In today’s professional world, LinkedIn has become an essential tool for networking, job searching, and building a professional online presence. For students, it’s a daunting platform that many struggle to understand or even don’t try and understand at all. I’m here to assure you that LinkedIn is a very useful tool that will help you make connections and even have fun doing it. Let’s go through the steps and process in how to make a profile or maybe even freshen yours up (I know I need it).
1. Building a Strong Profile
Profile Photo: Using a professional photo would be best, as well as making sure that the picture is a current and clear headshot. Having a picture that shows your personality without looking similar to something that you would post for your friends is key.Â
Headline: Use a concise headline that highlights your current status and career aspirations. For example mine is: “Computer Science Student | Aspiring Software Developer.”
About Section: Write a short summary of your goals, accomplishments, and what you would like to achieve in the future.
Experience: Internships, part-time jobs, and volunteer work are all important things to add in this section! Describe your responsibilities and achievements using action verbs.
Education: Include your university, degree program, and expected graduation date. You can also highlight coursework that pertains to your field.
Skills & Endorsements: Highlight relevant skills and seek endorsements from peers, professors, or mentors.
2. Expanding Your Network
Start with People You Know: Connecting with classmates, professors, and colleagues will help give insight to who you’re working with and even give you connections to people in your field.
Join Groups: Participating in LinkedIn groups helps you meet like-minded individuals related to your major or career field.
Engage with Content: Like, share, and comment on posts from industry professionals to stay visible, build relationships, and show interest in what field you are deciding to step foot in.
Write Posts: Share insights from your academic experiences, internships, or industry news.
Engage with Articles: Being engaged and commenting on or sharing industry-relevant content is sometimes what companies look for. Knowing what’s going on in your field/industry is important when starting out.
3. Showcasing Achievements
Projects Section: Highlight university projects, hackathons, or group related assignments that could help build your credibility and visibility within your field.
Certifications: If you have certifications that are dedicated to your field, make sure to show them off! Publishing them for future employers to see can show your knowledge and the work you put into your field.Â
Extracurriculars and Volunteer Work: Showcase any extracurricular activities you participate in, such as university organizations, to demonstrate leadership, teamwork, and any other valuable skills.
4. Using LinkedIn for Job Searching
Job Alerts: Setting alerts for internships or part-time roles in your field keeps you updated and aware of what could be available.
Company Pages: Follow companies you’re interested in to stay informed about job openings and news.Â
Internship Listings: Use LinkedIn’s job search tool to filter opportunities based on location, industry, and role.
While LinkedIn might seem a bit much and hard to navigate at first, developing your account over time is important. Consistently update your account with achievements, certifications, or anything you want to show off to your future employers!