There is a common misconception that LinkedIn is only for business students, but this could not be further from the truth.Â
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for any student, employee or employer. The platform can help you network, find internships, discover job opportunities, follow companies you are interested in, learn about professional development events near you, and keep up with your peers’ accomplishments.Â
Before you can reap all of the benefits LinkedIn has to offer, you need to get a jump on crafting a profile that accurately reflects your academic and professional development.Â
- Create a strong profile
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The first step to getting active on LinkedIn is to create or update your profile. Remember that your profile, specifically your headline, photos and about section, is a viewer’s first impression of you academically and professionally.Â
Your headline should be strong and catchy, as it is a viewer’s first impression of your page. Many students have their major or track, for example “Political Science Student at the University of Pittsburgh,” to show, at a glance, what they are studying and where.Â
In a LinkedIn profile photo, it is important to look professional and polished, while also approachable and friendly. You will commonly see professional and modest clothing, like a blazer and high-necked top, across profile photos. This will visibly show viewers that you are a young professional.
A banner image can highlight a number of things, depending on where you are in your professional journey. My banner image is of the Pittsburgh skyline, showing that I study in Pittsburgh and that I strive to work in an urban environment. These images both show where I am in my professional career at this moment in time, and also that I plan to work in a professional field upon graduation. Many users have the logo of their company, a photo of their university’s campus, or the logo of their university.  Additionally, the “About” section gives you an opportunity to briefly explain where you are academically and professionally, only highlighting the most relevant components. For example, you could include your field of study, major, minor, certificate, involvement, volunteer work, goals or purpose for being active on LinkedIn.Â
- highlight present and past experience
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Your page should feature your present and past experience. You can quickly touch on this in your about section, but can also create an entire section on your page designation towards experience. Here, you can add the companies you have worked for, the time period that you worked there, describe your role, attach skills to the role, and tag their LinkedIn page. Here, a viewer can see your job and internship experience in more detail with a timeline. You can also create sections to detail involvement, volunteer work, publications and your resume. Depending on your field of work and what type of opportunities you are looking for, you can personalize your page to highlight what is most important for you. It is also helpful to utilize action words, like “wrote,” “edited,” “researched,” “published” or “collaborated” to show the strengths and skills you have acquired throughout your experience.
- expand your network
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Another crucial component of LinkedIn is building your network, because after all, who is going to view this carefully crafted page if you don’t have any connections?
Commonly, users connect with present and past classmates, professors, alumni, role models, employers, employees and users involved in a company you might want to seek employment from in the future. This will allow you to see each other’s content. You might even want to consider engaging in posts, like commenting to congratulate your classmates on their accomplishments or reposting content from events you attended. This will show your account is active.
It is also helpful to follow accounts and hashtags, which will allow you to see available opportunities, open applications, networking events, professional development workshops and more. This is a great way to stay engaged, informed, educated and involved.Â
- Do not be afraid to post
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Finally, do not be afraid to post! It is definitely nerve-wracking to craft a post that your peers, employers or future employers might see. However, LinkedIn is a platform where you are supposed to celebrate your accomplishments. You could post about receiving an award, making the Dean’s list, starting or completing an internship, an update about a current job, a publication of your work, or anything that shows your professional development.
When crafting your post, use a professional tone and an expansive vocabulary, but try to keep it concise. Your viewers want to read the SparkNotes, not an essay.
Now, you are all set to start working on your LinkedIn profile. Let’s connect!