Some good friends and former co-workers of mine learned an important lesson last week, and that is to always keep your LinkedIn profile updated. They are now out of a job, due to a buyout. They were part of the Miami production staff of Nightly Business Report, the award-winning PBS business news program that was recently purchased by CNBC. The show will continue to air on PBS stations across the country, but it will be based out of New Jersey. Last Friday was the last show co-produced out of Miami and New York, and the last day of work for the Miami staff.
NBR holds a special place in my heart because I worked there for nearly twenty years – both as a full-time employee and as a freelancer. The management was so supportive of me and everyone else on the staff. They encouraged me to improve my skills, and over the years, I advanced from a character generator operator, to stocks producer, to writer and producer. I know I wouldn’t be as good a writer today, if it wasn’t for the experience I had working on that show. I learned how to work on a deadline and write copy that grabs a person’s attention, but is also clear and concise. I use those skills today in writing for the web.
I went to Miami for that last show, and was able to reconnect with my old co-workers. It was a bittersweet moment. It’s hard to say good-bye, but NBR in Miami had a good long run. The show started locally in 1979, and went national a couple of years later. It’s seen by nearly half a million people across the country every day. CNBC is darn lucky to have NBR, because it’s now their highest rated show!
As we were reminiscing last week, my friends also talked about how they needed to update their LinkedIn profiles, so they could find a new job. It’s a fact of life today that you need some kind of presence on social media, and LinkedIn is an especially good place to start, especially if you’re a professional. I encouraged them to include keywords in their profile, and even offered to host a webinar for them! The sad fact is that in this day and age, unless you own your own business, you never know when the ax is going to fall. So be proactive and keep your resume, and LinkedIn profile updated.
Related articles
- What Recruiters Want To See On Your LinkedIn Profile (businessinsider.com)
- How to Turn Cold Calls into Warm Leads with LinkedIn(gloriarand.com)
