LinkedIn is a wonderful tool to use when trying to find a job or get acquainted with the professional world.
When I first started tinkering with the site, I was slightly confused, but caught on quickly. I am only a few days in and this website has already helped me connect to many professionals, so I think it is IMPORTANT to spread the knowledge on how to use it!
LinkedIn is an app/ website designed to make it easy for people to find business connections, network, apply for jobs, and seek new opportunities.
This app is perfect for college students who hope to get an internship, but it continues to be useful far into your professional career. The key to using LinkedIn is connecting with both people that you already know, and people that you think will be good professional connections to have. For example, I connected with previous employers, professionals in my area that I am familiar with, and people within my prospective field.
When first starting out on LinkedIn, you should upload a clear and professional looking headshot as your profile picture, and add your resume. Your resume should include accurate information about previous employment and experiences. This makes it easy for people searching your profile for possible employment to see your previous job experience and determine if you are qualified to work with or for them.
After adding your previous work experience, it’s important to add skills to your profile. These can include skills you have acquired from previous jobs, computer systems that you are proficient with, or just things you are good at in general. For example, my top three skills are social media, communication, and customer service. You are able to add up to 50 skills, and your connections are able to endorse these skills if they agree that you have them. Endorsements are impressive to future employers.
It is also possible to add clubs/ organizations that you have been a part of, languages you may speak, prestigious awards that you have received, and even exam grades and coursework to your profile.
The great thing about LinkedIn is that opportunities are not hard to come by. Not only does it list several job opportunities on your news feed to cater to your chosen interests and companies, but it allows people to reach out to you in your messages about possible job opportunities as well. If someone thinks that you possess the necessary skills for a job opening, or would like to give you an interview, they are able to contact you with more information.