It's no secret that the internet is fast becoming the resource of choice for those breaking into the job market. In order to cater to the digital age of job searching, many social networking platforms such as LinkedIn, have made the professional skill of networking easier by utilizing social media as a means of letting aspiring career professionals learn from and connect with career insiders. But much like the job market, the way in which people use the internet to network professionally is shifting. While some other networks may still have a bit of an upper-hand, a new professional network is quickly changing the way the emerging workforce is connecting.
Enter Levo.com, the online professional network specifically geared toward Millennials. Co-Founded by Caroline Ghosn and Amanda Pouchot, Levo, "arms you with the tools to develop your talent, build connections with peers, mentors, and jobs, and stay inspired day in and day out as you grow and develop. We believe you can create a life you’re passionate about." While this may sound like every other professional network you've ever heard of. What makes Levo different isn't the fact the company lets you make an online profile, it's what you can do with the profile. Levo allows the aspiring professional to create a profile that speaks to their personality. Where before all you had was a list of accomplishments on LinkedIn, Levo. in an interview with Biz Women, Ghosn described what it was that helped her come up with the concept for her online platform. "Just displaying your resume online, which LinkedIn lets you do, isn’t enough...People wanted a way to authentically tell their story". That's exactly what Levo lets you. Just like I've managed to do with my own Levo profile, people are able to let employers get a full sense of who they are with photos, videos, and interactive links to a person's work. It's perfect for someone who has more life experience than they do professional.
The key to becoming a successful professional also lies in getting good advice. Levo provides this with their interactive content and apps. Sign up for the mailing list and you'll get a few nuggets of wisdom guaranteed to help answer those nagging questions you may have about getting a leg up in the workforce. Everything from how to fine tune your resume to how to actually figure out what your dream job may be gets answered in fun and quick articles written by people who are either navigating, or have conquered the job market. Beyond the creative profiles, Levo has mentors, key industry insiders who job-seekers can get in touch with so they can get a leg up in their intended industry. Big names like Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg all have profiles and are presenting young, aspiring professionals with the opportunity to connect and get advice on the steps they should take to further their careers. And even if an e-mail to Sheryl Sandberg is too intimidating there's opportunities to network at the local level with Local Levo. With chapters in most major cities, both in the U.S. and abroad, Local Levo lets you meet the people you're connecting with online. Everything from networking events to vision board parties make it easier to bridge the gap between connecting with someone online to meeting with them in person. Truly, Levo is the key to success for every young professional.