The Benefits of Joining LinkedIn.com

     Social networking has come a long way since the very first website, SixDegrees.com was introduced in 1997.  SixDegree.com was based on the Web of Contacts model of social networking (Wikipedia).  As you may have guessed, the website got its name based on the six degrees of separation idea.  It began letting its members jot down names of “friends, family members, and acquaintances” (Kyrnin), and encouraged non-members to come aboard.  Members were permitted to forward memos, “and post bulletin board items to people in their first, second, and third degrees” (Wikipedia).  Many of today’s social media websites have patterned their sites after SixDegrees.com, for example, LinkedIn.com, owned by the "LinkedIn Corporation" (Wikipedia).

      LinkedIn is social website designed to help its members connect with other experts in their industries’.  In 2000, LinkedIn began in its co-founder’s living room, Reid Hoffman, and was officially launched on May 5, 2003.  The headquarters is located in Mount View, California.  “As of December 31, 2012, LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with more than 200 million members in over 200 countries and territories” (LinkedIn). Approximate 64 percent of the people who join the site are from other countries, and it is available in 19 different languages.  At the end of the 2011-12 school year, LinkedIn saw an increase of more than 20 million students and new college graduates.  It is the 25^th most visited site, and people in all professions are joining “at a rate of approximately two new members per second” (LinkedIn).  May people join LinkedIn to design a free profile, network with other credible loyal associates, and “discover breaking news and professional insights” (LinkedIn).  The current CEO is Jeff Weiner, who has gathered together a team of experts “from Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, TiVo, PayPal and Electronic Arts” (LinkedIn).

     At LinkedIn they believe their “members come first”, and try to provide value by offering its members 23 products and services (LinkedIn). Here are some examples of their groups.  LinkedIn Company Pages allows businesses the opportunity to display their company, and network with other experts.  You’ll literally have millions of members at your fingertips, informing them of your latest new, products, services, and employment opportunities.  With LinkedIn Mobile, you can network with members through an app that lets you stay current on the most recent news in your market, while you’re out and about, handling your business.  This app is available for your iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android, and Windows.  If you are interested, and want more information, go to www.linked.com/mobile.  If you are looking for employment opportunities in your field, then LinkedIn Jobs is a very good place to start. This is the time to take advantage of the free professional profile they allow you to create.  “Over 80% of Fortune 100 companies and thousands of other businesses are using LinkedIn Recruiting Solutions to hire” (LinkedIn). You’ll never know who’s looking, so its best to put your best foot forward.  The last product I’ll discuss are the LinkedIn Groups.  Here is your opportunity to join a trade association in your market.  Once again, here is a chance to network with other members in your market, commenting on discussion boards, writing about and discussing the latest industry trends, finding employment, and making a name for yourself in your chosen profession.

     I joined LinkedIn in 2010, on a recommendation from my cousin.  She is a realtor and was looking for a way to do some networking.  I could here the excitement in her voice as she talked about her new discovery.  Since joining, I have chosen to be a member of five professional trade associations. They are all in the film and television industry. As a matter of fact, I just signed up for a new group called, “NC Indie Film & TV Group”.  It was created in February 2012, in the Durham-Raleigh, North Carolina area, and has 62 members.  The owner, LaMont Johnson, is Owner/Producer at Chieko Alice LLC (LinkedIn).  The reason I signed up for this group is because “it is open to all entertainment professionals that work or would like to work in North Carolina on film or TV productions” (LinkedIn).  As a member, I receive daily or weekly emails, and the latest information on what’s happening in the group.  Another service I have taken full advantage of is LinkedIn Jobs.  This service allows me to see what prospective employers are looking for when they are looking to hire applicants.  Since I am working on my Master’s, I can see what skills I need to brush up on, so I can be more marketable.  A local community college, or the Public Access Channel usually offers classes to train people on the newest equipment.

     LinkedIn is one of the best social media websites to join to enhance your career.  Not only is it free, but it also gives you so much visibility, and puts you in contact with other trustworthy professional members in your industry.  Maybe you should think about joining.

Encouraging Words of Wisdom

     As you all know, the world lost an extraordinary electronic and computer genius, who was responsible for designing some of the greatest electronic equipment we use everyday.  Many of us would not be able to function in our day-to-day lives without our MacBook Pro laptop, iPod, iPhone, and iTunes.  On October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computers, lost his 10-year battle with pancreatic cancer.  He leaves behind his wife, the woman of his dreams, Laurene and his children.

     In Steve Jobs’ June 12, 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University, entitled, “How to Live Before You Die,” he encourages the graduates to, “have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”  This very thorough informative speech I choose to watch and listen to about his life, was very motivating.  I felt his message was very positive and inspiring, especially when he advised the graduates not to settle, and to follow their dreams.“  It is very beneficial to receive encouraging words from peers and listen to how they have persevered.  It only reminds me of an old Jerry Butler song, “Only the Strong Survive.”

     Mr. Jobs began his speech by explaining to the audience that he only had three stories, and began telling about his life.  His biological parents were two University of Wisconsin graduate students who gave their unnamed son up for adoption.  His mother’s main concern for her son was that the family who adopted him, were to both have college degrees.  When the first couple, a lawyer and his wife changed their minds and decided they wanted a girl, the next couple on the waiting list were notified of his birth.  They decided to adopt him, but his biological mother found out that the mother had not completed college, and the father had not completed high school. Because of this, she decided not to let the couple adopt her child.  She changed her mind and signed the adoption papers after the couple promised her they would see to it that he attended college.  His biological parents later married, and had another child. 

     Once he completed high school, he attended Reed College, in Portland, Oregon, which was a very expensive school.  Six months later, he decided to drop out because he was unsure of what he wanted to do, and he felt guilty for wasting his parent’s savings.  Times grew very hard for the young man, who had no place to live, but on the floor of a few friends who lived in the dorm.  He talked about how he would return coke bottles, and take the five cent deposit, to buy food.  Every Sunday, he would walk seven miles across town to the Harvey Christian Temple, to have a hot meal.  He claimed that he loved it. It was very obvious, he was determined to not let his situation get the best of him.  Now that he had dropped out of school, he decided to drop back in and take courses that interested him.  Reed College offered the best calligraphy courses in the country, and he decided to take some classes.  He found them to be very exciting and fascinating.”  Ten years later, while he was designing the first Macintosh computer, he was able to apply what he learned in his calligraphy classes.

     In his second story, he talked about love and lost, and how at 20 years of age he was finally enjoying what he was doing.  Things were going wonderfully at Apple, and they had just launched their second Apple Computer.  Suddenly Steve lost sight of the companies’ future, and everything began to falter.  Now 30 years of age, Steve Jobs the owner of Apple, was asked to resign by his board of directors.  As you can imagine, he was overwhelmed, and had no idea what he was going to do next.  He was disappointed with himself and the mistakes he caused the company.  After reflecting on what he had done, he began to realize that he loved Silicon Valley, and he loved what he did.  He began to feel that being fired was the best thing that could have happened to him.  This gave him the opportunity to create something new.  His creative juices began to flow, and he started a new company called NeXT.  Apple later bought NeXT, and he became CEO, again. About a year later, he bought an animated studio from George Lucas, and called it Pixar Animation Studio.  Not only did Steve love his career he also loved the woman of his dreams Laurene.  According to Steve, “Sometimes life’s gonna hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.  Do what you believe.”  He explained that you need to search for your passion and it will fulfill you, and things gets better in time.  If you haven’t found it yet, you must keep striving and don’t just give up.  Now that he had this second chance, he seemed determined to succeed.

     In his third story he talked about the realization of death.  Everyone is going to die and to not waste valuable time. He read a quote, which said, “If you live each day as if it were your last, some day you most certainly will be right.”  He felt that this quote had a very important impact on his life. In 2003, Steve Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  His doctors had discovered a tumor on his pancreas and felt it was inoperable.  He had a procedure called an endoscopy, in which a tube is inserted through the mouth, into the stomach, to get a biopsy of his pancreas.  After looking at the test results, the doctors were elated when they found out that they would be able to preform his life saving surgery.  Hearing the good news, he became relieved and hoped that this was the closest he’d see death for a few decades.

     In closing, as he addresses the class of 2005, he reflects on when he was their age, in the mid 1970’s.  He recalls a poplar magazine, which was considered the Bible of its time in the late 1960’s.  Its called the “Whole Earth Catalogue.”  He explained that on the back cover of the last issue in the 1970’s, was a picture and below it were the words, “Stay Hungry! Stay Foolish!” Steve tells the graduates, “I have always wished that for myself, and now as a graduate to begin a new, I wish that for you, 'Stay Hungry! Stay Foolish!”