These days, it seems as if everything revolves around social media. Whether it be on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or some other internet invention, your networks are growing every day. As a student and soon-to-be-professional, however, there’s one network that you might not have tapped into that is sure to come in handy: LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network with over 225 million users and a great tool for job hunting. Getting started on a new, professional profile might seem daunting, so we’re here to help.
Once you’ve created an account, here’s what to do:
Fill in all relevant information.
Make sure your school, year, area of study, and past work experience (if you have any) are visible on your profile. This gives others information on your credentials, and helps you appear in relevant searches. Including your school can also help you tap into your alumni network, which could have many opportunities. Be sure to also include contact information, so that any interested employers can reach out to you. Finally, make sure that everything on your profile is also appropriate. You don’t want that unprofessional photo you’re considering as a profile picture to be the first impression that a potential employer has of you.
Join groups.
Find groups relating to your school or other campus extracurricular. These are a great way to connect to alums and other people who might be especially interested in you and your job application. There are also specific groups for recent grads or current students, so be sure to look for those as well!
Build your network.
The core of LinkedIn and all other forms of social media is connecting to others. Find your friends, classmates, family members, and previous and current colleagues. You never know where a connection can lead you in your professional life!
Once you’ve built up your profile and network, you’re all set to go! You can search for jobs or read different employment and field-related articles. With LinkedIn, you can connect with colleagues and people in your field. And don’t worry if your profile still looks a little bare right now…it’ll grow with time and with more experience.
Let us know if you have any other LinkedIn tips to share below in the comments!
Written by Guest Blogger, Katherine Chang