Do you remember when LinkedIn, self-described as “the world’s largest professional network on the Internet” was hacked? A Russian techno-thug managed to obtain 6.5 million of the over 161 million users’ passwords and uploaded them to a website.

For a couple of days news groups that cover social media and people who are active on LinkedIn were busy updating their information and encouraging their contacts to do the same. Of course I was right in the middle of it.

As I’ve written previously, after my email hacking experience last year, my password routine is pretty exhaustive. No two websites have the same login or the same password. Every piece of mumbo-jumbo login information is kept on a series of 3 x 5 cards, sorted alphabetically by site, date stamped and kept in a safe place. Regardless of my safeguards, I wasn’t taking any changes.

While logged into LinkedIn, I took the opportunity to update some of my information and to look around at the profiles posted by my connections. I noticed that many of my contacts have extensive “skills” listed. Apparently I’m connected to some seriously smart people because in many instances I’m not quite sure what their skills referenced but just knew they sounded much more “dynamic” than mine.

Let’s compare: Lori’s skills – customer service, writing, marketing, press release writing, media relations, copywriting (notice a theme?) My connections on the other hand list skills such as – change management, financial modeling, process improvement, supply chain management, continuous improvement – lots and lots of managing and improving.

All the skills comparison got me thinking what my list would look like if I was completely honest and transparent about what it is I do each day that is “skills-worthy”. My list would look more like this:

• Strategic dishwasher loader – seriously this is a gift. Anyone that can load the dishes and cookware for a family of four without breaking something or having things rattle about for an hour during the wash cycle should claim it.
• Caffeine Altitude Engineer – the fact that at least one day of each and every week for the past year I have consumed somewhere between 20-24 cups of coffee…and am able to sleep that same night is worthy of recognition.
• Process Improvement/Makeup Assurance – much to the chagrin of my dear friend Lucy whose makeup and hair are always perfect, at least three-four days of each week I leave the house without a dab of makeup; choosing to put it on during my lunch break. I fully believe it is a process improvement not to hassle with mascara before noon and am fairly confident the movement is trending upward with my peers.

I’ll continue to post updates on LinkedIn. I’ll continue to process and improve my supply chain management, except in my house we refer to it as “putting up the groceries as soon as you get home from the store.”

Too bad someone doesn’t want to hack that chore!