While golf is a social sport, LinkedIn is a networking tool. Both require strategy and patience to succeed, and you must understand the rules.

In golf, you play on a course. In LinkedIn, you play on the platform. 

FOLLOW THE RULES

In both instances, there are rules and penalties if you break the rules. You can refer to the United States Golf Association website to check the rules. 

On LinkedIn, there is a User Agreement, and if you break the rules and go out of bounds, you could go to “LinkedIn Jail” temporarily or be banned from the platform permanently, as there may be no mulligan. 

Don’t get that divot or hit the sand trap or hazard area. Integrity, consideration of others, and following a code of conduct are norms.

Take note of LinkedIn’s advertising policies BEFORE the upcoming election, as political ads are prohibited.

THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

You need the right clubs and gear to be successful in golf, as they can affect your performance. Are you using an iron, wedge, wood, putter, or hybrid?

On LinkedIn, you need a professional photo, a customized banner, a well-crafted About section, a detailed experience section, skills, and more. Stay tuned for next week’s article, laying out a profile checklist to review!

GET OUT THERE AND PARTICIPATE

You can watch golf on TV but it’s certainly not the same experience as having a club in your hand. All my life, I had been a mini-golfer until my daughter started working at TopGolf, and now I can see how good or bad my swings are with the help of technology.

Although I don’t participate in an 18-hole course with a bad knee, I certainly support my local charity golf event as a volunteer. If you are local to Chester County, take note of the May 15, 2024, early bird deadline for July 15, 2024, charity golf event through the Paoli Business & Professional Association. 

You can be an individual golfer, team, sponsor, or participate in a pickleball tournament!

Get out there and participate on LinkedIn! Create posts and comment on other people’s posts.

THE POWER OF PRECISION

Have you ever experienced yips and missed your shot? It happens! Performance anxiety is a thing when you are trying to putt. Maybe your comrades will give you a gimme.

On LinkedIn, you must be precise and use the right keywords from the database. You can’t always assume the lingo you use is what is in the database.Many people still don’t attend to basic LinkedIn 101 and customize their URLs.

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

Golf is often used as a networking sport, facilitating discussions and deals on the course.

LinkedIn is designed to build professional relationships and expand networks through strategic connections. It’s the world’s largest professional network, with over one billion users worldwide.

HAVE PATIENCE AND STAY THE COURSE

I have heard that continuous effort, including practice rounds and learning from mistakes, is needed to improve one’s golf game.

On LinkedIn, you must update your profile regularly, engage with content, and refine strategies to remain visible and relevant. Practice makes perfect, or at least improvement.

RESILIENCE

When coping with good rounds and bad ones on the golf course, resilience is required to keep playing.

The same goes for LinkedIn. Manage your successes and setbacks in your career and on LinkedIn. Celebrate your achievements and learn from rejections.

CONCLUSION

Both golf and LinkedIn rely on understanding the rules, utilizing the right tools, participating, focusing on precision, building relationships, engaging in persistent practice, and exercising resilience.

Approach your LinkedIn strategy with the same discipline and patience as a skilled golfer approaches their game. Once you are in the zone and you’ve optimized your profile, you can join the others and head to the nineteenth hole!

Did you catch the previous article? Introducing Pinpoint, Crossclimb, and Queens: Linked’s Leap into Gaming

NEXT STEPS

• Subscribe to my newsletter on LinkedIn™ for bright ideas on how to manage your career.

• If you need a resume or LinkedIn™ profile to get you to your next step, book a call to chat!

• Join as a member at https://greatcareers.org/membership of the #1 business networking association on the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Book of Lists four years in a row! 

• To support our charity at KeepOnSharing.com use the referral code Career

• Follow #GreatCareersPHL 

UPCOMING EVENTS – Registration info is on the events page.

• Mon May 13 – Career Success Group Job Seeker Accountability & Networking
• Mon May 13 – Transform Your Wealth: Master Key Mindsets for Financial Success
• Tues May 14 – LGBTQ+ OUTstanding Careers Group™
• Wed May 15 – How to Gain Customers with a LinkedIn Company Page Lunch & Learn (in person Paoli)
• Wed May 15 – Deep Dive: Using AI to Improve Your Resume and Cover Letter
• Thu May 16 – Recruiter on Call with Jobs LinkedIn Audio
• Thu May 16 – How to Spot a Good Hiring Manager (Future Boss)