YES Programs

MENU  

STORIES


YES Alumni LinkedIn Workshop

Daize smiles and points to the computer where the workshop is taking place online.

By Daize Merville Njounkeng (YES 2017-2018, Cameroon, placed by PAX in Zanesville IN)

From July 23–24, I organized the workshop “How to Effectively use LinkedIn” for youth all around the world. This workshop was long overdue. When I first started attending university outside of Cameroon in 2020, I felt like I could no longer connect with my community in Cameroon through service projects — at least that's what I thought for the longest time. 

After attending the YES program LinkedIn webinar in May, as well as participating in an internship with UPKEY, I was inspired to reconnect with my community in Cameroon. To my great surprise, the small dream of reconnecting with my Cameroonian community exploded to connecting with youth from 20 different countries worldwide. 

The LinkedIn workshop aimed to expose youth around the world to the career and networking platform, LinkedIn, and teach them how to find professional opportunities and build their personal brand. We wanted to encourage them to get out of their comfort zone, use their voices, and secure a position in the competitive career world. 

We were so lucky to have three expert guest speakers facilitate the webinar. Arrey Bate, author, journalist, and internet entrepreneur; Brian Schulman, one of the Top 50 Most Influential Men of LinkedIn and LinkedIn Global Leader of the Year; and Tarin Rickett, Senior UI Engineer on LinkedIn's Growth team in San Francisco.

Graphic created for the workshop that gives details on the time, location, and what will be covered in the workshop.

I remember the day that I spoke to Arrey Bate about this workshop. He said, "For more than two years, I have been rejecting invitations to speak at events, but this is one of a kind." He was readily willing to accept my invitation. I met Brian Schulman at an internship a few weeks before the event and when I contacted him with an invitation request, he was highly receptive and rather proud that I had reached out to him. Tarin Rickett led the YES program LinkedIn training in May and I was able to connect with her through my assigned LinkedIn coach, Tracy Diop. Reaching out to these trainers taught me the importance of being intentional while connecting with people and maximizing networking opportunities. I knew from the very start that these trainers were the perfect fit for the workshop and this was reflected throughout the entire event. 

A total of 390 people registered for the workshop. The two-day event that was held on Zoom and included YES program staff, U.S. Embassy officials, and a 100+ participants from 20 different countries. One participant shared, "Hearing from Arrey Bate was once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I have always read his newsletters and never had a personal session with him like I did today. I am now more motivated than ever to share my story with the world." 

Brian Schulman challenged the participants to create short videos every evening for their social media platforms. He acknowledged that giving up was an option, but to this, he said, "Be your own inspiration; start with the idea you have and always take one step at a time." One participant and YES alumnus attested, "Brian Schulman's session motivated me to do a video journal, and I have made it a goal to create short videos every evening."  

Photo of guest speaker.

Tarin Rickett gave in-depth training on creating a LinkedIn profile and effectively expanding your network. She also gave some tips on socializing on LinkedIn to make it easier for people to endorse your skills. At the end of the workshop, every participant created a LinkedIn account and connected with other participants to start expanding their network.

We were also honored to have a team of 25 coaches from LinkedIn. On the second day of the workshop, they dedicated their time to coach 40 of the participants. They guided the participants individually from start to finish about how to use their LinkedIn profiles. One of the participants said, "It was an amazing opportunity to be guided by a LinkedIn coach. He helped me enhance my profile, cleared up my doubts on profile strength, and gave me networking tips. He even helped me expand my connections on LinkedIn."

This workshop was a very successful one. The participants suggested that we do more programs like this in the future. Organizing more career orientations and professional development opportunities is something that I'm really looking forward to. I am grateful to the YES Program for giving me a voice and helping me reconnect with my community. Thanks for making me feel more alive.


Share: