Why Should You Be Linked In? The Deeper Meaning Behind 500+ Connections.

I can't believe I made it!

Three years ago, I created my LinkedIn account. It was a timid first step into the professional world and a door to the next upcoming years as a student at The Ohio State University. Just yesterday, I hit a milestone I had been yearning since "completing" my first profile on this social media site (I don' think a LinkedIn profile is ever absolutely complete). I can finally click on my Profile and see 500+ connections.

When I first thought about the typical person with 500+ connections, he or she is usually a top executive for a private business, CEO of not-for-profit organizations or a certified speaking professionals who gets paid to travel the globe and share inspiration messages. What am I? None of those. However, I think I have gained a greater understanding how those people gain all of those connections and what similarities we share.

Below are some things I have learned about LinkedIn the past few years that have helped me create a strong profile and actively use my account to build a professional network.

Common Interests

My sorority sister Rachel and I during
formal recruitment. She is a business major
and also has a LinkedIn profile. As you can
guess, we are connected.

One positive of social media is the ability to see common interests (and in LinkedIn's case, connections) with people in your community and industry. In my LinkedIn Summary, I share some of my interests and passions and what I can and am willing to offer others. It is not just what I am seeking, but what I can do for you too. There is also an Interests section for Additional Info that I share some searchable interests for LinkedIn users.

By searching people with common interests, you can make connections. After finishing our sorority recruitment last weekend, that is a tactic my sisters and I used when talking with potential new members. We found things in common to discuss, and the conversation built from there. The best conversations are had with people who find a commonality. On LinkedIn, you can embrace that connection by sharing content and learning from each other.

Can you invent something like the Tree T-Pee? Only if you have a heart like Johnny.

http://treetpee.com/

My mom likes to send me emails of things I should have seen in the news or forwards that will give me a good laugh. One email she sent me today was more impactful than that. It was an article written by Farm and Dairy about the Tree T-Pee.

If you have ever watched ABC's Shark Tank, you can see entrepreneurs bring their start up businesses to these business guru's who may choose to invest in the products or services pitched to them.

Exploring the Wildlife in New Zealand. Are they really wild?

As you may have seen in my previous posts, many of the stops we made in New Zealand were agriculturally based. I certainly did mind this, having a livestock interest. But those were not the only kinds of places we went to study human and animal interactions.

In the states, I know I love to visit the zoo. I grew up with the Toledo Zoo only 25 minutes away and have visited the Columbus Zoo while living in Columbus and attending Ohio State. I have always been interested in exotic animals and for quite some time, wanted to pursue a zoology degree. So, it is always a pleasure to see these wild animals when I can.

My group visited the Orana Wildlife Park in New Zealand. We learned about some of their native species like the Kiwi and Tuatara. We also saw some of the animals they have from around the globe.

You're Killing Me... Humanely?

Humans do not like to talk about death. No one looks at it gracefully, even though everyone and everything experiences it. In the animal industry, it is also looked down upon. I'm not just referring to euthanasia for overpopulated animal shelters putting to sleep puppies and kittens. I'm talking about harvesting livestock for food consumption.

I had never actually been into a processing facility until traveling to New Zealand. This was a completely new experience that not only enlightened me on some concepts I didn't understand before, but what the Kiwi culture values in processing meat. 

We went to the Alliance Group Meat Processing Pukeuri Plant. Because of risk that the public might misconceive what they see, we were unable to take any photos at the facilities. It isn't that they are trying to hide anything, but they want to maintain the integrity of their business.

This was the largest plant in the south island, processing 10,800 sheep, 560 slaughter cattle and between 500-2,800 veal calves per day. This is an expansive business and I determined their two top priorities: safety of their workers and animal welfare. (Reader, beware of descriptive content ahead.)

Oh Deer! A New Zealand Niche Market.

The U.S. is overpopulated with deer. These wild animals have a tendency of running out into the middle of a country road or being hunted by sportsmen and sportswomen in the fall and winter seasons. In New Zealand, there is a different market for the lean mammals.

Don answers questions about raising his trophy deer.

The OSU crew stopped at Deer Genetics NZ to learn about his business in raising red deer for trophy stags and velvet production. Don, owner of this profitable business, shared some secrets and facts to his success in raising the deer.