A Learning Journey through LinkedIn's Global Customer Operations

My GCO Experience and Learnings

On the 8th of July 2019, I walked into LinkedIn for the first time as an employee. One week later, my rotation in LinkedIn’s Global Customer Operations (GCO) began. The objective of GCO is to educate, empower and engage clients so that they can leverage our products in the best way possible, and thereby further their mission.

Initially, I was unsure of what exactly to expect. I had never worked in such an environment before and dealing with such an entirely new experience was invigorating. For 3 weeks, I worked within LinkedIn Talent Solutions (LTS) Support which helps clients attract and recruit great talent from the world's largest talent pool. This was followed by a similarly long sting in LinkedIn Sales Solutions (LSS) Support which helps clients target, understand and engage leads in a revolutionary way.

Throughout this journey, I came to understand the crucial role that GCO performs within LinkedIn and to realise the indispensable value which comes with delivering the best possible customer experience.

In this article, I would love to highlight some key learnings which I’ve come to realise throughout my journey within GCO.

Relationships really do matter

At LinkedIn, relationships are valued and prized. This was more than evident throughout my time in GCO. I heavily relied on my peers for their support and knowledge and felt highly appreciative of the excellent training provided and the flexible nature of my managers. These aspects of my time in GCO made it a transformative learning experience which developed my product knowledge, customer empathy skills and my problem-solving ability.

Resilience is vitally important

Solving cases and providing customers with the best experience possible isn’t always simple and can be demanding. The ability to deal with setbacks and challenging days is crucial in order to navigate any new role, but especially one within such a fast-paced company like LinkedIn. I found that having a good sense of perspective really helped me to deal with some tougher moments and keep persevering.

Vulnerability can be good

Sometimes, you have to ask for help – and that’s OK. It can sometimes be difficult to turn to a colleague and admit that we are struggling but in the long run it pays off. People generally want to help and share their knowledge and everyone at LinkedIn has always done their utmost to help me when I asked. For this, I am incredibly grateful!

Go the extra mile

When doing something, the bare minimum often suffices. However, to deliver real value, going above and beyond your role makes an impact that goes further than many realize. Particularly when dealing with customers, they really value and recognize when someone genuinely cares and wants the best for them. It creates a really positive image for the organisation and ultimately makes the customer experience much more enjoyable

This rotation has ultimately played a significant role in my personal and professional development to date. I’ve enjoyed my time here so far immensely and would like to personally thank my managers, trainers, coaches and my colleagues for their uplifting attitudes, wonderful insights and constructive opinions. In particular Nil Celebi, Rebekka Fischer, Sam Isidoro, Sjong Wu and of course Maire Burke have all been instrumental in making my GCO experience a rewarding and enjoyable one!A Le