Are you looking for a new job? Or maybe a promotion with your current employer? Do you want to get ahead but can’t quite find the right way to accelerate the process? If your answer to these questions is ‘yes’ then you may, or may not be aware of the power of LinkedIn as a professional network and as a means of showcasing your CV and expertise online. Regardless of whether you are already using LinkedIn or not, it’s worth making yourself aware that you can also leverage your experience as a Toastmaster to boost your career advancement.
Interested in knowing more?
Read on, and I’ll share with you some of the secrets to using Toastmasters with LinkedIn to get one step ahead in your career …and potentially secure your next pay rise! We are all aware of the power of LinkedIn as a professional network, where you can build a network of ‘connections’ across various industries and sectors. But did you know that one of the most important steps you can take as a Toastmaster is to see if you can connect with other Toastmasters to add them to your professional network? Once you’ve done this, you can take the next important step in the process – endorsing your fellow Toastmasters for their skills, particularly in public speaking, if they are members of your own Toastmasters club or if you have heard them speak before elsewhere. Chances are your fellow Toastmasters will return the compliment and endorse you in turn for those skills which they know you possess. Think how good your LinkedIn profile will look to a prospective employer with those endorsements…can you see the expression on the HR Manager’s face already? Another excellent way of showcasing your expertise, in a particular subject area, to a prospective employer is to upload one of your (non-sensitive), work –related, Toastmasters PowerPoint presentations via Slideshare.net Slideshare.net offers users the ability to upload and share publicly or privately PowerPoint presentations. What better way of demonstrating the depth of skill or knowledge you have in a particular area than by including one of your Toastmasters presentations on your LinkedIn profile via Slideshare.net? A final tip, is to get your thinking caps on and figure out some really good ‘questions’ and ‘answers’ that you can contribute to in LinkedIn groups – particularly in relation to public speaking, where you can demonstrate the wealth of experience you possess as a Toastmaster.
Remember you can include the URL to your LinkedIn profile on your CV, so if you take these steps to build your profile and boost your own ‘personal brand’ today, you can only enhance your chances of securing that internal promotion or upwards career move.
What are you waiting for? Carpe Diem, Seize the Moment. Gemma Shannon – Vice President, Public Relations