Wether you’re looking for a summer internship or a postgraduate job, LinkedIn is a helpful tool to network and seek out job listings! According to Kinsta as of 2022, LinkedIn now has almost 740 million members with over 55 million registered companies. That means there is endless opportunity for you to make connections and conduct career research right from your phone. I have been using LinkedIn since my freshman year of college and maintaining my profile.
I cannot recommend having an active, updated LinkedIn profile enough, to college students and career moguls alike. Many prospective employers will take a look at your profile to learn more about you, since not everything can fit on your resume! This is a great way for people to see what you’re up to in your professional life.
Here are my top tips to impress people with your LinkedIn
Creating your Linkedin profile
1. Have a nice, professional headshot
You want to make sure you have a well-lit photo that looks professional. While it doesn’t have to be formal, it can even showcase your personality, it should clearly show your face and not be pixelated. Like any social media platform, it is a good idea to have a photo, since people might assume accounts without a profile photo are fake accounts. This way people know it is really you that they are connecting with!
2. Add your work experience, school achievements, awards, portfolio links, etc.
When you set up your account, make sure to fill out any relevant information. As you start making connections, listing your past and current work experience allows you to network with others who work there as well. It is also a good idea to add information about your program and degree, wether you are currently in college or you have already graduated. High school information is not relevant to include. You can also add awards and achievements you have received, and even works you have had published, like if you write for a publication like Her Campus like me! If you have a professional website, blog, or portfolio, add a link to that as well!
3. Create an interesting banner graphic and headline that showcase your career, talents, and personality
Your profile photo and LinkedIn headline are one of the only things people can see about you before they actually click your profile. So make sure your headline is effective and professional, showcasing your industry, job title, or career interests. It is a good option to use your job title but you aren’t limited to just that. You can also add keywords, accomplishments and more details about your career path.
Here is an example headline from CareerSidekick for a Sales Associate:
Sales Associate | B2B Sales | Relationship Building
For your banner graphic or header image, this can be a fun way to showcase some of your designs or photos if you are in any creative fields. You can also show off some of your personality with a quote that you like or any other graphic. Having a unique image will help you stand out. If you don’t have access to design software, Canva is a great program you can use for free to create designs with the right sizing format for a header.
4. Add skills to your profile
This is an easy way to showcase skills that you have, especially those that may be outside of your past and current work experience roles. If you have only worked retail positions but you are a design student proficient with Adobe software, showcase that in your skills section! That is a great place to add any technical skills as well as professional skills, such as public speaking or team management. Just because you haven’t worked a position in your desired career path does not mean you don’t have valuable skills. For example, working as a shift lead at a restaurant provides you with excellent team leadership skills! A lot of career success is about how you market and advocate for yourself!
other tips
5. Keep your profile easy to read
When you make a new connection or when a potential employer might view your profile, it should be easy for them to find information about you and your experience and skills.
6. Connect with your coworkers, peers (and classmates and professors)
It is always a good idea to connect with people you actually know or share a mutual connection with. This way, when people post about opportunities and job listings, you will be able to see them on your feed. Other business professionals often share articles, studies, and information about events among other things that can serve as a great resource to you.
7. Engage with your peers and be active
Comment on people’s posts and share your insight. When your friend shares about a project they’re working on, congratulate them! The more you engage, the more you will show up in people’s feeds, like connections your friends may have that could help you with your career. You can also post articles and tips/thoughts on your own feed. You can follow other people, comment on their posts, etc.