Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. Remember the Changes song that David Bowie sang? Maybe they are singing that tune as the team meeting mantra at LinkedIn™.
Frankly, the changes are more rapid than I can even keep up with, but I can tell you who does keep up with them is Kevin Turner. If you want to be in the know, Kevin constantly reports updates that his fan club finds “in the wild.” Ring the bell on his profile so you will be “in the know” when he posts.
What does “in the wild” mean? It means LinkedIn™ does not always announce a change that is about to happen or has happened. Users on the platform are surprised when something new crosses their path that they have never seen before. They find something that’s different “in the wild.”
Kevin is our faithful LinkedIn™ changes” reporter who kindly gives credit to those who let him know their findings. He constantly posts these findings and adds them to his ongoing newsletter in his Featured section.
As not the norm, LinkedIn™ sent out an email on February 1st announcing some changes about Creator mode. I’m behind a couple of days in emails, so this was brought to my attention by Filiz Aktan-Clark, Ph.D., even though I did get the email.
You can turn Creator Mode on in the Resources section of your profile. That gives you access to Creator tools like LinkedIn™ Live, LinkedIn™ Audio, Newsletter, and a Follow link instead of a Connect link. You also could choose five hashtags for what you “talk about.”
People active on LinkedIn™ got access to Creator Mode, but LinkedIn™ is opening it up to more than the 18 million members who set it up. There will no longer be a toggle switch to turn Creator Mode on or off, and it will be open to more LinkedIn™ members.
Instead of the mandated “Follow” button that appeared when you turned Creator Mode on, you will not have the option to keep that or choose “Connect,” which was tucked under the More button for those who had Creator Mode on.
LinkedIn™ will bump your About section to the top of your profile, so you might want to need to spruce things up. I recommend you read viewing your profile on desktop and mobile and think about how you will re-format your About section if it needs improvement.
The five “talks about” hashtags will magically disappear in February.
And wait … there’s more!
For the Great Careers Network, I use the #GreatCareersPHL branded hashtag on many of my posts. This customization was an attempt for folks, like me, to use branded hashtags to gain community followers. There may be more changes coming in the world of hashtags on LinkedIn™.
Read a post from Lynnaire Johnston, who shared thoughts about hashtag changes, and read the comments under the post, too.
Then, make some popcorn and enjoy watching while you see these and more changes roll out!
NEXT STEPS
- Subscribe to my newsletter on LinkedIn™ for bright ideas to manage your career.
- Join as a member at https://greatcareers.org/membership of the #1 business networking association on the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Book of Lists four years in a row!
- If you need a resume or LinkedIn™ profile to get you to your next step, book a call to chat!
- Follow #GreatCareersPHL
AUTHOR BIO
Lynne M. Williams is the Executive Director of the Great Careers Network, a volunteer-run 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides career development and networking connections for 1) job seekers in career transition, including veterans, and 2) employed and self-employed for career management.
Aside from writing keyword-focused content for ATS resumes and LinkedIn™ profiles, Lynne is currently writing her doctoral dissertation on LinkedIn™ for Job Seekers. She is a contributing author on “Applying to Positions” in Find Your Fit: A Practical Guide to Landing the Job You Love, along with the late Dick Bolles, the author of What Color is Your Parachute?, and is also a speaker on career topics.
This article is also published on: vista.today, montco.today, delco.today, bucksco.today, philadelphia.today and in the author’s LinkedIn newsletter. A list of articles can also be found in a Google doc.
