Season 2 Episode 101: From Zero to Hired Using LinkedIn with Deon Myers

After serving 21 years in the US Army, Deon Myers retired and landed a supervisory role shortly thereafter at Raytheon. Within a year at his new company, he learned the facility was closing, and he would be transferred to a new location. Not willing to add a significant amount of time to his commute, Deon leaned back into LinkedIn and accepted a new position that better fit the needs of his family. Deon is a great example of someone who went from no prior LinkedIn knowledge or usage to someone who has become a master on the platform and used it to land 2 fantastic positions.

In 2015, Deon sat down with his family to decide where they would like to live once he retired. His primary focus was accommodating his wife’s career, living in an area that would provide him job opportunity with competitive pay and finding job satisfaction. For a few years before retirement, Deon had the mindset that he would just land a job by having a “veteran” status. A lightbulb went off during a networking event for him, and he realized he needed a real plan with a specific focus. Thankfully he started his planning process early and still had plenty of time to research and explore options. During this time, he participated in TAP and began to learn about the various resources available to transitioning service members. He gained certifications, attended webinars, conducted informational interviews and started learning about LinkedIn.

Having no previous social media experience and a background in security, Deon approached LinkedIn with caution. After he learned that LinkedIn is a professional platform that is designed to promote the user through strategic networking and help users grow in their career or find new job opportunities, Deon knew he needed to take advantage of the platform. He researched no less than 10 approaches to mastering LinkedIn and took the best information from each to start building his profile.

Deon credits his success on LinkedIn to creating content and tagging people in his posts. He takes the approach of strategically tagging individuals that will find his content relevant. Using his posts to demonstrate his knowledge, Deon has grown his network to 1000+ connections – many of whom are recruiters and hiring managers. Although Deon is happily employed, he continues to stay active on LinkedIn to grow his network and help other transitioning service members find success after the military. Deon offers a list of his most influential connections and how their knowledge or organizations propelled him forward. Like many veterans, Deon admits that the transition is a journey that doesn’t end with a job acceptance. LinkedIn continues to be a platform where Deon learns information on how to be successful in the civilian sector.

Head over to the Lessons Learned for Vets YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/llforvets22 to hear Deon speak on additional lessons learned during his transition.

As we approach the end of Season 2 of the Lessons Learned for Vets podcast, we want to hear from you! Please give us your feedback and input for our next season by completing a short survey at tinyurl.com/ll4vsurvey

You can connect with Deon on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/deonmyers/

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