LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional social network, has solidified its reputation as the market leader in various aspects, including job posting, fostering business connections, and staying informed about both Irish and international business developments. Nonetheless, for individuals embarking on the journey of building their professional network or seeking employment opportunities, it can be a challenge to create their network. To address this, LinkedIn Ireland has taken a proactive step this year by launching a comprehensive six-part, in-person series tailored specifically for job seekers. Each week, participants can look forward to engaging presentation sessions, each focusing on a unique and crucial aspect of the job search process. These sessions will be conducted by seasoned experts well-versed in all facets of job hunting. Whether you choose to attend a single session or the entire series, LinkedIn invites you to join us on this enriching journey. Please note that registration for subsequent sessions will open one week prior to the session date, so mark your calendars and secure your spot in advance.

I interviewed LinkedIn Ireland Social Impact Managers Katrina Enros to find out more:

1. Can you go into some detail on what are the ‘LinkedIn Community Learn-in Sessions’?

Community Learn-in Sessions are an opportunity to come into our Dublin offices and acquire new knowledge or skills for free. This series is focused on the needs of job seekers, with each session deep diving into one specific area of the process. The series includes:

• Supercharge Your Network [September 12]
• Your Professional Brand – Representing Yourself [September 27]
• Transferable Skills – Identifying and Upskilling [October 10]
• Rock Your Interview [October 25]
• Confidence and Resilience in the Job Search [November 7]
• The Future of Work – What you Need to Know [November 22]

2. Who are these sessions open too? What demographics of attendees usually come to these events?

The session is open to anyone in our community currently looking for a new job, though we focus on ensuring that a large cohort of the audience represents folks that face particular barriers to work: refugees, individuals experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage, and young adults. We do this by working closely with our Social Impact partners, including Open Doors Initiative, The Irish Refugee Council, JobCare and The Department of Social Protection.

3. How did you choose your topics and speakers for these events?

We run dozens of sessions for job seekers here in Ireland and globally, so we’re always listening to what people want or need to hear more about right now. Some of these are classic requests, e.g. “How do I prepare for an interview?”, while other topics, like anxiety about the future of work, are newer requests. This is our third iteration of the series, and this time, “Confidence and Resilience” and “The Future of Work” are new offerings responding to what we’re being asked for. The speakers are all internal LinkedIn experts, volunteering their time to give back to our communities.

4. Have you any early success stories from previous sessions? in terms of attendees who went on to get jobs?

 Yes, we see tons of people go on to get jobs shortly after completing sessions with us, but I wouldn’t lay claim to those successes. We do a lot of work to help open doors, to connect people to opportunities in the small ways that we can, but ultimately their success stories are down to the work they put in to connect their skills to the right roles. We give advice about how to tell your story, how to represent your brand, how to connect with others, and I think that supplies folks with practical tools and the confidence they need to get out there and land the role. What I love most about the sessions is that it’s an opportunity to be in a room with others that are going through the same thing as you. The job search process can be lonely and draining, but sessions like these can bring a bit of energy back to it.

5. Why did you decide to go in person with these events, rather than hybrid or virtual?

We make a lot of resources available online, including Resources to Help You Navigate Today’s Job Market; a number of our sessions with partners are delivered hybrid. The Community Learn-in series is focused on learning together, and the opportunity to expand your network with others in the room; some folks just connect and learn better in real-life. Several of the sessions in the series also provide attendees with the opportunity to meet 1-1 with a LinkedIn Coach immediately after the initial presentation. We try to provide a myriad of options that suit the diversity of needs and preferences in our community.

6. Outside of the Community Learn-in Session what companies are LinkedIn Ireland working with to increase their social impact?

Our signature partners in Ireland include AkiDwA, DCU’s Access Program, Dublin Simon Community, Focus Ireland, JobCare, Innovate Communities’ Inspire Mentoring Program, Irish Refugee Council, Open Doors Initiative, and YMCA Ireland.

8. Has the layoff in the tech sector in Ireland negatively impacted on the perception of working in a tech company, from a job seekers point of view?

While I wouldn’t want to speak on behalf of all job seekers, I do think the sector continues to be attractive due to the innovative work and rewarding career opportunities it offers. This plays out in our data, with LinkedIn’s latest ‘Jobs on the Rise’ list for Ireland showing us that interest in tech careers remains high with 3 of the top ten jobs most in demand being within the tech sector.

7. Outside of the companies LinkedIn Community Learn-in Sessions or LinkedIn Ireland work with, are there any other companies in Diversity and Inclusion in Ireland that you are a big fan of?

Yes — Sinéad Burke’s Tilting the Lens consultancy is doing incredible work. Also I’m very impressed with the innovative approaches of the NOW Group.