There’s no need to explain that our entire society depends on online engagement. We all know this, yet there’s one area of online engagement that can still be somewhat intimidating to navigate – employment opportunities. With platforms such as Indeed.com (and the plethora of others that exist) providing thousands of postings for job listings, it truly is difficult to figure out what opportunity is right for you.
One way to narrow your search and set up a professional platform no matter what stage of your job hunt you may be on, is by signing up for LinkedIn. As college students, it’s critical that we are on this platform. I have met far too many students who don’t feel that it’s necessary to have an account on the website yet, because they see it as a platform for full-time professionals rather than a place for students. But, this is where the misconception could not be farther from the truth: being a student is an asset in the job market, and there is no reason for you not to start networking and be taken as a serious young professional today.
On LinkedIn, you set up a profile that includes your school information, past and current employment experience, volunteer gigs, awards, publications, languages, and essentially any other professional qualification that you can think of. The most important thing about this platform is that unlike the one-page resume that you send out to employers and bring with you to interviews, your LinkedIn profile has no restriction when it comes to the amount of information you can add. You can add as much experience as you please, and connect with as many professionals as you want, which gives you a huge reach for potential opportunities.
Another critical component of the platform is job hunting. You can search for jobs based on your interest, narrow it down by cities, and even look up alumni connections that you may have within a company. Job postings on the site range from internships to CEO positions, and many employers choose to exclusively post their listings on LinkedIn so they can take a look at the candidates through their profiles right away. These are powerful opportunities, and there’s no reason why you should not be taking advantage of them.
Although this all sounds great in theory, there is definitely room for professional advice on how to stand out and make the most of your LinkedIn presence. Lauren Berger, the CEO and founder of InternQueen.com (and girlboss extraordinaire), has an entire video up on her YouTube channel with tips on how to present yourself as a professional on LinkedIn while you’re still a student.
The college job search is a struggle, and it can often feel ruthless and overwhelming. By taking this one step of signing up for a (free) profile on LinkedIn, you can make the process a lot smoother for both yourself and your future employer.
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