When LinkedIn informed me that I’d been selected to answer a seemingly random question, it reminded me of being selected by Twitter for a brief survey, or winning a prize on one of those dodgy scratchcards.
I duly ignored similar notifications thereafter, until one of the questions caught my eye: You want to create educational videos but don’t have a budget. What are your options? It piqued my penchant for lo-fi solutions, so I contributed an answer under the part Use free or low-cost tools.
To my surprise it attracted likes. So I took a closer look at the page and noticed the declaration: “Contribute to 3+ articles in this skill with your unique perspective to be considered for a Top Educational Technology Voice badge.”
That in itself didn’t seem too onerous, but upon browsing the list of available questions, it struck me they were all written by AI. What the robot thought were keywords were shoehorned into questions such as How can you use LMS strategies to promote critical thinking in online courses? and What are the most effective ways to measure SCORM content? While they are arguably plausible questions, real edtech pro’s just wouldn’t put it that way.
Then there were other questions such as How can you conquer challenges in your Educational Technology career? and How can you acquire the key skills employers seek in Educational Technology interns? that were clearly cookie cutters populating the placeholder [insert topic here].
Eventually I noticed the line: “Powered by AI and the LinkedIn community.” Well, at least they admit it.
Shortly afterwards, I decided to polish my appeal to prospective employers, so I challenged myself to earn the Top Organizational Development Voice badge. After all, answering a few questions in my field of expertise couldn’t be that hard… right?
So in quick succession I contributed to:
- What are the best practices for conducting a talent audit and identifying skill gaps in your organization? – Define your talent criteria
- What are the best practices for designing and delivering effective L&D programs in a remote work environment? – Choose the right format and tools
- How do you integrate OD with other HR functions and initiatives? – Assess your current state
…yet no badge was forthcoming.
While my effort catapulted me into the Top 18% of contributors according to LinkedIn, they also informed me that badge holders are typically in the Top 5%.
I realised this isn’t just about quantity; it’s also about quality. In other words, I needed more people to like my contributions. My rookie mistake was to answer older questions that were no longer getting eyeballed.
So putting the plus into “3+”, I answered another question. This time I was mindful of picking a recent one:
- How do you leverage AI and data analytics for OD insights? – Define the desired state
This seemed to do the trick, as the following morning I spotted the glorious apricot designation under my mugshot. (Strangely, LinkedIn took over a week to notify me of that!)
The next trick of course is to retain the badge. Apparently they’re reassessed every 60 days – which suits me. I only really wanted it to spice up my profile during my job-seeking phase. Now that’s over, I don’t need it.
Nevertheless, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for another question that’s too good to refuse.
