What I learned from a LinkedIn “Fast”

I was recently challenged to stay off of LinkedIn outside of necessary work use for one week (I did it for two.) Here are 4 insights I had about myself and the platform after going through this “fast”.

1) LinkedIn is truly an incredible tool

Its ability to help someone scale their professional exposure and network are unrivaled.

It was instrumental in helping me land my current role as a recruiter.

It helps me connect with candidates for the roles I work on.

It does have a shadow side...

2) LinkedIn can also just be another form of social media

The scroll is real. I haven’t used any other social media in any meaningful capacity for years, but have often caught myself scrolling LinkedIn just like on other platforms. 

The people that make it are smart! Attention is the commodity of the 21st Century and they are eager to find ways to capture yours. Which leads me to my third insight:

3) I have a strong tendency to consume as opposed to create

It’s amazing how many books, podcasts, videos, blogs, etc. I can consume—I rarely ever take the steps to actually contribute my own thoughts to a conversation.

I know I'm not alone in this. 

And it really comes down to my fear of rejection or not feeling like I have anything useful to share.

The outcome doesn't matter. The process does.

Which brings me to my final insight for all the nonprofit professionals out there:

4) NONPROFIT PROFESSIONALS SHOULD BE UTILIZING LINKEDIN MORE!

Truly, the work that you do and the missions you work for are incredible. They are making the world a better place.

I want to challenge you to start sharing more.  

Share about your work, your mission, anything! I'd love to hear about it.

Some of you may not know where to start. I’d recommend you begin by following people who post in a way that you’d like to replicate.

Good luck and see you on LinkedIn! 

Joe Moran is a recruiter for the Oxenham Group. You can find him on LinkedIn here.