Cory Collins’ Post

Am I highlighting the right portfolio? Sometimes, I think it’s hardest to determine your own best work, so I ask LinkedIn: If you’ve ever edited, read, or engaged with my work, do you think something key is missing from this sample of 10? https://lnkd.in/gs-7aMzd

As the result of a large layoff, many of my talented former colleagues will suddenly enter the job market. Having also seen this too many times as a journalist, I wanted to say a few things about how you can support someone you know when they go through a layoff or have to leave a job: 1. Don’t assume the “talented” or high-achieving coworker will land on their feet. You have an intimate perspective of this person’s capabilities. Most hiring managers do not. I’ve seen so many talented people struggle in the job search, hardly able to get past the application stage. You may think they don’t need a leg up. But if you have the power to do so, offer it anyway. Refer, boost their profile, reach out to supervisors you know. You may help both them find a job and help someone else find a diamond in the rough. 2. Help them job hunt. There is an endless list of job boards, and none of them are exhaustive. Someone looking at 5 sources may still miss the perfect fit for them. If you believe in someone, set some job search alerts that pertain to their strength and send them viable options (not volunteer opportunities). 3. Share their work/brag about them publicly. Especially if you have a platform, showcasing the work of laid off people can give them a leg up in the next step. Not only might the right person see it, but it may show up in search engine/ social search results when would-be employers search prospects’ names. Every bit can help. 4. Long term, advocate for yourself and others. In interviews, we can ask employers how recently they laid off employees and if they got the desired results stated at the time. We can showcase companies and organizations who repeatedly deploy these tactics at the expense of non-leadership. We can hold companies accountable to their stated reasoning versus their future actions. Support unions and bargainers who advocate for severance packages that can help keep these layoffs from being financially devastating. Etc. Companies care about their reputation with workers because they have to recruit. We have the power to shift what’s acceptable as a place to work based on the treatment of its people, and apply/support/contract appropriately.

This is a post about what's left on the cutting room floor of LinkedIn. About me: I am primarily a communications professional. I have a decade+ of experience in the field that I hope will propel me into future opportunities to contribute to impactful storytelling. I'm actively looking for my next chance to join an editorial team doing exciting work. Also about me: Due to my spouse's career, I currently live overseas. This meant leaving my last job. It also meant taking on professional opportunities outside of my core profession. Though I've continued to provide freelance editorial services, I have also worked at a school for military-connected children. I'm currently the long-term sub for P.E. at an elementary school. I also work as a certified personal trainer. I worked in a secretary role, as well. I see these as strengths, not sideways steps or career-enders. If anything, my communication skills have improved. My daily interactions with kids and clients hone my ability to effectively convey a lesson or message, with live, in-person, qualitative feedback. It's data, and it's human. This sort of nuance doesn't fit on a LinkedIn profile, where I'm aware a recruiter may only give a cursory glance to my most recent jobs, determining my worthiness for a position. But for me, I want to normalize giving more space (and credence) to these "blank spaces" on resumes. So many of the skills that helped me find success in my early communications career came from unlikely sources. Being part of an improv team helped me think quick on my feet for deadline writing, and helped me react quickly when interviews went in unexpected directions. Doing work as a nonprofit street campaigner helped me understand the nuances of messaging with a call-to-action. Working in public relations positions helped me understand how to work with organizations trying to tell their stories. I specifically got a job at an education nonprofit because I not only had communications experience, but also had worked in schools, knowing the terminology and the "why" behind the mission. I would have been lost if a hiring manager hadn't looked deeper. Many candidates in the resume pile, instead, have similar linear paths. But what would we unearth if we looked deeper? Who would we discover if we valued transferable skills and broad professional backgrounds? Apart from being self-serving, I also truly believe this is a key to organizational success and hiring. There are so many great candidates who get overlooked because of "gaps" or "lack of experience." Some of them just need a chance to explain why, in fact, your organization is exactly where they belong.

One lesson I have learned in recent years is that when you are part of a military family, it's never too early to think about your career next-steps. Job hunts are slow, but life changes come fast. One lesson I'm still trying to learn is how to put myself out there without feeling uncomfortable or self-promoting. But here goes! My name is Cory Collins. I'm a writer, editor, and communications professional with more than a decade of experience. I'm also a certified personal trainer! With a family life that takes me worldwide, I am interested in learning about opportunities for remote work, and more important, in work that tackles media production in creative, strategic ways. From editing, to digital strategy, to fitness and health writing, I am keeping my heart and eyes open to possibilities. If you know a person or organization that would benefit from a dependable worker in a remote setting, but who also loves to bring a little love and light to the work, my metaphorical door is open. And #opentowork.

I have found there is one mantra that connects what it takes to be a good digital strategist and to be a good professional mentor: Never assume. Let me explain: As a digital strategist, there is an understandable tendency and temptation to rely on "best practices." You have years of experience, and you carry the practices that worked for you in one job into the next. What you discover, with humility, is that no two audiences act alike. A good digital strategist doesn't assume that best practices will translate. They dig into the data. They dig into the qualitative feedback. They listen and observe. Only then can they see patterns, see what works, try new things and strategize effectively. Something similar happens as a professional mentor. There is a temptation to rely on what we think a mentee or peer is going through. We assume high performers will receive offers and referrals. We assume colleagues with great attitudes also have great mental health. We assume, based on past experience, that we can predict who needs help and when. But just as a digital strategist must get to know their audience on a deep level, so must mentors. We must take the time to truly listen and observe. Only then can we see that perhaps the high-performing mentee isn't receiving assistance they need. Only then can we understand that outward perception does not always reflect a peer's professional experience. In communications and networking, humility guides us toward creative solutions—and truly meeting people where they are.

As I prepare to move abroad in support of my spouse's career, I left my job at Learning for Justice a month ago. Today, my last magazine story as a senior writer went live. I'm proud to go out on this one. This story was inspired by seeing a dominant narrative of rural communities playing out nationally: They were depicted as white, as passengers of history. They were left out of the conversations surrounding how we teach history. But the truth about rural communities tells a different story: a story of diverse communities who pioneered self-deterministic models of education. A story of how they were disproportionately shaped by the history some people in power are trying to erase. https://lnkd.in/gsDRsThV

When I decided to go into sports journalism as a Transylvania University student, I reached out to Billy Reed. I had seen his resume—his many plaudits. I had no expectation he would have time for me, let alone see in me the potential to do this work. He agreed to meet with me at a nearby cafe. That interaction taught me so much. I hadn't asked him to read my work, but he came with multiple articles in his hand. He also held a small packet of my most recent tweets. "Places you apply will read all of it," he said. I remember a moment of wondering whether this was a warning. But instead, he told me, "Everything looks good." He had so much encouragement for my writing, and for my ambition. I'd reach out a couple times after that. He was always so kind with his time and encouragement. I learned, in that moment, to always be a mentor when someone with a dream comes calling. He didn't have to go the extra step to read my work. He could have told me cliches about the business. But instead, he saw a specific path for me. He helped me see it, too. I'll always be grateful for that model. Thanks, Billy. ❤️ https://lnkd.in/dZ3BgSeN #journalism #mentorship #sportsjournalism #mediajobs #media