How LinkedIn Launched My Journey as a Nutrition Entrepreneur B E T H STA R K RDN, LDN MARKETING COORDINATOR
If you’re like I used to be, you probably haven’t looked at, let alone updated, your LinkedIn profile in a few months. While I am only regularly active on Facebook and Instagram, the thought of maintaining yet another platform previously felt overwhelming and, quite frankly, unnecessary. I mean, was anyone really interested in what I was doing? That was until February 2021, when out of the blue, I found myself jobless. After nearly 13 years as a retail dietitian, six of which were spent leading the team, I was let go due to downsizing. It wasn’t until then that I became more engaged with LinkedIn and saw it as a gateway to multiple opportunities. LinkedIn is described as the “world’s largest professional network on the internet.” It’s touted for being used to find jobs and internships, foster professional relationships and help users learn skills needed to have a successful career. Oh and it’s FREE! After more than a year of consistently engaging with the platform, I fully agree that this description aligns with what LinkedIn is capable of. But like anything, you get out what you put in. When you first get started on LinkedIn, you’ll need to upload a professional headshot and build out a profile including details about your educational background, job history, and unique skill set. Easy enough. Perhaps more daunting than establishing your profile is carving out time to regularly refresh the content. This is where I can share two examples of how regular engagement with LinkedIn brought new career opportunities to me.
According to LinkedIn, All-Star profiles are 40 times more likely to receive job opportunities.
One way I coped with the very sudden and drastic change in my career path was to take action. Among those action steps was posting a LinkedIn profile update to share that I was no longer employed as a retail dietitian and looking for work. I also better positioned my “side hustle” to be front and center as my current work experience.
As a nutrition entrepreneur it’s important to optimize professional opportunities however you can. I hope my positive experience with LinkedIn has inspired you to take a look at the current state of your own profile to determine if a makeover is in order. And if it is, you also find this platform to be a contributor to continued success.
An incredible resource that helped to elevate my LinkedIn profile was The Dietitian Side Hustle podcast interview featuring self-proclaimed “LinkedIn evangelist” Stacey DunnEmke. After listening to this episode, I applied the super-simple tweaks she recommended to achieve “AllStar Status.” I strongly encourage you to listen to -. According to LinkedIn, All-Star profiles are 40 times more likely to receive job opportunities. Because these profile updates are how many people in my network learned of this change, I received an onslaught of messages offering to support me through this transition. One such message was from a former colleague that ultimately resulted in an unbeatable opportunity with the Pennsylvania Beef Council/ Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative. When my now-supervisor learned of my departure from retail (thanks to LinkedIn) she promptly reached out and we jointly created the parttime role of my dreams as director of channel marketing and consumer outreach that I started in June 2021. The other opportunity that came out of a simple LinkedIn update was serving on the Sifter Medical Advisory Board. Similarly, a colleague there saw my job experience updates and contacted me to chat. Fast forward a few months and I received an invitation to join the board. This opportunity has not only contributed to more visibility and credibility for me and my brand, it has also led to other opportunities for growth and connecting with new and highly respected colleagues.
Beth Stark is a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Pennsylvania and the owner of Beth Stark Nutrition; a nutrition and culinary communications consulting business. When she isn’t working her hybrid role of part-time beef nutrition advocate/part-time nutrition entrepreneur, Beth finds joy in family time, outdoor adventures and self-care.
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