Over the three-month course of my summer internship it became clear to me both from the internship program directors and from recruiters that having LinkedIn is one of the most important assets college students can have. So, if you’re getting ready to recruit, whether for full-time jobs or for an internship, take a second one day this week to check out your LinkedIn page and give it a quick face lift. Hopefully these tips can help!
1. Have a professional headshot for your profile.
If your profile picture is a selfie you took or a picture from junior prom, it’s time to update. If you have no professional headshot to use, find a friend who has an iPhone X and use that portrait mode to take a nice photo. Make sure you’re dressed semi-professionally, keep it from your chest up so your face can be seen, and use a neutral background.
2. Upload your resume to your page.
While you probably already have your past jobs detailed on LinkedIn it’s a good idea to upload a PDF of your resume to your page. It will show up right under your profile intro so anyone that’s looking at your page can click and look through your professional resume.
3. Add a link to your portfolio or use your page as a portfolio.
If you have a portfolio website or page, make sure you add that link in your bio! If you don’t have a personal page, you can upload projects to LinkedIn along with your resume, so the top of your profile will show what work you have done. This is a great way for recruiters to see what you’ve accomplished before!
4. Stay active.
Don’t just update your page then close LinkedIn for the next few months. Check in at least once a week and make an effort to show activity on your page, like liking or sharing articles you enjoyed or updating your page on your summer internship or class projects. This will show recruiters what you’re interested in and will give them a sense of your interests and personality.
5. Make it known that you are openly looking for jobs.
Keep your Career Interests tab on your Dashboard clicked to “ON” if you’re actively looking. You can even elaborate to say when you’ll be able to start, what type of jobs you’re looking for, locations you would like to work in, and industries you’re interested in. This is just another thing to let people know you are open and ready to interview.