1. It's a platform to showcase your skills/portfolio
Tableau public is a great way to compile all your data visualizations and dashboards. But it is actually not very easy to browse Tableau Public or find a certain author if you don‘t know the exact name. You can see LinkedIn as your showcase extension. You showcase your work on Tableau Public and then LinkedIn is spreading it to a wider audience and particularly to an audience that is interested in you (e.g., recruiters and employers) and that you are interested in (e.g., fellow data enthusiasts). LinkedIn will hence increase the reach of your work.
2. Learn from others in your field and be inspired by others‘ stories
By connecting with others in the data community, you have a vast pool of resources at your fingertips. You can learn from their posts, be inspired by their work or background stories, and exchange experiences. You may find that your unique background is not as rare as you thought it would be. You may connect with other like-minded people. Another advantage is that you also have a vast network of support at your fingertips. Stuck with a problem? Ask the community? Need feedback for an application? Ask the community!
When I first started out building visualizations and worked on my first application draft for the data school, I posted an early draft to LinkedIn and asked my network for feedback. The feedback I got was invaluable, especially since I got feedback not only from data viz experts but also from the general user of such dashboards. And since my dashboard was intended for the general public, this feedback was quite useful for me.
3. LinkedIn is your resume. Highlight your strengths/background!
We all bring a unique background and different strengths to data consultancy. Sometimes it is hard to put all of those strengths into one short bio on a website or into the little blurb on Tableau Public. LinkedIn is your resume where you can highlight all of your skills, certifications, strengths etc. You can make it as personal as you want with a bio, featured work, and even sample work. The advantage is that you can make it YOU! Add color to your banner image, write something humorous in your bio, or highlight a personal project rather than a business dashboard. You can bring YOUR personality through.
4. Prepare for the job market even while still in training
Even if you are not looking for a job at moment (for example because you just started the Data School), you may want to use LinkedIn to see what kinds of jobs are out there in the realm of data consultancy, data analytics, and business intelligence. You are able to see skills that you could focus on throughout the next few months, explore companies you are interested in, and make yourself a competitor early on. Vice versa, recruiters may already become aware of you ahead of you applying for jobs.
And once you are ready to apply for jobs, a LinkedIn profile can carry more weight than a normal resume these days.
Imagine this: An employer has the choice between two LinkedIn profiles: one with a picture, a bio, and some highlighted work such as dashboards and data visualizations. The other does not have a picture, and only the bare minimum such as current job and last degree is filled out. Who do you think the employer would choose for an interview? Is that always fair? No! The person without a LinkedIn profile or with an empty LinkedIn profile may be just as qualified, but less visible. And networking and visibility are great strengths in today‘s competitive job market.
5. Help other people
Even if you are not a mentor or teacher, your LinkedIn posts can help others. For example you share useful Tableau tips, share your journey getting into the Data School, or share challenges that others have as well. You never know, maybe your one post is exactly what another person is looking for.
6. Be visible and promote the brand of the data school
By being visible on LinkedIn you are also promoting the brand of the Data School and the Information Lab. You represent core values such as sharing knowledge, helping each other, asking questions, seeking feedback, learning from each other, and our enthusiasm for data. Others will see these values through your profile and posts and will get a glimpse into what working at the Data School and The Information Lab is like. You can see yourself kind of like a brand ambassador.
So? How to be better at being visible and posting to LinkedIn?
Throw your perfectionism over board! Start by posting some of your work from your Tableau Public. Ask for feedback. Comment on posts from others from the Tableau community. You don‘t have to write 500 words for each post. Sometimes even 2-3 sentences can be powerful. What is one lesson you learned while building a viz? What did you struggle with most? What did you wish you could have done instead but didn’t have the skills yet? What was the most fun part about it?
I started by posting Makeover Mondays and asking for feedback. Once I got into the Data School, I posted about interesting days at work or vizzes I built. I would also post my blogs (low hanging fruit here since you already published that anyway- just drop the link with one sentence into a post and you are done!)
Attention !!!
One thing to keep in mind is to NEVER post any client or confidential data!
Feature photo by Souvik Banerjee / Unsplash
LinkedIn Logo: LinkedIn™
Do you agree with these points above? Drop me a message on LinkedIn and let's get connected: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-hitch