How LinkedIn help me get the Pan African Visions Media job

By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma

In 2015, I joined LinkedIn - the first time I heard about this social media site was through a training I attended during my internship days at the BBC Media Action in Sierra Leone. There, i was exposed to the importance of using social media as a journalist and how it can be a useful tool in sharing stories, and connecting with more people around the world.

Fast forward, i would send connections to so many people and thankfully for me and through God’s grace, I had sent one to the Publisher of US based media -Pan African Visions Media by the name of Ajong Mbapndah L- a Cameroonian by birth.

I am always active online and one platform that i am so active in is on LinkedIn and would share my stories, personal articles as a freelance journalist every day. As a freelancer, one platform that I think I will be able to share my articles for free was LinkedIn and I have always used it judiciously.  

In 2018, i received a life changing message from the editor in -chief of Pan African Visions Media asking for my service and asked if I am interested in writing for its news media from Sierra Leone. I replied swiftly and told him of my interest.

I reported the second rounds of the 2018 elections that brought the now President Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone's Peoples Party (SLPP) to power. It was the first time i was writing for an international media and for an international audience. The feeling was sweet and awesome when my first story was published and I couldn't believe my eyes.

Ajong’s reaction was at the time ‘’the article is great including the magazine interview’’ It was a memorable day for me and I did my best for my work to be appreciated.

The power of social media is unbelievable!! Today, it’s almost six- years plus contributing to the news media and its monthly magazine doing quality stories. Writing for Pan African Visions Media has helped me so much in many ways to positioning me as an outstanding journalist in contributing to sharing news of an African perspective to the world.

Meeting Ajong on LinkedIn has been a huge blessing to me. He has shared every opportunity to me and it was through him i get to know about Merck Foundation and about it media awards. Thankfully, through him, I was able to win the maiden Stay At Home Media Awards by Merck Foundation winning $500 and it’s Mask up with Care Awards respectively for my outstanding reportage on the Corona Virus disease in the small West African nation to its international audience on behalf of Pan African Visions Media.

 He believes in me and has always encouraged me to do more despite the many challenges i faced as a freelance journalists in my home country. I have never met Ajong face to face may be soonest Insha’Allah as I plan to visit the United States of America later next year which will give me the opportunity of meeting him for the first time in my life. It will be a dream come true to see this man that has given me more than i can ever imagined through our online interaction.

Through Pan African Visions, I was able to travel to the Gulf country of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on a fully funded trip supported by Merck Foundation to report on the 10th Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary taking place at Hilton Hotel, Bur Dubai. I'm forever grateful for this opportunity.

Thanks to LinkedIn- for enabling users of this platform to share their articles for free. Today , i am the highest following journalist in Sierra Leone on this social media platform with nearly 32,000 followers and has given me lots of opportunities and to work with reputable media institutions around the world and by extension  to connect with people which in real life i wouldn't have had the opportunity of connecting with.

Pan African Visions is a credible platform that has reporters all over the world and working for them has been truly rewarding and a learning platform for me.

In 2017, after graduating, i ventured into the print media world, first working for Concord Times Newspaper as a freelancer until I left there for some personal reasons in 2020. I am indebted to this news organisation as it was through them i won the 2017 US Embassy in Freetown fellowship grant of 350$ to do a story on the Rise of Social Media and Its Effect on Freedom of Expression in Sierra Leone.

In an ever global world today social media platforms like LinkedIn is a good platform to reach more people, connect more and sell your services, products among other things.

Do not misuse it. Use it judiciously and you can be the next in line to getting an opportunity, to getting a better job through this app. wishing you all the best. Give it a try!!