Think LinkedIn is a waste of time?

When you work in Higher Education, it’s tempting to dismiss some of the conventional wisdom about social networking. If you’ve heard (or said) any of the following, then listen to today’s show.

• In higher ed, it’s always about what you know, not who you know.
• I’ve already got tenure (or a great job). I don’t need to worry about networking.
• LinkedIn doesn’t really do anything.
• I don’t need another place to post my CV. IT’s on my website and I can e-mail it to anyone who wants it.
• “I don’t know anyone who uses LinkedIn besides my students, and I don’t see what good connecting with Johnny from my [insert class name here] is going to do me any good.”

In today’s Higher Ed Career Coach podcast, I’m going to tell you why all of the above are nonsense, and clue you in to what LinkedIn is really good for.We’ll also cover some higher ed and employment news, upcoming programs, new coaching packages, and site news.

The show airs at 11 a.m. ET today (Friday May 11). If you have questions or comments on today’s topic, or could use advice on a job search issue, call in to the show! The phone number is (347) 989-0055, or you can click on the Skype “S” click-to-talk button from the episode page.

Congratulations! All the time and energy you spent, and all the venting sessions your friends and family have endured are behind you. You have finally landed that new job! Your first order of business: Take a week to decompress from the job search and to check items off your personal to-do list so that you can begin your new job with a clear mind!

Then, Get to Work!

When you’re a new employee, there’s a lot to take in:

• Campus culture,
• Learning names and faces,
• Figuring out where various offices are on campus,
• Exploring your role in your department and your specific duties (assigned and otherwise), and
• Determining what your supervisor expects from you in the first month or two.

It can be overwhelming at first, especially while coming down from the high of landing the job in the first place. Don’t forget that your interview hasn’t ended; have your elevator speech still at the front of your mind in the beginning, as you will most likely use it again when you continue to meet new people around campus.

Check out the links below to ensure you have a smooth transition into your new role and start off on the right foot.

New Job? How to be an Office Rock Star From Day One – See Debt Run  

How to Get Over New Job Jitters – Darryle Brown, eHow.com

Start Your New Job the Right Way – Career Savvy 101

How to Start Your New Job on the Right Foot – Rob Taub, HRPeople

9 Ways to Start Your New Job Right – Alison Green, US News Money

Take 5 is a regular feature where we present links to some good articles and resources on job search topics. If you have ideas for future topics, send them to Melissa Judy, Content Development Intern at melissa@higheredcareercoach.com.

LinkedIn rolled out a new feature the other day, and somehow I missed it until yesterday, when I was using it on my iPhone. It asked me if I wanted to activate the new calendar feature so I could find out more about the people I’m meeting with this week. This is a great enhancement to the app, and something I hope they integrate into the web version soon.

The move is also the latest proof that we have moved beyond the era of simple social networking and solidly into the era of social network intelligence, where the average user can take advantage of the vast data mines we so happily participate in. I’ve covered “social network intelligence” tools before, with my favorite being Gist, a free social CRM tool that was acquired by Blackberry as part of its efforts to integrate cloud-based features into the lagging Blackberry ecosystem and their related notebooks. I’ve also recently been testing Nimble, which does many of the same things, and have tested Rapportive, as well as Xobni’s Smartr Contacts app on iPhone. GMail also gives users the ability to see more about your contacts by turning on the “people widget” in their mail settings.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) applications have been widely used by sales professionals for years, but the advent of Social CRM apps (especially free ones) brings the possibility of better relationship management to the everyday user.

Some typical features of social CRM apps:

• Calendar and e-mail integration. Inside one app, you can see who you are meeting with, when you’ve met with the person before, and the e-mails you’ve traded. It’s great to be able to pull up e-mails and attachments you’ve traded as you meet with a contact. How many times have you been on a phone or web meeting and had to say, “I don’t know if I received that, let me search my inbox.” No more. It’s all right there.
• Notes. You can make notes about your meeting.
• Tasks. You can create new tasks and set deadlines. In some CRM apps, you can share tasks with colleagues, or assign them to specific team members for follow-up.
• Social network integration. Add a social network profile to follow, and you can read tweets, Facebook posts, and LinkedIn updates from within the contact dashboard.
• Web searches. Many social CRM apps integrate with Google API and will return possible results for the person, company, and industry related to your contact.
• RSS feed integration. Follow a contact’s personal or corporate blogs, podcasts, and anything else with an RSS feed.
• Maps. If you have a physical address for a contact, you can get a map and driving directions from within the CRM application.

LinkedIn’s foray into social CRM is interesting, but at this point, it’s also pretty basic. First, you click on the calendar tab (really a frame of sorts) in the upper right, and it shows your calendar. You’ll see the contact’s LinkedIn photo and name. Within the meeting, you see links to the LinkedIn profile for each person in the meeting (including you) and a pane with notes. If you want more information, you click through to view the  person’s profile.

I’ll be interested to see how many more of the typical social CRM features LinkedIn integrates in the future. With access to so much user data, and its position as “the” professional social network, LinkedIn could bring Social CRM not only into your schedule, but into the mainstream.

Finding Your Niche in Higher Education

As a graduate student, I’ve been constantly exploring the various roles that are available in higher education. A professional isn’t limited to student affairs, as I entered graduate school believing. I had blinders on to Greek life when I began, and as I near thesis defense time in June, and graduation in August, I’m realizing that my niche in higher education may not have been where I thought it was this whole time, but I’m finding peace in this realization.

I decided to pursue a master’s degree when I was told I would need one to work in student affairs. I was a veterinary technician at the time and I had realized that I missed academia and I missed Greek life. I thought, how great that I could make a living from working with other Greek students! So, in the fall of 2010 I began an online master degree program in higher education administration. I chose to do it online because I’m a military spouse and it made sense to take my education with me rather than try to transfer credits. As I began, I focused my assignments heavily on Greek life, but I began to open my eyes to other departments such as orientation, first year programs and student activities. In the meantime, I had begun working as a communications specialist in an alumni relations office. I learned a lot while working there and gained some valuable website administration, writing and social media skills. I loved the environment I was working in, not to mention the people.

My husband was stationed in California in August 2011 and we moved, meaning I had to leave my wonderful job, but continue my degree. While here, I’ve applied for numerous student affairs positions, some an hour away, with little success. Finally, the job of my so-called dreams opened and I applied. It was a remote position working for a national sorority’s headquarters. I would be charged with advising chapters and chapter advisors for an organization I believe does great things for its members and communities. I had interviewed for this position just before leaving my last job, but it was open again and I was beyond excited. I knew someone who worked there and thought it was perfect for me, especially as I near graduation.

Just when I had been asked to do a phone interview, I received an e-mail from a friend asking me if I would be interested in another communications position for a development office at my husband’s duty station (he’s stationed at a military graduate school). This position would be a promotion from my last job, still be in higher education, and I would get to have lunch with my husband. Oh, the dilemma! So, I said, sure I’ll apply. That day I was asked to come in for an interview the following day and I obliged. In the interview, I told them of my upcoming phone interview and my inability to decide. They were surprisingly okay with it and just told me to keep in touch.

The day came for my phone interview and I was pretty nervous. More nervous than I had been in the communications interview the week before. Strange. As I hung up the phone, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be right then. I had been reminded of the negatives of Greek life and the cattiness that goes along with being in a sorority the week before and I wondered if that negativity might creep into a position I may hold in Greek life and it hit me. I worried that feeling would eventually become my every day and I knew I didn’t want that. I also worried that my love for Greek life may dwindle if I was faced with that feeling every day and that I may eventually just get burned out on it all. And, I really didn’t want that. I knew that the communications position was essentially a guaranteed job, and I somehow in my gut I felt I belonged there.

So, I contacted the military school and told them I wanted to come in for a second interview and they jumped at the chance. I interviewed with the president of the board of trustees and the executive director of the foundation and a couple of hours later I had an offer letter in my inbox. It was that easy. All thanks to an e-mail from a friend asking if I’d be interested in applying since she knew I’d been job-searching already for several months. And the best part was, they were ok with my military spouse status, the fact that I knew we’d be moving again in December. They even offered the potential for remote work when I moved, the holy grail of military spouse careers.

I then set about e-mailing the sorority I had interviewed with, telling them I had accepted this position. I received an e-mail back stating that I would not be asked back for on-site interview and they wished me the best of luck in my search. I can only assume they had sent me a form e-mail, and that’s ok.

What I realized in taking this job, again in higher ed communications, is that I had set my path. It felt like a huge, life-altering decision, but I knew it was the right one when I felt relieved after making it. I knew that in making this decision and putting this job on my resume, I would be branding myself as a communications professional rather than a student affairs professional, but my gut trusted it and so, so did I. That’s not to say that I’m not building transferable skills, or that I’m tied to this niche that I feel comfortable in right now. And, it doesn’t mean that I’m merely taking a job that doesn’t challenge me, because two weeks in, I’m already challenged! I just know that, at this time, this is where I’m meant to be and I’m happy with my decision. I know that in not making Greek life my job, as I had hoped, I won’t be in danger of getting burnt out and I’ll be able to offer more of myself as an advisor in a volunteer capacity in the future, when hopefully we move to a place with a collegiate chapter of my organization nearby.

I should also say, there’s nothing wrong with taking a job you know you’ll do well in and feel completely qualified for. Not every job has to be a stretch for your skills and experience, especially if it’s a jump in titles and pay.

Ultimately, you have to follow the path that feels right. Your place in higher education may end up being completely different from what you envisioned for yourself, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Just because you have been pursuing a certain position or function, doesn’t mean that others within higher education may not be a better fit. Take the time to explore the different paths that are available to you and really feel them out, see if your gut reacts to any of them. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself, but also don’t be afraid to take a position that really uses your already existing skills. Honing those skills is never a bad thing, as long as you keep moving up and forward!