Credits on LinkedIn

ejr · Oct 26, 2015

I'm not a big social media fan. My credits on LinkedIn are primarily for my software business (i.e. my sideline) with instructions to contact me through the appropriate union for acting jobs (my main career). Since some of my contacts in the entertainment industry occasionally stumble across my profile and I haven't been acting much lately, I wanted to include a few writing credits.

The trouble is that I haven't done much. I have had one screenplay optioned (the film is now in development). For three consecutive years, my stage plays have been finalists in national or international writing competitions. The first draft of the screenplay was a quarter finalist in a rather prestigious screenwriting contest run by a major studio. Is it acceptable in the profession to list these "accomplishments"? My gut tells me that I should include only contests that I have won and only scripts that have been produced. But that leaves me with basically no writing credits and makes me feel like I haven't accomplished anything get.

Laer Carroll · Oct 26, 2015

ejr said:
... that leaves me with basically no writing credits and makes me feel like I haven't accomplished anything get.

You HAVEN'T accomplished much yet. But being a finalist IS an accomplishment - assuming you actually were mentioned on a web site as doing so and can prove your claim if someone disputes it. So is having a screenplay optioned - assuming you received money and a letter stating that the buyer now had so-and-so rights. Include those.

RightHoJeeves · Oct 26, 2015

I'm not so sure that LinkedIn is appropriate for this... do movie producers find writers/actors on LinkedIn? (serious question)

I would have thought it was much better for your software business. Also, if I was after a software developer (or whatever) and I went on LinkedIn and saw that you were listing acting and writing credits, I'd be a little confused. I don't think your software clients really care about the acting/writing, and including them will probably make you sound kind of amateur. Just a thought.

PeteMC · Oct 28, 2015

To be honest you might want to think about focusing on another platform. My day job is at exactly the sort of multinational tech coporation that LinkedIn is supposedly all about and even there no one takes it seriously anymore. I think it's had its day.

Filigree · Oct 30, 2015

LinkedIn tried to expand to appeal to artists, writers, and other 'creative' folks and it turned into a joke. I know one of my movie-prop maker friends advertises heavily on LinkedIn...but not how much business that brings. I was in a 'writing and publishing group' there that I had to jury into...unaware that it mostly seemed to be a bunch of ESL writers trading esays and hopeful platitudes. I left when it turned into namecalling between two factions.

cmhbob · Nov 6, 2015

Had a guy visit my Mass Comm class a couple of weeks ago. He said he hasn't applied for a job in 10 years or more, that he's been recruited for every position he's had in that time via LinkedIn. He's the web editor for the Tulsa World. /shrug

EMaree · Nov 6, 2015

In my day job (IT), LinkedIn is still heavily used by headhunters, so I keep it for that purpose. Never heard of it being useful for creative purposes, though -- I know a few agents who hate it because they get queries on it (SUPER inappropriate).

If I was still heavily into doing local writing talks, I'd use it to connect with local writing non-profits and speakers, but I doubt I'd get any work offers from it. That almost always happens during face-to-face networking, or on Twitter.

Credits on LinkedIn

ejr

Laer Carroll

Aerospace engineer turned writer

RightHoJeeves

PeteMC

@PeteMC666

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing

cmhbob

Did...did I do that?

EMaree

a demon for tea