing LinkedIn from a curiosity perspective. With its emphasis on searchability, transparency, and public perception, LinkedIn is the ideal social network for would-be stalkers, from potential contacts to your current manager.

The first thing you should know is that LinkedIn will notify someone any time you look at their profile, if you are logged in and in a non-incognito window. This essentially makes a “profile view” like a first point of contact with a person, so if you aren’t ready to engage with a potential customer, partner, or employer, don’t initiate contact this way.

Here’s a tip: Pro Tip: Want to look at someone’s LinkedIn profile without letting them know you “viewed” their profile? Search them in LinkedIn’s native search, then right click and copy-paste their LinkedIn profile URL to a new incognito window.

Searching for potential new contacts in LinkedIn is deceptively easy, with extra filters and searching functionality for users with LinkedIn Premium. When a LinkedIn user pops up in your search results, it won’t count as a “profile view,” unless you click through to their actual LinkedIn profile. This may seem small, but it’s something to keep in mind if you simply want to find a specific person in a specific role at a specific company.

Here’s a tip: Pro Tip: LinkedIn also provides insight into the other side of the search experience. Check out this link to see who has been searching for your profile.

2What LinkedIn Information Is Public?

Unless you have edited your settings, most of your LinkedIn profile is public. Information like your name, company, summary, and experience can be viewed by other LinkedIn users and the general public. In fact, LinkedIn recently updated their platform to make all status updates public, meaning that they’re picked up by search engines like Google. This can be helpful from a “research” perspective, but it also means you should be careful what you post.

In general, this means that you should be careful about what you update, when you update, and how you update on LinkedIn. LinkedIn has a default setting that notifies your LinkedIn connections (including coworkers and your boss) if you update your profile. If you’re actively searching for a new job, you will want to turn this off.

3How to Make Parts of Your LinkedIn Profile Private

That’s the bad news: most of LinkedIn is public by default. The good news is that you can update your settings to be as public or as stealthy as you like. You can adjust these settings depending on your needs. Need to promote your personal brand? You probably want your profile to be public. Want to look for a new job? It’s probably a good idea to increase the level of privacy on your profile. Here’s how you can do that:

1 First, you’re going to want to turn off that pesky “update everyone I know when I edit my profile” feature. To do this, first click the “edit” pencil icon.

Next, switch the option at the bottom marked “Share profile changes” to “No.”

Voila! You’ve officially entered stealth mode.

2 Now, what if you want to make your profile less public? It’s time to take a long, hard look at your privacy settings. To reach these, just click the top-right menu option that says “Settings & Privacy.”

Then, click on “Privacy,” and you’ll see a host of options to make your profile less publicly-accessible. This is where you can specify whether you show up in search results, news results, on your company’s page, etc.

After this, you can also check out the “Job seeking” menu, which allows you to turn on “job seeker” mode. This stealthily lets recruiters know that you’re open to new opportunities. Although LinkedIn has said they block recruiters from your company from seeing this feature, it’s always possible for a bug to show up in the system, so be wary. You can learn more about how LinkedIn built “job seeker” mode here.

How do you sneakily update LinkedIn? Any tips I missed?

How to Get Organized During Your Job Search: 6 Helpful Tips

Job hunting is no one’s favorite activity. Customizing your resume and cover letter for each position (not to mention typing the same information found in the resume you just attached into various application systems) can be grueling work. Job hunting is a full-time job, and you’re not getting paid a dime for it.

Getting organized can save you time and make the process less frustrating. Here are six ways to streamline your job search to make it not only easier on you, but potentially more successful.

1Make a list of keywords.

Quick! Can you name all of your job skills in under thirty seconds? If someone asked you what types of positions you’re qualified for, would you be able to rattle them off easily? If so, great—you know how to market yourself well. But if you’re like most job seekers, odds are good that you could benefit from some self-evaluation.

Before you begin your job search in earnest, sit down and make a list of your skills. When I was job hunting, my list included things like writing, editing, communication, and copywriting. Next, focus on the types of positions that might be right for you. Make a list of all the job titles you can think of that would be within the scope of your search.

Here’s a tip: Keep your list handy. (See below for how I used a spreadsheet.) You’ll need it as you’re browsing job sites. Add to it as you find new job titles and keywords that pop up during your search.That way, you’ll be broadening the scope of your search as you go.

2Find opportunities with job search alerts.

Now that you have an idea of what you’re looking for, you can start digging into job boards. Many will send you email alerts with new positions that match your skills. Here are a few to help you get rolling.

• Indeed
• SimplyHired
• LinkedIn Jobs
• Glassdoor
• Monster

Here’s a tip: While you shouldn’t put your eggs into one basket by focusing solely on one job search site, it makes sense to consolidate your efforts by narrowing your search to a few top sites that are likely to net you the best results.

3Spreadsheets are your friends.

When I was job hunting a few years ago, I found it impossible to keep track of the status of my applications. I wasn’t very spreadsheet savvy, so it never occurred to me to use a free spreadsheet tool like Google Sheets to track my job search efforts.

The good news is you don’t have to be a spreadsheet wizard to use Excel or Sheets. All it takes to create an efficient tracking system is the ability to name a few columns with appropriate headers and then fill in the blanks. (Trust me, it’s easy.) Here are the columns I would use in my search if I had it to do it over again:

• Company – The name of the company you’ve applied to.
• Position – The title of the position you’re interested in.
• Job Listing Link – It can be helpful to have a link to the original job listing so you can refer to it later.
• Application Date
• Contact – If you have a contact name, put it here.
• Email – Add your contact’s email address if you have it.
• Interview Date
• Follow-up – If you scored an interview, this is a good place to note how you followed up.
• Status – Do you have a second interview scheduled? Are you waiting for a response? Track your current status here.
• Comments – This is a good place to add any thoughts or insights you’ve gained as you were researching the company and position. Don’t rely on your memory when you have a lot of job search irons in the fire.

A spreadsheet would’ve saved me a ton of time in my job hunt by preventing me from having to search through various emails and links to remind myself of where I’d applied and what my status was.

Here’s a tip: Your spreadsheet can be a catch-all for things related to your job hunt. Create a new tab to store a list of job search site links (like the ones listed above) so you don’t have to hunt them down anew each day. Create another tab to store a list of job skills keywords and the titles of positions you’re qualified for. You never know when you’ll need to refer to them as you’re searching through open positions.

4Use a calendar.

If you’re anything like me (the ADHD is strong with this one), you’ve woken up in a cold sweat, your heart racing, thinking Is my job interview this morning? Did I oversleep? Do I have only ten minutes to get ready and race out the door? Oh em gee!

I never missed an interview. I was never late for one, either. But the fear that I might mess up was strong and evoked a near steady state of low-level anxiety. A calendar would have helped alleviate that.

These days, I use Google Calendar, but any calendar app can make the process of tracking upcoming interviews and things like networking events or job fairs much easier. Having a calendar takes the stress out of having to remember upcoming appointments and eliminates those heart-pounding morning wakeups.

5Make a schedule.

As I mentioned earlier, a job search can be like a full-time job in itself, except that it has no pay and no benefits. #SadFace

You can streamline your day by setting a schedule. This was something I did right when I was in the market for a new gig. I stepped into my office at 9 a.m. every weekday. First, I checked my email for any replies from hiring managers. Then, I looked at my new job alerts and checked job boards for any new listings. Next, I focused on putting in applications, which was a more time-consuming process because I was careful to customize each cover letter and tweak each resume.

Think of your job search as a job you’re reporting to each day. Not only will it help you stay committed and on track, it will bring some purpose to your downtime.

6Use templates.

Templates are a time-saver. Make customizable templates for your cover letters (and please do customize each one) and other inquiries and replies. You’ll thank yourself when you’re not writing every single email from scratch. Save templates in Google Docs or another word processing program so you can quickly access them.

Here’s a tip: Although they may not show up in your email client, other clients may see font changes and other oddities that are remnants of copying and pasting. To strip formatting from the text you paste, use Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + V to paste.

Taking a little time to get organized and plan your job search in advance will save you time and prevent irritation and stress. Go get ’em!

7 Noteworthy Tips for Your First Week at a New Job

Congratulations on landing a new job!

Do you feel nervous or anxious about your first week? Being prepared will not only help you avoid stress but will also set the tone for the rest of your tenure at your new company. Check out these seven useful tips!

1 Build rapport with your colleagues. Your coworkers will be your allies if you take the time to create positive relationships with them. Don’t wait for them to approach you. Take the initiative to extend a friendly greeting and learn their role in the company. For large workforces, it might help you to jot down a few notes in your cell phone or notebook. Though it’s fine to check out fellow workers on professional networking sites, such as LinkedIn, some people may find it weird if you comment on things you learned about them through Facebook. Spend the most time getting to know the people you will work with on a daily basis. Lunchtime and breaks are an ideal time to chat.

Karen, red glasses, corner office, accounting, two sons in college

Brent, met in elevator, custodian, speaks Cantonese

2 Learn your way around the building. How confident do you feel when you’re lost? On your first day, take a few moments to walk around the building or ask one of your new friends for a tour. For a big building, you might want to draw yourself a map of the key areas and who works where.

3 Hit the ground running, but not so hard you injure yourself. Volunteering for duties will make an impression on your superiors, but there are some surprising downsides that you should consider. First, if you bite off more than you can chew, you will seem frazzled, untrustworthy, or incompetent. Second, your coworkers might resent you if what you do seems to make them look bad. Aim for balance. Be willing to accept assignments and help others, but don’t commit yourself to more than you can accomplish.

4 Set your priorities. What do you want to accomplish at this job? Why did the company hire you? Write down one or two of your top values or objectives. By determining what your priorities are, you can organize your new schedule around your goals. Many experts encourage people to attack the largest, most important projects early in the day or week. Later, you can work on some of the less pressing tasks.

5 Travel the old trails before you try to blaze new ones. If you are in a managerial role, change may create chaos if you’re not careful. Find out what the old routines are. Though some policies may seem strange to you, why change them if they work? The founder of a job search consultancy firm, Jaime Petkanics, gave a rule of thumb: “My best advice for the first week at a new job is to listen and observe first, and act second. Use your first week on the job to get the lay of the land, learn and listen. Once you have a really solid understanding of what’s going on, who your key partners are and where you can add value, then start moving and making an impact.”

6 Manage your expectations. By the end of the first week, I will befriend everyone in the company, solve one of their major problems, and organize my work schedule for the next three months. Is this a reasonable expectation? If your expectations aren’t reasonable, you will be unhappy and disheartened when you fail to reach them. On the other hand, set your expectations too low and you might end up unemployed in a few months. Make it your mission to find out your employer’s expectations for your job role. (You might revisit the original job posting.) It’s okay to exceed the requirements, but be realistic about what you can accomplish the first week, month, and year on the job.

7 Don’t forget that you are a human being. You’ll work best if you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Wake up early enough to eat a nutritious breakfast. Make smart choices for your lunch and dinner. Keep in touch with your old colleagues and friends, and spend a little time socializing with them, if possible. Get sufficient rest at night. You should also pursue hobbies that interest you. According to Psychology Today, hobbies remind you that you are not just an employee. A failed project at work won’t damage your identity as a musician or an athlete. Joining a club based related to your pastime will also help you foster strong social connections.

Whether your first days at work are stressful or exciting depends on how prepared you are. Will you apply these useful tips? You won’t regret getting your first week off to a great start. And soon, you’ll be an old pro.

Are gender-neutral pronouns the wave of the future?

The reader must understand that they are at the mercy of the author’s imagination.

What’s wrong with the sentence above? Some might say there is nothing at all is wrong with it. Others, however, will take issue with the use of ‘they,’ a plural pronoun, in place of the singular ‘reader.’ How can this sentence be corrected? Some would use ‘he’ in place of ‘they,’ with the understanding that masculine pronouns are a stand-in for proper nouns of either gender. Others would advocate ‘he or she’ in place of ‘they,’ because it includes both genders.

Gendered pronouns have a long history of causing grammatical confusion and debate. As far back as the 1800s, writers and linguists have proposed gender-neutral pronouns (including ze, co, hesh, thon, and zher) to solve the complicated issues that gendered pronouns cause in English.

Gender-neutral pronouns solve many grammatical problems, but why haven’t they caught on in English? According to John McWhorter at The New Republic, that’s because there are two kinds of words: open-class and closed-class. Nouns and verbs are among the open-class words and can be adapted or even made up depending on necessity and context. Pronouns and prepositions are closed-class words—words that we use as tools to show the relationships between open-class words. Closed-class words are harder to adapt and change since they’re already representing something else (for example, ‘he’ represents ‘Brian’).

McWhorter argues that since it’s unlikely that a new gender-neutral pronoun will ever gain wide acceptance in English, it’s okay to use the plural ‘they’ in place of ‘he’ or ‘she.’ Other alternatives include ‘one’ to mean ‘a person,’ and ‘you’ in certain contexts.

Many other languages don’t include gendered pronouns at all or include gender neutral pronouns in their structure.

Will the English language eventually accept the use of ‘they’ as a singular gender-neutral pronoun? Will an alternative like ze gain widespread acceptance and use? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

Sources: 1,2,3

3 Works to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.

In President Obama’s final State of the Union address, he included a call on Americans to use their “voices of unarmed truth and unconditional love,” as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called them. Dr. King’s legacy lives on not only in Obama’s speech but also in the minds and hearts of Americans as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the third Monday of January each year. The following three books are touching reminders of the life of this exceptional activist, humanitarian, and civil rights leader.

I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World by Martin Luther King Jr.

This book collects what Coretta Scott King described as “many of what I consider to be my husband’s most important writings and orations.” Among the pieces in the book are “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” the essay “Pilgrimage to Nonviolence,” and his last sermon, “I See the Promised Land.” The sections are ordered chronologically to follow the history of the civil rights movement and other events. The introduction is by James M. Washington, the editor of the book.

Strength to Love by Martin Luther King Jr.

Strength to Love is a collection of Dr. King’s sermons about his philosophy of nonviolence, his vision of Christianity, and his sense of social justice. Coretta Scott King wrote the foreword, saying, “If there is one book Martin Luther King Jr. has written that people consistently tell me has changed their lives, it is Strength to Love.”

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Clayborne Carson (Editor)

This first-person account of Dr. King’s life is woven from collections of unpublished writings, interviews, and correspondence from Stanford University’s collection of archival material. Clayborne Carson, a historian and documentarian, compiled these materials into a book that supplements Dr. King’s other autobiographies Stride Toward Freedom and Where Do We Go From Here. Carson’s book takes readers from Dr. King’s birth in Atlanta in 1929 through his entire life story and illustrates the moral courage that sustained him through the most difficult times.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day gives us the opportunity to reflect on the great courage of this iconic leader. Some may only know him as the leader of the civil rights movement, but reading his works gives us insight into his beliefs and the passion that guided his life.