Linkedin is an online tool that can help you get a job by doing what our generation does best: bragging about ourselves. But social media and professional are not words that usually go together, so getting started can be a bit confusing. Follow the steps below to take your professional profile from “so-yesterday” to 401k.
First take a professional photograph to use as your profile picture. Just like on Facebook this picture will be seen any time someone searches for you, so make sure that you look clean, composed, and confident. You should be wearing appropriate attire, meaning air on the side of conservative. I had my photo taken at a fundraiser by a fraternity, but the Career Center is always making events, or just have a family member or friend take the picture. Remember, you want to look like a capable hire, not America’s Next Top Model.
Next, add a background photo. I have a simple Pittsburgh landscape, but you can also pick something related to your field of study. Just make sure that it does not take away from the real meat of the profile.
The next part is the most important part. Now you add all of the information that show you are a great candidate. The more complete you can be, the better.
Start with your name, school, and major. Then add a current position. If you do not currently have a job, I recommend using “Student at University of Pittsburgh” because honestly being a student is a tough job! This is all part of the intro box at the top of your screen. Make sure the information is complete, because this is the first thing employers will see when they look at you.
Write up a short summary about yourself. Keep it concise, and focused on exactly what the most important professional facts about yourself are. My summary includes my year, field of study, fields of interests, and contact information. Have a parent, friend, or advisor look over your summary to make sure it contains all of the necessary information.
Next complete the body of your profile. This includes your education, past experiences, volunteer work, research, projects, languages, you name it! This is the fun part, because unlike on a resume where you are confined to one page, Linkedin is almost endless, so go ahead and brag a little!
I even put my high school on Linkedin, because I can connect with classmates, as well as highlight the activities that I was a part of in high school.
On Linkedin I was also able to list my relevant coursework, something I was unable to do on my traditional resume. This shows potential employers that I have taken relevant courses, and should correlate to my knowledge and technical ability. I also added the skills that correlate to that coursework, and those skills can be endorsed by your connections.
In the past experiences section, I always have a short description of what I did during my time in that position. This can be as simple as a few bullet points, like on a resume, or a short paragraph if you want to explain a little more in depth. Just make sure not to ramble on, because if it looks too long, no one will read it.
Don’t forget to add your volunteering! Volunteering experiences can highlight your passions, for example I am on team of Engineers Without Borders here at Pitt, and I love knowing that we are working toward a goal of clean water for a community in Brazil! I am willing to donate lots of time and effort to this team because of how much I care about what we are doing.
Add projects and research. Many students do not have extra research projects or personal projects that they work on outside of the classroom, so highlighting that can be beneficial to you. Just don’t forget to add your teammates to any projects, they deserve credit too!
Lastly, add any languages that you know or are learning. This can add depth to your profile and make you a candidate for a wider range of companies and positions.
I know this seems like a lot, and if it is, good! That means you have a lot to brag about! If your profile is just getting started, don’t worry building up a career is a lifelong task.
The last thing to do is make connections!
Start with the Pitt Career Network; They can offer some help and direction. It is also good to connect with a few peers, but remember, this is not facebook. Do not just connect with everyone you might think you know maybe. Use your work experiences to connect with past employers. Email or Inmail professors and request that they connect with you. Connections that elevate you are always the way to go.
Lastly, keep your profile up to date. Just like you would not hand out your high school resume at a college career fair, don’t let your Linkedin become old news either. Someone could always be looking, waiting to find the perfect candidate.
Happy Job Hunting!
Photo Credit:
All are screenshots from the author’s Linkedin