Guest Speaker Series: Navigating LinkedIn During the Pandemic

On May 6, Omar Garriott—an expert in strategy creation, cross-functional leadership, doing-not-just-talking, and getting in the weeds to see the big picture—shared his knowledge on career navigation and making the most out of LinkedIn with MEL & MHLP students.

Garriott described one’s future career as a “checkered path,” marked by non-linear connections; the jobs that individuals acquire, the people they meet, and how those interactions connect them with other people lead individuals to different types of success within their careers.

Garriott emphasized how, in our current climate, one shouldn’t estimate their success based on how many jobs they are applying to, but on how well they are capitalizing on a single perfect industry contact.

How does one connect with such an industry contact? By utilizing LinkedIn in the most beneficial manner. Garriott believes that LinkedIn is probably the most powerful networking tool that professionals can use not only to make connections quickly, but to connect with individuals previously impossible to meet. But, making the most out of LinkedIn requires more than filling out a couple of questions, and putting your experience and education into fields. Garriott shared with MEL & MHLP students key tips on “gaming the LinkedIn algorithm,” by inputting key and important information into the platform, in order to achieve a greater level of success and attract employers to their profiles.

LinkedIn can help users achieve short-term goals, while setting them up for success in the future through the establishment of strong professional relationships.

By attending the Career Navigation presentation, MEL & MHLP students learned how to set themselves up for success, even while in the midst of the current COVID-19 crisis. Garriott shared valuable information on how to make the best use of various search functions in LinkedIn, to connect with professionals that may aid them on their career path. New LinkedIn features were also explained during the presentation, so that students might capitalize on them during job searches. Further, attendees were coached on how to create a successful LinkedIn profile by utilizing various sections and specific content in order to attract attention from recruiters seeking potential new employees. Finally, students learned how to approach messaging prospective contacts with nuance, so that their chances of connecting are as high as possible.

Garriott shared tips on how you can continue to build your professional network in a meaningful and beneficial way even while social distancing. Now is the time to prepare for your future career path.

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