LinkedIn Hints

By E.W.

LinkedIn has become the one of the hottest trends in the last few years when it comes to finding a job. However, while the concept and importance of LinkedIn are easy enough to understand, selling yourself on the website to potential employers is another matter entirely. LinkedIn has 10 tips for students who want to make the most of their profile.

1.   Make your profile headline stand out. It should be short, sweet, and to the point.
2. Your profile picture should be professional and appropriate. When uploading a picture, just ask yourself, “Is this a picture I would want my boss to see?”
3. Include all of your education. This includes majors, minors, summer courses, study abroad, etc. And if your GPA is something worth bragging about, LinkedIn is the place to show it off.
4. Your summary should show the very best of you. Just like you use the first few sentence of your cover letter to tell a potential employer how great you are, you should likewise take advantage of the summary section to boast about your qualifications.
5. When filling out the “Skills and Expertise” section, use keywords. If you have a current draft of your résumé, this part should be easy because your résumé should already be full of strong verbs and adjectives describing your abilities. (If you think your résumé seems a little dull, make a stop by the CSL offices to pump it up. Then use those same words and ideas on your LinkedIn page.)
6. Update your status on a regular basis. Mention current projects, articles or news pertaining to your interests, and job-related events you are attending.
7. Show how well connected you are by joining different groups that are relevant to your interests. Joining the Gustavus Adolphus College Alumni Group is a great start.
8. Get recommendations from those with which you have worked, especially those who have managed you.
9. Create a unique URL for your LinkedIn profile. To do this, set your LinkedIn profile to “public” and create a URL just for you.
10. Show off your work by adding examples of it to your profile.