If you’re anything like me, a chill ran down your spine when you read the word ‘LinkedIn’ in this article’s title. Maybe your palms started to sweat, your pulse started to race, or you began to feel a pit of dread in your stomach. Just me? I hope not!
As we all begin our career journeys by exploring college majors, searching for internships, and refining our resumes, there’s one important tool that – no matter your field – you should absolutely be taking advantage of. That tool is (you guessed it!) LinkedIn.
Once upon a time, my LinkedIn page practically had tumbleweeds blowing through it. Now, however, it’s a flourishing oasis that has greatly aided my summer 2025 internship search and helped me expand my ever-elusive “network.” Today, I’m going to give you a rundown on how to set up your LinkedIn page, what to post, and how to leverage it during your next job search.
What is LInkedin and why should I care?
LinkedIn is described on Google Play as a social networking app where users can create an online resume, build a professional network, and search for their dream career. I’ll discuss how to best utilize LinkedIn’s features to achieve these three goals, but first – why does LinkedIn matter?
Social Media Specialist Mariah Clemow reports in London Computer Systems that “87% of recruiters use LinkedIn to vet candidates for job listings.” I’ve definitely seen this statistic reflected throughout my recent internship search – most applications have a space for you to paste your LinkedIn profile link along with your resume and cover letter! I’ve even had recruiters connect with me on LinkedIn right before or after an interview. These experiences lead me to believe that a strong LinkedIn presence can be an incredible asset for career development and your next job search.
Building your profile
If you’re a LinkedIn newbie, you may be wondering what kind of information to include. Let’s start from the top and move down the profile:
- Profile Photo: A professional headshot – don’t have one? Try generating one with AI.
- Cover Image: A photo that shows a little more information about you beyond the professional setting (e.x. you on your college campus, supporting your favorite sports team, or participating in one of your hobbies)
- Name & Pronouns
- Headline: List your current or ideal job title, then some unique characteristics that describe what you specifically bring to the table. Think soft skills, personality traits, or specialties (e.x. my profile headline says, “Graphic Designer | Interdisciplinary Creative | People Connector | Idea Facilitator | Enthusiastic Leader”)
- Current Position
- Education
- Location: Where you are currently based or where you plan to be based whenever you secure your next role
- Contact Information: Definitely add your professional email, other info optional. Also, be sure to open up this category to edit your profile url! Simplify it to “www.linkedin.com/in/first-last” if possible, and add a number to the end if your name is unavailable.
- Website: Add a link if you have an online portfolio of recent projects, work, experience, etc.
Now that you’ve got the basic information down, let’s move on to the other important sections:
- About: Fill in this section with around 2-3 short paragraphs plus some extra fun bits at the end. The first paragraph should be a short summary of your current role/specialty/expertise and your future professional goals if you are seeking a new role. The second paragraph should talk about your approach or your “why” for your work and anything unique you bring to the table. The third paragraph is optional, and can dive into your interests and personality outside of the professional world. Finally, feel free to add details like personality typology (MBTI, Clifton Strengths, Enneagram, etc.) and then include your email once more so that potential employers can find it easily.
- Activity: Treat this section like your Instagram – but instead of showing off your OOTDs and travel pics, highlight recent projects, labs, presentations, papers, honors, awards, and/or achievements. Anytime you complete some sort of relevant experience – whether it be through actual employment, through a college course, through an extra-curricular, or beyond – write a short blurb about the experience, add some photos of the work or your participation, and post it to your LinkedIn page. Try to keep this section relatively up-to-date, so potential employers can see your most recent accomplishments.
- Experience: This section is easy to fill in if you already have your resume done. Simply add in your employment history, including the company, your role, and your responsibilities. You can also add photos to this section of work samples, your team, and other highlights of the experience. Again, feel free to add unpaid experience like school projects, extracurricular leadership roles, etc. – if it’s relevant to your career goals, chances are employers would like to see it!
- Education: A bit of a repeat, but you know the drill. Add your education details here. If you’re just beginning college, you can include your high school education here but later on, showcase only undergrad and beyond. Add any skills that your education has equipped you with, and add any projects associated with your classes!
- Skills: You can add up to 50 skills to your profile. This category allows you to add the skill, attribute them to a certain work or education experience, and have your network “endorse” the skills. Brainstorm ideas and fill this category as much as possible!
- Interests: This section will auto-populate as you begin following people and companies on LinkedIn. Follow profiles and businesses relevant to your field so potential employers can see that you’re staying updated on happenings within the industry.
Networking
It’s like going to a dentist appointment: nobody ever WANTS to do it, but we all acknowledge that we HAVE to do it for our own good. Networking kind of sucks no matter how extraverted you are, but LinkedIn definitely helps minimize the awkwardness. Making an online resume on LinkedIn is just the first step – next, you need to ensure that the right people are seeing it. Here are some tips on LinkedIn networking strategies that have landed me internships, jobs, and valuable connections.
- Follow people and companies within your industry and interact with their posts to express your interest in their work, keep up to date on current trends within your field, and build a rapport
- Add ALL of your friends, family, current coworkers, classmates, neighbors, old babysitters, failed talking stages, ANYONE you can think of, as a connection on LinkedIn. Once you’re connected, you will see their posts and any posts they interact with. I can’t count the number of times I’ve found job opportunities that I never would’ve discovered without being able to view my connections’ activity.
- Ask friends, old coworkers, or old bosses to endorse the skills on your profile. This adds credibility to your online resume and shows that you make a good impression on those that you work with!
These tips are helpful for expanding your network – but once you HAVE the connections, how do you utilize them? There are two key ways: Professional development and your next job search. I’ll cover the latter in the next section!
In terms of professional development on LinkedIn, I’ve found the most success through sending cold messages to professionals in my field. I look at my dream companies or roles and find the people with my ideal future career, and I send an invite to connect. It’s helpful to find someone who majored in the same field as you or even attended the same college, as they will feel more inclined to help you out the more you have in common. For the professionals I’m especially interested in chatting with, I utilize LinkedIn’s personalized invite feature to send a short message with my invitation to connect (LinkedIn offers non-premium members five free short personalized invites per month, so use them wisely. You can always just wait for someone to accept your connection, but a personalized note speeds the process along.) Here’s an example of a short message I’ve sent that resulted in a successful networking call:
“Hi [their name]! I’m [your name] and I’m a [year, major] at [school] and I noticed you work at [company] as a [role]. I would love to pursue something similar in the future and I was wondering whether you had 15 minutes to call sometime this week or next week to discuss your career journey that led you to your current role!”
Feel free to add more personalized details about similarities you may share with this person, specifics on what you admire about their work, and/or your interest in the company. Prepare some questions for the call, and approach the conversation with authentic curiosity. I’ve found that most of the time, people are excited to help out college kids who reach out respectfully and with genuine interest, and more often than not, they’ll offer advice or even refer you to a job opportunity.
Job searching
Your profile is complete, your network is robust, and you’re finally ready to land your dream internship or job. So what’s next?
I’m not going to sugarcoat it – job searching on LinkedIn can be grueling and discouraging. I’ve spent a lot of time applying to lackluster roles and never hearing back. However, over the course of my internship search for this summer, I’ve found ways to leverage the platform and get real responses to my applications.
First, let’s talk LinkedIn job postings. Even with their filters, notifications, and suggestions, it can be difficult to find the right fit. I’ve also often felt like I’m screaming into a void with hundreds of applications and never hearing back. However, there are ways to avoid these challenges.
While applying to LinkedIn-based job postings can’t hurt, I recommend applying to most roles directly on their specific company websites. Search for opportunities in the LinkedIn app, then head straight to the source for the best results. If you’re struggling to find interesting job postings, check out the activity section of company pages or hiring managers’s profiles – some companies prefer to post a link to their website’s “Careers” page instead of listing a job directly on the LinkedIn app. Once you’ve applied, comment under the post about the opening and write about your enthusiasm for the opportunity!
Next, let your network know you’re on the hunt! Create a short post on your profile telling your connections that you’re searching, describe the type of role you’re looking for, and highlight a few of your qualifications. Ask your network to repost your announcement and send any opportunities your way.
Finally, let’s circle back to networking during a job search. When on a call with a professional you admire, don’t hesitate to mention that you’re seeking a new role or ask if they have any contacts you can reach out to for job opportunities. Inquire about any opportunities they may be aware of within their company and beyond. Even better, after applying to a job posting, do your best to find the company’s hiring manager on LinkedIn and message them with informed questions, comments, and enthusiasm about the role. They are much more likely to review and respond to your application quickly if you take the extra step of reaching out directly.
Let’s lock in.
As a LinkedIn warrior myself, I know how tough it can be to establish yourself professionally online. However, I hope that I’ve equipped you with some strong starting points to use the app to your advantage and give yourself a leg up on the competition. If you’re still reading up to this point, connect with me on LinkedIn and let’s tackle this challenge together! You have so much to offer, and I can’t wait to see you chase your dreams.