This post shares why stay-at-home moms and dads should make Linkedin their go-to-social media platform to build their personal brand and stay top of mind for future opportunities.
"I stay at home with the kids. Why should I use LinkedIn?"
I have heard this comment one too many times from stay-at-home moms and dads. They don't see the need to be on LinkedIn or view their contribution to the platform as valid.
The truth is, you may have stepped away from your career, but you still have value, knowledge, and expertise to share with others.
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that connects people but is not exclusive to professionals only.
Find out how LinkedIn has changed, making it easier for stay-at-home moms and dads to stay relevant and marketable on the world's largest networking platform.
Why LinkedIn ?
LinkedIn has over 740 million members on the platform, making it highly likely that every industry, business type, and professional role is represented.
With that many members, you are just a few connections away from meeting your future co-worker, business partner, or collaborator for a project.
As a stay-at-home mom or dad, LinkedIn is your way to connect to your future opportunity.
There is an old cliche saying, "Your net worth is your network." An oldie but goodie. But there is a lot of truth from this saying!
Think about how often you landed a job through a referral or received a lead from a friend. These moments were possible because you knew someone or had a connection through a mutual friend.
LinkedIn has Changed for the Better
The pandemic has changed our work lives. The privilege to work from home has made it impossible not to show up on Linkedin a little less polished or put together.
People working from home can take notes from the stay-at-home mom or dad. It's not easy, and it is a lot of work!
This collective experience has made people want to share beyond what they do for work. People are sharing real-life and everyday moments.
Some people like to post reminders on LinkedIn that this platform is not like Facebook or Instagram and refrain from getting too personal. But the pandemic has changed the tone and conversations on the platform.
People are looking to connect with others regardless of job title, role, or employment.
Why Stay-at-home Moms and Dads Should Use LinkedIn
No one knows what the future holds. There could be a time when you may need or want to go back to work or decide to make a pivot into a new career.
Searching for a job is hard. Searching for a job with an outdated or unresponsive network makes it even harder.
However, using LinkedIn to grow your network isn't the only reason why stay-at-home moms and dads should utilize this platform.
Here are a few more reasons why stay-at-home parents should use LinkedIn:
- A space to maintain your professional reputation, aka your personal brand.
- A social media platform that doesn't have to tie back to your family or kids.
- A platform designed to discover new communities outside of your network.
5 LinkedIn Tips for Stay-at-home Moms and Dads
1. Update Your Experience
Using the proper title avoids you having to use a made-up title or role to describe this moment in your career. So, make sure you take advantage of this latest update.
2. add keywords to the about section
3. engage with your connections
4. you have value to share
"Just because you didn't get paid for it doesn't mean it wasn't valuable."
Shanica Roberts Career Coach & Resume Writer for Moms returning back to work
Shanica encourages her clients to keep track of their projects and to not discount any volunteer work or activities outside of the stay-at-home mom responsibilities.
Organizing that fundraiser, creating that newsletter, or leading that private Facebook group are projects that count and add value to your stay-at-home work experience.
Stay at home moms tend to have this false belief that work is only valued when it's tied to compensation.
This is not true.
Work is valued when you can show the value.
Sharing the details of your side project, writing on how to multitask, or shooting a video about balancing a busy schedule are just a few examples of the different types of content to post on LinkedIn.
As long as the content solves a problem and inspires or motivates people to take action, the post has value. Don't hold back and share it.
You can catch Shanica Roberts on the Career Therapy Podcast with Martin McGovern. She shares what are the barriers stay-at home moms face when deciding to go back to work and how to overcome them.
5. Write a Linkedin article
Publishing an article on LinkedIn is a great way to showcase your knowledge about a subject or highlight an experience that supports your personal brand.
Writing a Linkedin article may seem scarier than it sounds, but it's actually easier than launching and maintaining a blog. Publishing an article on LinkedIn is pretty easy to do and is similar to writing a post.
Plus, the articles are indexed by Google. An excellent SEO tactic to drive traffic to a profile or website.
A great example of a LinkedIn article is from Junette Caloroso, a business recruiter and career coach. She shares in the article about her experience of consistently posting on LinkedIn every day for a year, which led her to a long list of opportunities besides just landing a new job.
June shares this valuable reminder about publishing content:
"You never know who is reading or watching your content and who can be impacted and inspired by your story."
After consistently posting on Linkedin, June landed T.V. appearances, podcasts, speaking engagements and started a career coaching business.Conclusion
Your work environment changed, but you are still working, building skills, and providing value to others daily. Make it count by sharing it on a platform that values everyone's work and worth.
The effort you put into being on Linkedin today will be the perfect setup for your return to your career in the future.
We want to hear from you! Do you plan to stay active on LinkedIn? Share below.
