March 24, 2014

Step By Step: 10 Simple Ways To Make a Rockstar LinkedIn Page

After years of editing, re-editing, re-re-editing, and re-re-re-editing my LinkedIn page, I have listed the top 10 things to have/do when making a LinkedIn profile. This is a combination of my own personal observations and what I have been told over the years.

1. Use it- The first rule of having a good LinkedIn page is actually using your LinkedIn. So many people have an account for the sake of having one and never use it. Just because your college career counselor told you to make one, doesn't mean you just forget about it after you sign up. You should be checking constantly to see what job/internship openings have come out and just simply tweaking your profile every now and again.
2. The Perfect Picture- You may not realize it, but your profile picture is pretty important. When recruiters or future employers look you up, it will be the first thing they see. Your LinkedIn is NOT your Facebook. That bikini picture you took in Cabo with your girlfriends will not work when you're trying to apply for an entry level job. If you're in college, find a student photographer on campus to take some headshots for you to post on your page. Or just simply have a friend take a nice picture of you (please, no cell phone selfies). Remember that first impressions are everything, so choose the photo that you feel shows your personality best.
3. Go Ahead and Creep- You creep on Facebook, so why aren't you creeping on LinkedIn? Creeping is totally allowed when checking out a LinkedIn page. If LinkedIn didn't want people to creep then they wouldn't have the option of seeing who has viewed your page. So why not take advantage and see what your peers and colleagues are doing? If you find yourself stuck and not knowing how to format your page, then check out the profiles of people who have the jobs that you want and see how they styled their page. Using someone else's page as a template for yours can be very helpful.
4.  You're All That- You shouldn't hold back when it comes to talking about your multiple achievements. When filling out your LinkedIn page, you should make yourself look like the coolest person on the planet. Even if your only credentials are dog walking and babysitting, make it sound like you were the best dog walker and babysitter the world has ever seen. It's all about selling yourself and really highlighting your skills. Don't be afraid to make yourself look really cool.
5. Recommend Me- Do not be afraid to ask your boss or advisor to write a recommendation on your page after an internship/job ends. Not only does it look good on your page, but it's someone confirming that you are awesome and capable of functioning in a work setting.
6. Follow, Follow, Follow- Take a moment and follow groups and organizations which pertain to your interests and goals. If you are a journalism major and want to work for the NY Times, then you should be following the NY Times on Linkedin. If you want to go into PR then you should be following PR companies on LinkedIn. This will give you up-to-date news on the company and it shows that you are interested in that field.
7.  Fill It All Out- Even if you don't think anyone will care, go ahead and fill out as many sections as you can. If you are taking classes that apply to the field you're going into, then list them all. If you volunteered at an animal shelter for years, then put that down too. The point of a LinkedIn is for people to get to know YOU and what you have achieved so far. Don't cut yourself short.
8. Grow Your Empire- The one question I always hear is "Who do I add on my LinkedIn?" The answer is: family, friends, teachers, professors, old bosses, current bosses, your neighbor, your neighbor's dog, etc. Anyone who you have had some kind of interaction with should be in your network. As your network builds, you will find more and more people you know that can become connections. Soon you will have your own Rolodex of connections which will make your page look more professional. However, try to be more discriminating about the people you add to your network. I rather have 200 connections of people I do know, than 500+ connections of people I don't.
9. So Fresh And So Clean, Clean- Your profile should be neat and easy on the eyes. Make sure you have formatted everything correctly and use bullet points for listing things. Showcase your work (i.e. PowerPoint, presentations, portfolios) to make your profile pop and look super fabulous.
10. Utilize and Network- All of these tips won't do you any good unless you utilize LinkedIn and use it as a networking tool. That means reaching out to career groups on discussion boards and using your contacts to introduce you to their contacts. Whatever your goals may be, you must find a way to make LinkedIn beneficial to you. Don't be afraid to be outgoing and take initiative. You never know where that next opportunity may be!

Let me know your bests LinkedIn tricks and tips in the comments!

For more, check out FindSpark's article on how to make to network beyond LinkedIn HERE

March 16, 2014

Podcast: Cinema in Noir - Race Bending and Whitewashing Roles In Hollywood

Tonight I had the distinct pleasure of joining the women of Cinema in Noir in their weekly discussions about TV and Film! Was a little nervous at first (I've never done a podcast before) but I had the best time. This week we talked about the Veronica Mars movie, the new James Brown biopic trailer GET ON UP, the Tiger Lily controversy involving Rooney Mara, and much more. Listen and let us know what you think about tonight's episode.

Discover Film Internet Radio with Kimberly Renee on BlogTalkRadio

March 13, 2014

Season 2 Episode 2 of VIKINGS Recap: Viking Ships, Shaky Terms, and Athelstan Becomes a Real Boy


So we move ahead and have now jumped 4 years. Aslaug has moved from side chick to main chick and is now Ragnar’s wife. They have popped out a few kids now (all boys) and everything seems to be going hunkey dory.

We finally see Athelstan in his entirety and he is pretty much a full fledge Viking with his long locks and nifty goatee (he has even adopted the language like a pro).

Raganr lets all his men know that they will be raiding in the Summer and that it’s going to be flipping awesome. Ragnar will be joined by frenemies King Horick and Jorg Borg (the guys who were fighting in the last episode) and so far everything seems alright.

But uh oh. Looks like Ragnar is back to his old habits. During dinner Aslaug catches him getting his flirt on with a cute servant girl, and she lets the poor girl know that she is the main woman in charge, and she better back off.  Oh you mad, Aslaug? I’m sure Lagertha was bright and chipper when Ragnar was hitting it with you….
When she confronts Ragnar, she lets him have it and pretty much tells him that she has mystical powers that can foresee the future or something, I dunno. Her son will have the serpent in his eye (*plays ‘Eye of the Tiger’*) which I'm sure will be important down the line. 
Ragnar goes to an oracle to check to see what is going to happen to his sons. The oracle lists off all the cool things that 2 of his sons will do (marry a princess and sail the seas without much incident). We soon learn that Bjorn will do one of these things and is destined to become a great Viking. However, it is clear that Ragnar has not seen his son since he left with Lagertha and thinks about him all the time.
 
Siggy is still with Rollo despite the fact that he has gone off the tracks and into a very big ditch of despair. She pushes Rollo to ask Ragnar to go raiding with the other Vikings (Ragnar is still pissed about the whole betrayal thing from last weeks episode and Rollo has been drinking himself silly for the past 4 years.) Rollo asks for forgiveness from Ragnar and Ragnar tells his brother that he will consider letting him raid with him and the boys.

Back at Viking training camp, Ragnar and Athelstan practice their fighting skills. Athelstan has clearly become very skilled in the past 4 years and is no longer the sweet monk that we have grown accustomed to. 
Of course we can’t have an episode without some kind of drama, so right before they are about to raid, King Horik straight up tells Ragnar that he doesn’t want Jorg Borg to come with them. Since King trumps…..um Jorg (?) Ragnar has no choice but to kick Borg out.
In a very revealing moment Ragnar chats with one of Horick’s sons and lets him know that he has a son around his age (Bjorn). We learn that Bjorn is probably around 17/18 now and he has chosen not to contact Daddy Ragnar (and clearly this is very upsetting to him).
Ragnar tells Rollo that he will acknowledge him as  his brother again, but he won't be going on the raids. So.....silver lining I guess?
Jorg Borg is told that he will not be going on the trip either and as you can imagine he is not pleased. 
Meanwhile, Siggy is getting close and intimate with King Horick and tells him that she can let him in on all of Ragnar's business. Looking for a come up, Siggy?
Still pissed that Ragnar broke off the deal, Jorg Borg tries to get Rollo to turn on his brother and join him again (because that worked so well last time, right). However, this time Rollo isn't buying it and head buts Jorg like a soccer ball.  Cut to Siggy and Horick getting it on....and uh....
Ragnar and the crew leave, and they encounter a big case of torrential rain, which rocks their Viking ship of course. They finally make it to land and they swarm in for the raid. However, they are soon surrounded by soldiers and are bombarded by arrows, killing off many. In a moment of bravery Athelstan saves Ragnar’s life and is awarded a Viking bracelet (which I guess is the equivalent of a diploma), which means he’s legit now and Ragnar is a proud Viking papa.
We learn that the Vikings have made their way to Essex and the King there is no joke. Whoop.

We’ll see what happens AND finally find out what Bjorn and Lagertha have been up too. Sweet!


March 6, 2014

Season 2 Episode 1 of VIKINGS Recap: Ragnar Comes Out on Top, Family Dynamics Change, and Side Chicks Stay Winning


 Vikings and Valkyries!  S.2 of Vikings is finally here! The History Channel original series is back and it is getting hella messy! There is going to be drama off and on the battlefield and I am so here for it, Lord have mercy.....

For those who haven't watched S.1 yet, I highly suggest you start now so you can catch up (we won't judge you....too much)
So on the season premiere, Rollo is salty that his brother Ragnar has become the Tony Stark of Vikings while he has made camp in his brother's shadow. Rollo is so bitter that he decides that it is time to break away and tag team with Jarl Borg to take down King Horik, Ragnar, and his army.
Season 2 starts with the opposing forces of Jarl Borg and King Horik (but really Team Rollo and Team Ragnar) facing off in a remote, deserted area.  As the battle begins, blood starts flying and men are falling out left and right. However, all we really care about is Rollo beating the life out of our dear Floki. The previews made it look like Floki was going out in the first episode, so praise be to Thor's golden locks that he was spared (House of Cards has made my heart black and cynical when it comes to character deaths...)
After all that talk about taking Ragnar down, Rollo realizes that he could never truly turn against his flesh and blood and surrenders.
Gifs from vikingsgif.tumblr.com
The Horik and Jorg start haggling over small portions of land and Ragnar is not having it. Ragnar asks why they are bartering over land when there are new worlds to discover.  He becomes a Viking peacemaker and the two men agree to put their differences aside (for now) and go raid in the West together. Which means Rollo is pretty much screwed since his allegiance to Jorg is now out the window...
The drama continues back at the Lothbrok household as a suspicious Lagertha asks about Ragnar's side chick, Aslaug. For forgetful minds, Aslaug is the woman that Ragnar fooled around with while he was away traveling with his son, Bjorn.
Bjorn, who was side eyeing the hell out of his daddy during the entire trip, spilled the beans to his mama and things went OFF. Plates were flying, weaves were pulled, and things got ugly between Lagertha and Ragnar.
Ragnar swears up, down, all around to Lagertha that it was a one time thing, it meant nothing, and it would never happen again. Uh huh, that’s what they all say Rag, but okay….
Back to Rollo, who has just given up all kinds of hope, faces execution for betraying his people. But at the last minute Rollo‘s life is spared by the Viking Gods, who apparently have a sick sense of humor and probably want to see shit go down just like the rest of us....

Viking God: Okay, so we're all in agreement? Rollo out?
Viking Gods: Aye!
Loki: Eh...
Viking God: *Sigh* What?
Loki: I mean, we COULD kill him....or we could keep him alive and watch him struggle to regain the trust of his brother and people, for our own amusement.....
Viking God:.......yeah, let's do that....
Viking Gods: Aye! Aye!
Rollo gets a visit from Siggy, who seems to see some inkling of potential in the poor sap, and tells him  to snap out of his funk, stay in the town, and redeem himself. Seriously, where would these men be without the women on this show? For a group Vikings, a lot of them lack any sense of logic...
Ragnar says his last goodbye to Gyda, his deceased daughter from S.1, and everything is sad and the feels become real. In their world where sons are so highly revered, it was nice to see a father show that kind of emotion towards his daughter.
http://vikingsgif.tumblr.com/
And then Viking shit hit the Viking fan….

Uh Oh.
As you can expect Lagertha is royally pissed that her husband got another woman pregnant. Ragnar explains to her that he had no idea that she was pregnant and he didn’t know that she was going to come. Yeah, you should’ve thought of that before you whipped out your Viking sword to boink princesses in the woods. 
So Aslaug rolls in with her entourage of shield maidens and servants and you immediately know that she thinks she's the baddest bitch in the land. She has famous parents, money, nice clothes, and status. She's a Viking jack pot. Which puts Lagertha in an awkward position, because she does not have that kind of social standing that can help Ragnar.
http://vikingsgif.tumblr.com/
And to further prove that side chicks stay winning, Ragnar does Lagertha dirty by putting his soon to be baby mama at the head of the dinner table!
How Lagertha didn’t go Real Housewives of New Jersey and flip the table on all of them is beyond me.
And when you think it couldn't get any more awkward, Ragnar puts the final nail in the coffin by suggesting to Lagertha that they invite Aslaug into their marriage (because apparently people are doing that these days….)

Like any self-respecting woman, Lagertha  decides to divorce Ragnar and leave. He is so wrapped up in his own feelings and desires, he doesn't realize how much he has hurt Lagertha. Sidebar: Did you know that Viking divorces are super easy? Like you can pack up your stuff and go? No divorce lawyers, no splitting up property! How nice and simple is that?

Poor Bjorn had to make the difficult decision of choosing to stay with his dad and becoming a Viking rockstar or go away with his mother. When Ragnar discovers that his family is falling apart, he chases after Lagertha, begging her not to leave.
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At the last minute, Bjorn decides to go with his mother, leaving his father alone with Aslaug and the baby.
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And just like that the family dynamics have shifted. Out goes the last remaining evidence of Ragnar's old life and in comes a new wife and child. 

So now, I'm going to assume that they are going to time jump a few years ahead, to keep the story moving and really start developing Rganar's story. We'll see what happens tonight!

All Vikings gifs are from vikingsgif.tumblr.com  <-------