Matt Ville joined LinkedIn a couple of years ago when he was job hunting. Now he’s being recognized as one of the most engaging users on the site.
LinkedIn recently named Matt — an asset protection specialist at our Best Buy store in Coral Springs, Florida — to its 2019 list of the Top Voices in retail. He has used the platform to post motivational messages, interact with Best Buy leaders and show off his vast sneaker collection.
We chatted with Matt to learn more about him and his journey to becoming one of the Top Voices on LinkedIn.
How long have you worked at Best Buy? What brought you here?
I was always interested in technology. I actually applied six times at Best Buy over the course of about four years. I started as a seasonal employee in merchandising about two years ago, and my manager just saw something in me. He saw that I was a people person. He was like, “You should be up front, talking to customers.” So, he put me in asset protection.
When did you join LinkedIn? Why?
I joined in 2017 when I was looking for a new job. I didn’t even understand LinkedIn at the time, but I tagged the LinkedIn CEO in my first post and asked him about his first job. I woke up and my phone was dead because there were so many notifications. He had replied and there were thousands of comments. It was crazy. I was like, “OK, there’s something special about this LinkedIn.”
How do you use it now?
I think it’s best for my true personality to reflect through what I post — what I’m living, what I’m thinking and what I’m wearing. Best Buy recently introduced a new dress code, and I’m a huge sneakerhead. I posted something about that and it went crazy, so I’ve made it a regular thing to post about my sneakers and the significance of each pair.
You also post a lot of inspirational stuff, right?
In retail, you’re literally interacting with hundreds of people a day, so it teaches you people skills. You’re going to have to learn to have a conversation, whether you want to or not. That’s what I try to express through my posts. There’s more than just selling. You build real connections with people.
What have been your favorite interactions?
Any time our CEO, Corie Barry, comments on my posts, that’s pretty crazy. There was a time she was visiting another store, and I noticed she was wearing some blue Air Force Ones. Those stood out to me, so I commented on it and she responded back to me. She also emailed to congratulate me on making the Top Voices list. I thought it was spam. I refreshed my inbox three or four times to make sure it was real.
What’s it like to see Corie and other Best Buy leaders on LinkedIn?
That’s super motivational to me. I would never think I would be able to connect with someone like that. It provides a direct connection to the management and shows that they’re just normal human beings. Everyone has their own personality and style, and we get to see that through their posts.
What was your reaction to being on the Top Voices list?
A LinkedIn editor sent me a message about the Top Voices list and said he wanted to feature me on it. I didn’t think it was real, but he showed me a list from last year that had his name on it. I was like, “Oh my gosh!” As soon as the article came out, my notifications went crazy. My friends and family are super, super proud. And my co-workers were all happy and congratulated me. My store is super supportive.
What advice would you give people who are thinking about getting more active on LinkedIn?
I would say to be yourself. Most people think they have to act a certain way, but they forget that leaders are normal human beings too. Also, if you’re looking for a job, you need to take your LinkedIn seriously. Instead of just sitting at your computer and waiting for your resume to get looked at, you can contact the person who’s looking at the resumes.
Click here to follow Best Buy on LinkedIn.