There are a few things that you need to have in order to prepare yourself for the professional workforce. Business cards, a resume, a cover letter, a portfolio and finally a LinkedIn profile.
Your LinkedIn profile is the professional version of Facebook. On your LinkedIn profile you will be searching for jobs and making professional connections with people you know and/or people who work for companies you’re interested in working for one day.
Here are a few tips on how you can make sure that you’re profile is professional and ready to help you get your dream job!
Use a professional headshot
Make sure that your profile picture is just a headshot of you. It should have a plain background and you should be modestly dressed; something you would wear for a job interview would be best. You want to present yourself in the best possible light so avoid group pictures and party pictures; keep it professional colleigettes!
Fill out every part of the profile
I know it might seem like it’s too much information but it’s really important to make sure that you don’t have any gaps in your profile. Fill out your educational history, your work experience, upload your resume and whatever else the profile asks for. The more information the better so that potential employers can really get a good sense of who you are as a professional!
Keep it updated
Nobody is going to look at a profile that hasn’t been updated in two years. Make it a priority to update your profile whenever you change jobs or get new experience. You also want to repost, congratulate connections on new jobs, etc. Do anything that you can do to keep your account active so that you stand out to future employers.
Connect, connect, connect
The whole point of LinkedIn is so that you can connect with professionals in your industry for networking purposes. The worst thing you could do is make a LinkedIn account and not use it. Don’t be that person who sits back and waits for people to connect with them. Be active and find people. You don’t have to send requests to everyone but search for people who can help you network with people who you want to work for.
If you don’t already have one, log on to LinkedIn now and make a profile! Start connecting colleigettes!