With over 400 million members, it’s a tool that 94% of recruiters and business people use. That’s why every student needs to be on LinkedIn.
Think of LinkedIn as your resume that never sleeps. But a lot more. It's your professional brand in the world. It’s the result you actually want up top when someone Googles your name. It’s who you are to employers, recruiters and people you’ll want to stay connected to. LinkedIn is the place to find and be found if you’re looking for a job.
To get you started, here are 15 must-dos for students and new-ish grads on LinkedIn.
PUT IN THE TIME TO MAKE IT AWESOME!
Simply put, the more complete your profile, the better the odds that recruiters will find you in the first place. So, completeness is important from that standpoint. It’s also important after a recruiter has found you and decided to click on your profile: He or she wants to know what your skills are, where you’ve worked, and what people think of you. So, don’t get lazy—fill out every single section of your profile. The good news? LinkedIn will actually measure the “completeness” of your profile as you work and offer suggestions on how to make it stronger.
GET A PERSONALISED URL
It’s much easier to publicise your profile with a customized URL (ideally linkedin.com/your name) rather than the clunky combination of numbers that LinkedIn automatically assigns when you sign up. How to get one? On the Edit Profile screen, at the bottom of the grey window that shows your basic information, you’ll see a Public Profile URL. Click “Edit” next to the URL, and specify what you’d like your address to be. When you’re finished, click Set Custom URL. And don’t forget to include your personal LinkedIn URL on your resume and email signatures.
CHOOSE A GREAT PHOTO
LinkedIn profiles with a picture are 14 times more likely to be viewed. A great photo can go a long way to convey a professional ‘you’. Find (or take!) a high-quality photo of you alone, professionally dressed, facing forward, smiling. Nothing inappropriate. No party shots, cartoon avatars, or puppy pics! LinkedIn is not Facebook or Instagram, and it’s definitely not Snapchat. Not sure what ‘appropriately professional means’? Take a look around at what the people in your target company, industry sector or business level are wearing. Match that.
WRITE A HEADLINE THAT ROCKS
The headline you select should be strategic. You have the opportunity to create a compelling headline that is descriptive and contains relevant keywords. You might have a headline such as “University Junior interested in Accounting Internship”, or ‘Social Media Marketing Professional”, or Recent grad seeking PR position in Melbourne”. Sometimes viewers to your profile will only see the headline and your photos, so take your time to create the best headline for you.
SHOWCASE YOURSELF IN THE SUMMARY SPACE
The LinkedIn summary is an upbeat overview of your capabilities, strengths and goals. This should be succinct paragraph or two. The summary can be a magic opportunity to tell your story, not just repeat other sections of your LinkedIn profile. In addition, you may add a list of specialties at the bottom of your summary section, which service as additional keywords. Examples of specialties might be: Accounting, Social Media, JAVA, Sales, Blogging, Business Development, Statistical Analysis, etc.
ADD EMPLOYMENT, EXPERIENCE AND VOLUNTEER WORK
Enter in your jobs and internships with title, dates and descriptions. Enter the company name using the drop down to get the company logo on your profile. If you don’t have that type of work experience yet, consider adding your volunteer job experiences in the volunteer section of the LinkedIn profile. Volunteer job experiences are often very valuable so don’t forget to include them.
INCLUDE YOUR EDUCATION
Indicate your high school, college or university. If you went to multiple colleges, add them all. You should also ad in your activities and any relevant description. Examples that you would include: President of _________ clubs; sports involvements; arts involvement, and extra curricular leadership roles. Employers like to see that students are engaged with their school or university in meaningful ways. Leadership positions are highly valued.
ADD SKILLS
Pick the top 10 skills that you have or are in the process of developing. If you haven’t had a lot of work experience and you aren’t sure, you can still choose meaningful skills. If you a math major, you can choose ‘mathematical analysis’ as an example. If you a liberal arts major, you might consider ‘written and oral presentations’ or ‘communication’. If you are interested in and well versed in environmental causes, you can consider ‘environmental policy’. Also think strategically about what you want to be know for.
COURSES, CERTIFICATIONS, LANGUAGES, AWARDS AND PUBLICATIONS
Show your expertise and thought leadership by strategically adding courses, certifications, awards and publications to your profile. LinkedIn has specific sections in the profile to highlight all of these. You don’t need to list every course, but pick those that your future employer would like to see and would be impressed.
ORGANISATIONS & GROUPS
List the professional organisations you are affiliated with by adding ‘organisations to your profile. Some of those may also have their own LinkedIn group. In addition, choose Linked groups that are related to your career aspirations. There are LinkedIn Groups for everything from sports marketing to workplace innovation to social media. It’s always to choose groups that are connected to your university or school. The groups you choose will be displayed on your profile.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Consider asking people you know for a LinkedIn recommendation. This will set you apart from other students. You may also ask a professor or teach who know you and your work well. Plan to have at least 3 recommendations from people who are enthusiastic about your capabilities.
ADD YOUR BLOG
If you have a WordPress blog, we highly recommend feeding your blog into your LinkedIn profile (unless, of course, the content isn’t appropriate for a LinkedIn page.) To enable this setting, Select ‘More’ in the main nav bar and Select Applications. From there, choose the WordPress application and enter the link to your feed. The blog will then appear in your profile and will update each time a new post is added.”
JOIN GROUPS
LinkedIn Groups are an incredible resource—and they can do wonders for your job search. By joining groups relevant to your profession or industry, you’ll show that you’re engaged in your field. But more importantly, you’ll instantly be connected to people and part of relevant discussions in your field—kind of like an ongoing, online networking event.
Read More: 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of LinkedIn Groups
BE EXCITED
At the end of the day, the most exciting people to hire are the people who are the most excited about what they do. So, make sure your LinkedIn profile shows your enthusiasm. Join and participate in groups related to your field of expertise. Use your status line to announce stuff you’re doing related to your field. Share interesting articles or news. Connect with the leaders in your industry. Fly your cheerleader flag.
CHECK & RE-CHECK!
One final tip is to be sure to check your spelling and grammar. Make sure you profile is 100% complete. Keep your keywords up to date as your interests and skills evolve. Have a close friend do a double check on your profile. Develop the habit of checking and updating your LinkedIn profile regularly as you begin to make valuable connections.
“People of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” Leonardo da Vinci
VIDEO TO WATCH
LinkedIn For Students: Your Career Starts Here
LINKEDIN HELP