Link∙Ability

My vision of my professional life has turned upside down!   As I’m no spring chicken, I'd been thinking my productive time was running out.   But then I read Henry Oliver’s book Second Act, which explores the characteristics and experiences of "late bloomers" – people who achieve notable success later in life. I want to be one of them! (Although maybe not solo kayaking across Alaska in my 80s as detailed in the book!)   After interviewing him on Friday, I’m even more convinced that I still have plenty to offer. And that I have many of the right attributes.   Henry told me that contrary to popular belief, success (however you define it) can come at any age, and ‘late bloomers often share unique traits that sustain them through setbacks and help them capitalise on their potential’.   I was cheered to hear that late bloomers succeed when it’s least expected regardless of age.   He says late bloomers are often earnest, deeply curious, persistent (my middle name), and intense.   They are self-motivated, pursue their work passionately and with purpose, and are lifelong learners who remain open to new skills and ideas, which often leads them to surprising and rewarding career pivots.   Here’s what else he says is important: 🔷 Creating one's own luck or opportunity 🔷 Having a strong network 🔷 Connecting with (true) influencers 🔷 A meandering career   All of these have direct relevance to LinkedIn. We can use the platform to help us achieve success through the opportunities that come from building a strong network, adding skills (persistence is on LinkedIn’s skills database) and using different sections in lateral ways to showcase meandering careers. Tomorrow on my Link∙Ability Radio Show audio event I’ll be looking at ways we can turn our profiles into showcases for potential late blooming success. I do hope you'll be able to join us. https://lnkd.in/gx-CPsru 🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷 Don't know me? I'm Lynnaire Johnston: a LinkedIn specialist who shares tips and ideas to help you get best results for your time here. Learn how to leverage LinkedIn™️ to achieve your professional goals at linkability.biz and follow our page Link∙Ability, for #linkedintips and #linkedinforbusiness ideas. I create compelling profiles, devise and execute attention-grabbing content strategies, host LinkedIn live and audio events, and run a membership site, linkability[.]biz. Got something to add? 🔷 COMMENT 🔷 Would others find it useful? 🔷 REPOST 🔷 Want to see more like this? 🔷 🔔 🔷 Plan to refer back to this? 🔷 SAVE 🔷 Think I know my stuff? 🔷 ENDORSE 🔷 📌📌📌 Tip of the day – share LinkedIn posts off-platform in messages, to other socials and your file storage from the app using the Share button. (From Gus Bhandal via John Espirian)

Has LinkedIn Gone Too Far With Its Changes In 2024? This week's blog looks at the impact of AI, plummeting organic reach and the new video feed in this article by Link∙Ability's Lynnaire Johnston 🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷 Follow #linkability for LinkedIn™ tips, trends and strategies. We help business professionals worldwide to leverage the power of LinkedIn™ to achieve their goals. Whether you need a profile makeover, team training, 1:1 coaching, or content creation and network building, we can help. DM Lynnaire Johnston to chat about how. Got something to add? 🔷 COMMENT 🔷 Would others find it useful? 🔷 REPOST 🔷 Want to see more like this? 🔷 LIKE 🔷 Plan to refer back to this? 🔷 SAVE 🔷

How to be Wildly Successful in Your Later Years   Many people discover as they age that they are being pushed out of the workforce.   But what if instead of seeing that as a negative, we saw it as an opportunity?   An opportunity to go in a completely different direction and become a late-bloomer – defined by Henry Oliver, author of Second Act, as someone who succeeds often when no one expects them to and in the face of substantial obstacles such as being female or a member of a marginalised group.   The world is littered with examples of those who began wildly successful late life careers in writing, art, science, mathematics and business. Ray Kroc was in his 50s when he built McDonald’s. Katherine Graham was no spring chicken when she took the helm of The Washington Post after the suicide of her husband.   These are famous names. But many, many more late-bloomers do not have instant name recognition, yet have finally found success (however you define that). You may even know some.   Certain ducks have to be in a row to become a late-bloomer. Personal characteristics required include energy, enthusiasm, a passion for learning, resilience and grit.   You also need an opportunity and the ability to step into it.   Most important, you need a lifetime of readying yourself for success. And that rarely means following the traditional career path of remaining in one career and working your way up the ladder.   One of the most striking points in Second Act for me is the necessity to be well networked. And what’s LinkedIn if not one giant networking opportunity?   I’m finding Second Act absolutely fascinating. Which is why on Friday morning (NZ/Au) – which is Thur (UK/US) – I’m interviewing Henry Oliver here on LinkedIn in a special Link∙Ability live event.   I’ll be asking him how we can become late-bloomers and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves later in life, and how we can set ourselves up for future success.   Oh, and I’ll also be asking if our mental faculties really do decline as we age or whether our lifetime of experience and learning compensate?   Join me at the earlier time of 9am NZ / 7am Au / and Wed 4pm ET / 1pm PT and 8pm GMT to hear my discussion with Henry Oliver. https://lnkd.in/gs3_Tmxu   🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷   Don't know me? I'm a LinkedIn specialist sharing tips and ideas to help you get best results for your time here.   I run the membership site, linkability[.]biz, create compelling profiles, devise and execute attention-grabbing content strategies, host LinkedIn live and audio events, and more.    Got something to add? 🔷 COMMENT 🔷 Would others find it useful? 🔷 REPOST 🔷 Want to see more like this? 🔷 🔔 🔷 Plan to refer back to this? 🔷 SAVE 🔷   📌📌📌 Tip of the day – Stuck for a content idea that will resonate? Choose a trending topic to increase reach and engagement.

Last week the Link∙Ability team hosted an AI and LinkedIn expert from the US on our LinkedIn Live, discussing 'How AI Is Transforming LinkedIn and Changing Professional Life Forever'. While some businesses have jumped on board the AI bandwagon wholeheartedly the vast majority are watching from the sidelines. And, we’ve been one of them. We’ve used AI a little to create event summaries and SEO material for our blog posts. But that’s about it. We’ve found that LinkedIn’s AI is terrible – post, message and profile creation – and you need Premium to use it. As well, LinkedIn’s collaborative articles have not been as successful as is claimed, and the below-post AI-generated prompts and answers were often wildly inaccurate. That’s put us off adopting it in any truly meaningful way. But we recognise a freight train when we see it, which is why we sat down with a former AI-sceptic MARY BRANDT to hear her opinion. In this short clip from that event, Link∙Ability’s Lynnaire Johnston shares her opinion of what it’s like to try to get grips with AI. And if you’d like to watch the full event, you can do so at https://lnkd.in/gjxCnugQ 🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷 Follow #linkability for LinkedIn™ tips, trends and strategies. We help business professionals worldwide to leverage the power of LinkedIn™ to achieve their goals. Whether you need a profile makeover, team training, 1:1 coaching, or content creation and network building, we can help. DM Lynnaire Johnston to chat about how. Got something to add? 🔷 COMMENT 🔷 Would others find it useful? 🔷 REPOST 🔷 Want to see more like this? 🔷 LIKE 🔷 Plan to refer back to this? 🔷 SAVE 🔷

Coming up tomorrow ...

Finding useful people, information and content ideas that are relevant to your area of expertise can be tricky.   Lots of prompts on LinkedIn don’t take you to specific enough info.   But we bet there’s one place you haven’t looked!   And that’s the Skills section of you and/or your team members’ profiles.   Each skill is a clickable link that takes you to people, pages, groups and content that includes that skill or keyword.   Check out our video of Lynnaire Johnston talking about how this can make a positive difference to your LinkedIn presence.   🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷   Follow #linkability for LinkedIn™ tips, trends and strategies.   We help business professionals worldwide to leverage the power of LinkedIn™ to achieve their goals. Whether you need a profile makeover, team training, 1:1 coaching, or content creation and network building, we can help. DM Lynnaire Johnston to chat about how.   Got something to add? 🔷 COMMENT 🔷 Would others find it useful? 🔷 REPOST 🔷 Want to see more like this? 🔷 LIKE 🔷 Plan to refer back to this? 🔷 SAVE 🔷

How safe are you on LinkedIn? It's a valid question in these days of scams, phishing and hacking. In this blog post based on a recent audio event delving into cyber security in general and on LinkedIn in particular, we look at how to stay safe online. 🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷 Follow #linkability for LinkedIn™ tips, trends and strategies. We help business professionals worldwide to leverage the power of LinkedIn™ to achieve their goals. Whether you need a profile makeover, team training, 1:1 coaching, or content creation and network building, we can help. DM Lynnaire Johnston to chat about how. Got something to add? 🔷 COMMENT 🔷 Would others find it useful? 🔷 REPOST 🔷 Want to see more like this? 🔷 LIKE 🔷 Plan to refer back to this? 🔷 SAVE 🔷

Yesterday’s Link∙Ability Radio show focused on cyber security and how to stay safe online, with special emphasis on LinkedIn. Our guest Katja Feldtmann shared a mountain of tips and information which you can listen to at https://lnkd.in/gsK_2-YF   But here’s a summary of the key points.   🔷 Human Element in Cybersecurity ◼ While humans are the weakest link in cybersecurity, they are also part of the solution. ◼ Emotional responses can be exploited by cybercriminals.   🔷 Common Mistakes ◼ People often fall for phishing scams or social engineering, which prey on emotions like curiosity or urgency. ◼ Two-factor authentication helps, but emotional manipulation bypasses technical safeguards.   🔷 LinkedIn Scams ◼ Phishing emails pretending to be from LinkedIn are common. ◼ Malicious links sent via messages or posts on LinkedIn can lead to spyware or fraud. ◼ Fake job offers targeting users with "Open to Work" banners are prevalent, often exploiting desperation.   🔷 Preventing Scams ◼ Hover over links before clicking to check authenticity. ◼ Verify companies and job offers independently, outside of LinkedIn. ◼ Avoid interacting through unverified channels like WhatsApp for job interviews.   🔷 Password Security ◼ Use long, unique passwords and avoid using the same password for multiple accounts. ◼ A password manager can help create and store complex passwords. ◼ Implement two-factor authentication wherever possible for an extra layer of security.   🔷 Grooming Attacks ◼ Attackers target specific individuals, such as business executives, by building trust over time before requesting money or sensitive information.   🔷 Data Privacy ◼ Be cautious of sharing personal information, as scammers may use small pieces of data to piece together larger attacks. ◼ Companies often collect more data than necessary, so question mandatory fields in forms.   🔷 Password Management Tips ◼ Use passphrases for stronger passwords. ◼ Two-factor authentication is crucial for preventing account takeovers, even if passwords are compromised.   🔷 Digital Footprint Awareness ◼ Be mindful of how much personal information is shared across different platforms, as old accounts or data breaches may expose information. ◼ Understand the risks of identity verification processes, like those on LinkedIn, which may involve third-party handling of sensitive data like passports.   🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷   Follow #linkability for LinkedIn™ tips, trends and strategies.   We help business professionals worldwide to leverage the power of LinkedIn™ to achieve their goals. Whether you need a profile makeover, team training, 1:1 coaching, or content creation and network building, we can help. DM Lynnaire Johnston to chat about how.   Got something to add? 🔷 COMMENT 🔷 Would others find it useful? 🔷 REPOST 🔷 Want to see more like this? 🔷 LIKE 🔷 Plan to refer back to this? 🔷 SAVE 🔷