Leveraging LinkedIn for Networking and Professional Growth

If you still think of LinkedIn as nothing more than a job site or somewhere you go to upload your online resume, now is the time to update and expand your approach! Today on the show, we welcome LinkedIn insider Jon Lyndon for a deep dive into the evolution of LinkedIn and why we should all be using it as a human connection tool and a pathway to opportunity at scale. Having spent nearly a decade at LinkedIn, Jon is an expert in how to leverage the true power of the platform. He is the founder and CEO of Lyndon Consulting, where he works with global companies and executive leaders on their LinkedIn strategy, helping them rethink how they show up, connect, and lead in a digital world. He also advises professional athletes transitioning out of sport, guiding them in building strong personal brands. In our conversation, Jon breaks down the biggest misconceptions about LinkedIn. He unpacks how only using it as a job search leads you to lose out on key opportunities and explains powerfully why we can all afford to share more on LinkedIn — and why sharing doesn't need to be inauthentic or boastful. Jon also offers his expert guidance on how to navigate LinkedIn when you've been let go from your job, and how to build greater trust, credibility, and clarity, so you're connecting with inspiring people and learning from them, while building a mutually supportive and enriching community. We also discuss the power of LinkedIn recommendations, how trust equals consistency over time, the importance of getting clear on the outcomes you want to achieve on LinkedIn, and Jon's transformative personal branding work with athletes. To hear the full scope of our conversation about LinkedIn and discover its full power as a human connection tool, be sure to tune in! Key Highlights From This Episode:

• A breakdown of the biggest misconceptions about LinkedIn. [04:31]
• Jon's career at LinkedIn and how the platform has evolved. [09:06]
• How to get more comfortable and confident with sharing your achievements and experience on LinkedIn. [13:36]
• How to tease out the "20 facts of you" - the 20 accomplishments that you are most proud of and why these matter greatly to you, and how to share those in exciting ways [17:28}
• Why you should keep your LinkedIn updated even if you have job security. [20:06]
• Advice on how to navigate LinkedIn and share after being laid off. [23:44]
• Language one can draw on to potentially consider sharing on LinkedIn about a layoff they've experienced, and what they're looking for next. [24:16]
• Suggestions for reaching out to people you want to connect with more. [27:27]
• The power of helping others and utilizing recommendations on LinkedIn. [32:20]
• Getting clarity on the outcomes you want to achieve on LinkedIn. [40:29]
• How Jon serves professional athletes through personal branding. [45:49]
• Final thoughts on how to prepare for and navigate your next chapter. [45:49]

For More Information:

Jon Lyndon on LinkedInLyndon Consulting

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Quotes:

"The way that I think about LinkedIn is [as] a human connection tool. It creates a pathway to opportunity at scale." — Jon Lyndon [0:05:01]

"When we are sharing facts and stories, and things that we've accomplished — if we have an outcome that we want to come from that, it helps us be authentic, and it helps us to be confident about those things because it leads into something rather than just sharing to share." — Jon Lyndon [0:18:33]

"When you begin to share those in the right way, other people then attach to those things, and they're relevant because they say, 'Oh, I didn't know that about you, but this applies [to] my life because I'm going through this as well.'" — Jon Lyndon [0:19:14]

"You never know when [LinkedIn] might become relevant, it might not be a layoff, but you might want to start a new business." — Jon Lyndon [0:22:59]

"If you're working in corporate and you're trying to sell products and services, there [are] ways that you can do it in a human, authentic, thought leader way that is still pretty much an untapped opportunity on LinkedIn for a lot of people." — Jon Lyndon [0:43:43]

"If you know the outcomes, and you're clear about what they are in any area of your life, then creating the pathway to get there becomes so much easier." — Jon Lyndon [0:50:18]

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