Note: This post continues thoughts from 4 Gifts to Give Others to Power Your After Age 50 Reinvention. It's fifth in a series of seven (7) describing successful career reinvention after age 50 by applying principles from Dorie Clark's amazing book, Reinventing You.
Reinventing You's Chapter 9: Reintroduce Yourself: "Develop Validators" is the focus of this post.
4 More Gifts to Support Others That Power Your After Age 50 Reinvention
1. Write a LinkedIn Recommendation for Someone You Care About
Recruiters Love LinkedIn. LinkedIn may not be as sexy as Facebook or Snapchat but 259+ million members can't be wrong. Recruiters and employers constantly search LinkedIn for passive job seekers (defined as someone who currently has a job but would be open to taking a better one). This phenomenon drove $224.7 million in 2013 Q3 revenue for LinkedIn Talent Solutions.
Praise Others so They Know They're Good at What They Do. LinkedIn Recommendations help your colleagues and friends promote their personal brands. They're also an important gesture to support people who may have lost their jobs due to company reorganizations.
- You can vouch for another person's expertise and skills (similar to a LinkedIn Endorsement)
- Your friend / colleague may feel awkward requesting a recommendation
- Your recommendation can enhance another person's LinkedIn Profile
Who Can You Support with a LinkedIn Recommendation? Show you're not "just looking out for number 1." It's a great way to thank and acknowledge others who've been integral to your individual success.
2. Encourage Others in LinkedIn Discussions
Social Media ReInvention Community Members know how much I enjoy The Start-Up of YOU LinkedIn Discussion Group. Participating in LinkedIn Discussions (or initiating discussion topics) is a great way to:
- Demonstrate your expertise in a specific field or industry
- Develop credibility and a thought leader reputation
- Learn from and make new connections with like-minded people
Show Your Acknowledgement and Appreciation. When you initiate discussion topics, it's great when other members submit comments and opinions. Thank them with an encouraging tone for "putting themselves out there." Acknowledge them and express your appreciation for their input (especially if their thoughts counter yours).
Submitting Comments and Participating in Discussion Forums Requires Personal Risk. That's why people may hesitate submitting a comment for fear of criticism from either you or other members. If you're the discussion moderator, establish a positive tone. Provide encouragement early and consistently.
Encouraging and validating others in your LinkedIn Discussion shows respect, flexibility, and openness:
3. Say Thank You on Twitter #FF (Follow Fridays)
An Underrated Validator. I love #FF or Twitter Follow Fridays. Recognizing the contributions of smart and interesting members is fundamental to the Twitter Commuity.
State Why Someone Deserves the #FF Mention. Differentiate the individual (and yourself) by describing why another person is worth following. The most common mistake in Follow Fridays is the common "mass communication" #FF "Insert As Many Twitter Handles as I Can in 140 Characters or Less Without Saying Why:"
Be Different. Put thought and creativity in your #FF tweet. Make your #FF tweets more memorable and separate them from the mass communication pack:
4. Share Klout +K's With Your Online Friends and Fans
How Influential Are You in the Social Media Universe? Since 2008, Klout.com has attempted to answer this question. The premise behind Klout is that our collective social media participation and influence can be captured, measured, and scored.
Your Klout Score Can Have Important Career Implications. According to Seth Stevenson's Wired.com article, What Your Klout Score Really Means, your score matters (especially if you work in or aspire to work in online media). If you actively participate in social media, be aware of your score.
Share +K's to Help Others Build Influence. Identify the people who support you and spread your ideas. Acknowledge and thank them. Reward their support with Klout +K's in specific topics like Twitter, Social Media, or Blogging.
Giving your friends and fans +K's signals to others that they share great content.
Providing +K's in the New Klout Platform. Here are the basic steps:
- Find the Klout Profile of the person you'd like to give the +K
- Locate the Klout topic you want to select
- Hover your cursor over the topic to select it (the topic should become red)
- Select that topic and give the +K
Closing Thoughts
Give and You Will Receive. Be generous to others. Be kind. Support others and third party validation takes care of itself.
What Do You Think? Please let me know in your comments.
If you enjoyed this post, here are the others in the series:
Photo Credit via flickr by sparkleblues
Your Turn
Please let me know if you agree or disagree with my thoughts in the comments. I would love to hear from you. I’m here to read, listen, and learn from YOUR PERSPECTIVE. Comments are open. So let’er rip!
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