There was a time when a college graduate flew under the radar until landing a job. With any luck, the company he* joined was solid and so was his career. He became a “company man” and his personal and professional identity was closely tied to that company for his entire adult life.
Wow, times have changed. You don’t have to be a staffing specialist to realize that there’s no such thing as a permanent job anymore. Job-hopping, once a sign of career suicide, has become the new norm. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that today, the average worker stays at each job for just 4.4 years. That being said, for the most part our employers no longer play a large part in our professional identity – in fact, OUR professional identity is now OURS to conceptualize, create and deliver to the world.
Today’s teens grew up with Facebook, SnapChat and Instagram. They’re already accustomed to sharing information and connecting with others online. That’s why I think that sixteen is a great age for serious high school-aged students with career aspirations to start establishing their professional brand, online. LinkedIn thinks teens as young as fourteen years old may benefit from creating a profile on the site –in fact, they just lowered their age limit last week.
Of course, not all kids are ready to think seriously about their future–maturity, socioeconomics, and gender all play a role in their readiness. But there are many early adaptors who are ready to forge ahead. Here are…
5 Reasons Why Savvy Teens are Sharing Their Career Aspirations on LinkedIn
1) It’s a safe environment: According to LinkedIn, “We want to help safeguard teens’ online experience, so we’ve started them off with a high level of privacy.” Strict limitations on personal information, including birthday, photo and location, will be set for those under 18.
2) It connects teens to academia: Thanks to new university pages, students can get college campus news, photos and financial-aid facts — LinkedIn will provide lots of unique data about alumni career paths, as well some help in reaching out to individual graduates.
3) It helps teens build a targeted network: In my book, Networking Karma, I explore the transformative principles of networking to succeed in business and in life! Young people can start building their network by joining LinkedIn groups and participate with like-minded professionals. I can’t think of a better way for students to connect with industry experts.
4) It’s a valuable source of knowledge and insight: Smart teens are learning some early–and vital—lessons about a personal versus business social media persona. By observing and participating on LinkedIn, they see first-hand how professionals responsibly share. Plus, custom newsfeeds and in-depth discussions geared toward the students’ individualized interests are just a click away.
5) It’s centralized: Teens are still learning how to stay organized. With their LinkedIn profile, students now have a go-to depository to store and share their academic honors, projects, extra-curricular and other credentials.
Forward-thinking teens that are ready to “link in” should first start by exploring the following: Who they are, what motivates them, where their interests lie, what their accomplishments are, and what makes them different/special. These are the key questions that their LinkedIn profile must answer.
It takes a special young person to accept the responsibility of sharing and engaging in a mature, appropriate and professional manner. But those who can rise to the occasion and provide relevant, valuable content to the LinkedIn community are sure to become the best of our future workforce.
What do you think? Is fourteen—or sixteen—too young for teens to start charting their professional course on LinkedIn? I’d love to hear your opinion! Please comment below.
* he or she.
Gail Tolstoi-Miller is an award-winning entrepreneur, CEO, career coach and staffing strategist. Her companies, Consultnetworx and Speednetworx are focused on connecting people for mutual fit and success. The firms’ new division, Careernetworx, will soon provide job seekers with exclusive access to training portals and career coaching services. Get your FREE list of the Top 20 Interview Blunders, at Careernetworx .
Yes, Linkedin is a social network for Professionals. The number teen agers who would use the site as it’s intended is fractional at best. Without oversight, Linkedin will become another Facebook as teenagers have little concept of what is appropriate or relevant to business.
For the rare teenager who is focused, drivin, and professional, who has something to offer in the professional arena, they will make connections and find their way.