The end of October for UNH students means midterms are over, Halloween weekend has passed, and Homecoming has also come and gone. Many alumni came to campus to visit their old stomping grounds and give advice to those of us that are in school. The most important advice that I heard all weekend was “get LinkedIn.” It is the easiest way to connect with people you have met and made connections with and it is also a great resource when looking for internships and jobs.
So what is LinkedIn? LinkedIn is kind of like Facebook, except a professional version. You can post updates (similar to status updates) except you keep these strictly professional. There are also features where you can post a summary about yourself as well as your specialties. Linked In also allows you to upload your resume and past employers can write you a recommendation, which gives new potential employers the chance to see what type of worker you are without having to contact anyone!
The first thing to do is sign up for LinkedIn by going to www.linkedin.com. Next, you should create a headline that briefly tells people who you are. Some examples are: Jill Granucci, Intern at Children’s Hospital Boston or Jill Granucci, Undergraduate student at University of New Hampshire seeking Marketing position.
(Here’s a screen shot of Jill’s LinkedIn profile!)
Next, pick an appropriate photo of you, and only you! Select a picture where you look professional and it should only be a headshot. This is not Facebook or MySpace, this is LinkedIn! You do not want a potential employer to get the wrong impression of you!
The next piece in having an informative LinkedIn profile is to complete a summary briefly describing yourself and your interests. What have your past internships been? Where have you worked? Do you volunteer anywhere? What are your extra-curriculars and leadership positions?
Many employers like to see a weekly status update, but I feel that sometimes as students it is hard to have a weekly update. When something exciting is occuring that is rather professional, it is a good idea to update your status. For example, if you are attending a panel or discussion relating to your major it would be a good idea to update your status by saying something like, “Attending a panel today with guest speakers from Company A, Company B, and Company C.”
Another way to make your LinkedIn profile more attractive is to make your LinkedIn URL unique and easy to remember (such as your name.) This is also important because your LinkedIn profile will also be one of the first things to appear when someone Googles your name! Changing your URL is very simple; all you need to do is log in, click “Edit My Profile” under the current URL location. When the next screen comes up, click edit which is located next to the URL and it will allow you to select an available URL.
So make your profile as soon as you can and start making those connections!