Author: Sheila Loring

Take advantage of LinkedIn in your job search and beyond

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Photo of my LinkedIn profile

After spending almost 12 years writing product documentation (and working on a host of other projects), I decided it was time to try something new. I was also ready for some time off. Time to return to my old buddy LinkedIn.

LinkedIn provides many benefits if you’re looking for a new opportunity. And folks who want to stay connected with friends and coworkers might also find LinkedIn useful. It’s a great place to share ideas, ask questions, and learn about workforce news, interviewing, and more.

I’ve learned a lot about LinkedIn in recent months. Here are a few tips for newbies and for those who need a refresher.

  • Take advantage of LinkedIn even when you’re not on the job market. Connect with friends and coworkers, keep your profile and experience sections up-to-date, and write and share posts a few times a week. Make sure those posts are professional. LinkedIn is not Instagram or Facebook. The point is to remain fresh on the minds of your network and other LinkedIn users. They might present you with a job opportunity that you can’t pass up.
  • Invite coworkers to write recommendations. Recruiters can easily read them without requesting references. If you’re working, it’s easier to ask for a recommendation about a specific project or skill when it’s fresh on your mind. Don’t forget to write your own recommendations for those who’ve impressed you on the job or in volunteer roles.
  • Have you read posts by other LinkedIn users that particularly resonate with you? Follow them to see their updates in your news feed. At the top of their profile page, click the green +Follow button. I bet you’ll come across a post that enriches your career or inspires your job search.
  • Save posts that interest you to revisit them. They’re listed at https://www.linkedin.com/my-items/saved-posts/, which only you can see when logged in. The posts are also linked on your profile in the Resources section. This is helpful when you don’t have time to read and want to scan the post later.
  • Take free LinkedIn courses. Learn about Python or cryptocurrency. Learn how to write a cover letter or how to use lists to increase your productivity. Consider sharing what you learned in a LinkedIn post or on another social media site. Maybe one of the courses will spark your creativity and benefit you on the job, or you’ll find a new skill to add to your profile.
  • LinkedIn is not just for the tech industry. I’ve worked in that industry, so I’ve been tech-focused. However, many industries are represented on LinkedIn — higher education, health care, retail, and others. See LinkedIn Industries List & Rankings (2022).

There’s so much more to know about LinkedIn. I suggest taking a look at the following articles:

Lastly, here’s my LinkedIn profile page. It’s by no means perfect or complete because I’m learning every day.

What are some of your favorite aspects about LinkedIn? How has it enriched your career? I’d love to hear from you.

My first painting in decades

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My first attempt at painting in decades. Tempera on mixed media paper. It’s too washed out, but I’m happy with the blue and pink colors and the texture. The seam is where I taped two pieces of paper together.

pink and blue abstract painting

I’m taking an online class from @pattyripley. She teaches you how to get out of your head and paint intuitively. We start with stretching, meditation, and a little dancing just to loosen up the mind and body. Woo hooo, me, dance? Luckily it’s only in my living room over Zoom.

I’ve been picking up some odds and ends to create texture, like a spatula with holes and a pastry blender, and I’d like to get some lace. (I used a garlic grater for this painting.) I’d also like to go full Rauschenberg and pick up some old scraps at Goodwill to glue here and there. Though if I really wanted to practice Rauschenberg’s technique, I’d pick up the scraps from the streets.

Capturing the moment

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I take pictures to capture the moment — to share the moment with others or to revisit the moment myself. Technically, the photos might not be perfect, but they perfectly capture thoughts and feelings for me.

Untitled
Taking pictures at Duke Gardens, I was on my way to the parking lot and discovered this beautiful gazebo and sculpture, lit up in vivid colors. Staff were strategically positioning the multi-colored lights in the gardens, preparing for a party. The colors remind me of a Wolf Kahn painting.

A sublime evening on the beach
A sublime sunset on Myrtle Beach at Christmas, one of the best times to visit. The beach is practically vacant. Just put on a sweatshirt, hat, and gloves for a brisk walk. It’s not my favorite beach, but I enjoy shopping at the outlet malls.

Grandma and me
My grandma and me in 2006. She had moved into a retirement home called Gran Gran’s when she could no longer live alone. The owner’s mother lived there, so the place was well maintained. Grandma always had a cute little laugh. My bracelet is from Primadora in Austin.

Untitled
The sheet happened to form the shape of a flower. White cotton sheets remind me of spending the night at Grandma’s house during the summer. It was my home away from home.

View from the Vatican
Secluded windows at the Vatican. What’s on the other side? Who peered out over the centuries? All kinds of questions come to mind.

Beautiful smile, Jess!
A great photo of Jessica hang gliding in Kitty Hawk. Judy, Pamela, Evelyn, Jenny, Jessica, and I enjoyed a weekend full of memorable adventures.

Sites near MG Road in Pune
I walked by this woman in Pune, India on a humid 100-degree day. Wearing just a thin dress, I was drenched in sweat. How did the woman feel wearing this outfit? At least she could bare her toes and wear sandals. That religion is NOT for me.

Plight by Joseph Beuys, 1985
At the Pompidou Centre in Paris, this installation is called Plight by Joseph Beuys. I scrunched down and entered the most peaceful room imaginable, lined with bolsters of warm felt to absorb the sound. Imagine the sound of nothingness. Such a sense of comfort and relief in the middle of the noisy city. I could have stayed there for hours. You’re probably not that impressed. Trust me, the sensation was amazing. Read more about the work at tayandhergay.blogspot.com/2012/11/plight-by-joseph-beuys-….

Jim and his hat
Jim, a visiting scholar at Duke divinity school, passed by with his family as I took pictures of the old Colonial Inn in Hillsborough. We talked about the house and why I found it so fascinating. I said “I’m feeling so much now”, to which his sweet daughter replied with a puppy dog “Awwww”.

The remnants of amazing vegan tiramisu at Blossom in NYC.
The remnants of vegan tiramisu at Blossom, the best vegan restaurant in NYC. A must for both vegetarian and open-minded omnivores. Check out the Chelsea location menu…cashew cream ravioli, mushroom calamari, hickory barbeque tempeh. My next trip is in the works!!!!!

Central Park February 2015
I’ll never forget the eerily quiet sensation of being nearly alone in Central Park. Several inches of snow muffled the sounds of Fifth Avenue. What an unexpected experience.

Butchart Gardens parrot tulips and forget-me-nots
In May at Butchart Gardens on Victoria Island, thousands of tulips were blooming, tulips of every color you can imagine, all mixed with contrasting flowers (like these forget-me-nots). I felt like I’d been transported to some perfect psychedelic alternate reality. Robert Butchart was in the cement business and moved to Victoria for the abundant limestone. His wife Jennie followed a few years later and began gardening, though she didn’t know much at first. I’m sure glad that didn’t stop her.

Buddy eats banana creme pie
My family’s dogs enjoy being fed human food from human utensils. Here, Buddy chomps down on banana creme pie at Thanksgiving. So spoiled…and unhealthy.

Star and her tongue
Star’s first time on the bed. She was so darn cute and cuddly. I let her have her way in subsequent visits but only on the bedspread. No dog hair on the sheets, please.

zen moment
Star and I lazed on the bed a lot before bedtime followed by lazing in the bed at bedtime. I remember her corny basset hound smell (I called her “taco girl”, among other things) and that shiny red coat. She was a beautiful girl.

reflective cypress trees
My mom and I visited Charleston, South Carolina in 2008. This photo is from the nearby Cypress Gardens. I love the reflections of the trees in the swampy water.

More feet please

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A large number of foot fetishists search Flickr for photos, judging by the number of hits my shoe and feet photos get. What’s so fascinating about feet? They’re all different, and shoes are like icing on a cake (however, not a cake that I’d like to eat). One can learn a lot about a person with just a glance at the feet.

Washington Square Park
“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.” A fashionably clad foot with polished toes.

MOMA crowd
“Look at me!” Gladiator sandals at the MOMA.

Washington Square Park
“Functional yet stylish.” Comfy shoes and roomy pants made for walking.

Foot of handsome gentleman
“A semi-free spirit.” Heel slightly dirty but clean shoes.

Keens...the best travel shoes
“Practical and cute.” My cushy Keens in India. Perfect travel shoes.

Art I bought in Chelsea. The artist paints layers of texture and color on bike maps.
“Granola art lover”. My Birkenstocks next to a poster I’d just bought in New York.

Shoes at the Vatican
“Exhausted tourist and Happy tourist.” The same Birks at the Vatican. My feet would have been MUCH happier in his shoes. This one got 1,000 views. Why? WHY?

Vatican visitors
“Oh, the places these boots have been.” Tattered boots at the Vatican.

Custom-made shoes at VIAJIYU
“Precious shoes for precious people.” Handmade shoes in Florence, Italy. Worth $500? Perhaps not.

Shy happy toes
“Shy girl.” The perfect pedicure at the beach.

In the spirit...
“Shall we dance?” A whimsical dame in San Francisco.

Raleigh Artsplosure 2010
“Earthy dude.” Squatting to dig a sandcastle, heels worn smooth.

Atrabilarios by Doris Salcedo
“Grim.” Shoe of a female gone missing in Columbia. Sealed into the gallery wall with a slice of cow’s bladder and stitched with animal hair. From Doris Salcedo’s Atrabilarios, which means defiant.

Airbnb apartment in the Village

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I’ve spent perhaps my last night in an Airbnb apartment.

During this, my third Airbnb experience, I stayed in a small apartment in Greenwich Village. The location couldn’t have been better. Macdougal Street near the Comedy Cellar and dozens of restaurants and little shops — including my fave Ben’s Pizzeria. One block from Third Rail, a great coffeehouse that serves Counter Culture coffee. Two blocks from Washington Square Park. Three blocks from the subway.

One of the fun things about travel is the element of surprise. You get lost and end up seeing the sun set behind a row of brownstones. You come across a parade or labor union strike, perfect for taking pictures. Or you happen to sit next to an old friend from home at a play.

I like surprises.

This Airbnb apartment offered one too many surprises. The small curtained shower, located in the kitchen, was not designed for a modest guest. How one would undress discretely in this main room of the apartment to step inside the shower remains a mystery. Still, this wasn’t the end of the world.

The toilet was in the hall — not a hall in the apartment, rather, the hall of the apartment building. A toilet in a tiny locked closet of a room. This wasn’t clear in the ad. It was inconvenient, but again, not the end of the world.

I draw the line at strangers opening my bedroom door. The guy sounded as shocked to see me as I was to hear him gasp. This happened to me at a previous Airbnb apartment, except the bedroom door there had a lock so the guy didn’t get in.

Airbnb is hit or miss in my experience. Some surprises are more acceptable than others.

People of Raleigh

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These pix are from Artsplosure, an annual festival of artists from around the South selling their wares. I enjoy meeting the artists and learning what inspires them. Jewelry, paintings, pottery, clothing — there’s something for everyone.

Raleigh Artsplosure 2010

This guy certainly knew how to pose! His mom, the artist, slept next to him in a chair. He said go ahead, take a picture of her. I somehow resisted.

Raleigh Artsplosure 2010

I loved the contrast between this girl’s green eye shadow and the red streaks in her hair. Plus she was wearing a beautiful flowing rainbow-colored dress.

Raleigh Artsplosure 2010

Artist Paul Flack hamming it up for the camera.

Raleigh Artsplosure 2009

Cute young couple I spotted under a tree. How nice of them to pose for me. Ah, young love! I wonder if they’re still speaking to each other.

Raleigh Artsplosure 2009

One of the fire-eating Aerial Angels, a group of aerial acrobats, contortionists, and ladies with other artistic talents.

People of San Francisco

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Cute boy in Mission District, San Francisco

Walking around in the Mission District, I came across this young boy asking folks to sign a petition to provide health care to the poor. He seemed so sweet and sincere.

Arab woman and child in the Mission District, San Francisco

This is my favorite photo from San Francisco. I passed these two ladies somewhere in the Mission District and wanted to take their photo. They didn’t speak English, so I held up my camera and smiled. The mother lit up and sat down with her daughter. Their smiles. The little girl’s frizzy ringlets and red nails. The sequin heart on her shirt. I love everything about this photo. I wish I could have asked them some questions, but alas, I only know English.

Street vendor in Mission District, San Francisco

“I used to be handsome,” the street vendor joked when I asked to take his photo.

Muir Woods

In Muir Woods, this boy sat watching his sister and mom fighting. His sister did something to revoke her cell phone privileges. As they argued, he cried, “STOP! STOP!” I felt so bad for him.

The yawning interloper

I just wanted a picture of the Lenny Kravitz lookalike in the foreground. The yawning guy snuck into the frame, which I didn’t realize at the time.

Star the basset hound

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Blaze Star Vega (or “Star”) was the tail wagger in a litter of basset hound puppies. For 12 years, she turned out to be the best dog a girl could have. Sweet. Great with kids except when she knocked them down. Mellow. The perfect cuddler. She died in 2007 and I miss her to this day. Do not believe the rumors. Basset hounds are not dumb. They understand what you ask them to do. They simply choose not to do it.

Ready for a ride with the top down
Here she is in my old beloved Miata.

Curled up closeup
Curled up in her blanket (it still smells like her).

Star the vamp
What a flirt.

Squint!
Stop taking pictures, Mom!!!!