Whether you are logging on once a day to play the daily games or looking to post about your latest career success, LinkedIn is rapidly winning over college students.
Start with the basics
Before you start connecting with everyone on your floor in your dorm, make sure your profile is actually telling people who you are.
Smilte Sazanskyte, a career coach at Toppel Career Center, said students should take advantage of all the sections LinkedIn offers, including their bio, experience, volunteer work, skills and education.
“Make sure all the sections on the profile are filled out,” Sazanskyte said.
This also means keeping your profile photo up to date. Toppel offers free professional headshots to all UM students, so there is no reason to still have your high school senior portrait as your profile picture.
Sazanskyte also recommends updating your profile whenever you update your resume, which she said should happen at least every six months. If you are regularly adding new positions, skills or experiences to your resume, those changes should be featured on your profile, too.
However, she emphasized that a LinkedIn profile should not be a replica of your resume. You can expand on things much more on LinkedIn, and also include achievements from high school as they can show growth in different roles.
“I really enjoy when I look on someone else’s LinkedIn, and I can see how they moved through different positions,” Sazanskyte said.
Think of your LinkedIn profile as an extended version of your resume.
Show, not just tell
Once you have a completed profile, you are halfway there. Now, you must give people something to look through.
Marizú Weller Rios, a senior at UM, first downloaded LinkedIn during her freshman year after joining clubs at CaneFest.
“I knew I wanted to be involved, so I joined many clubs and achieved some freshman representative positions,” Weller Rios said. “Within these organizations, I made friends who were upperclassmen, and they encouraged me to create an account in order to share my achievements and find professional opportunities.”
Now, three years and more than 500 connections later, Weller Rios serves on numerous executive boards for on-campus organizations, including as Director of Outreach for Student Government, External Co-Chair for Miami Day of Service, Vice President for Pi Sigma Alpha, Co-Event Coordinator for the George P. Hanley Democracy Center and Student Experience Coordinator for the Butler Center for Service and Leadership.
With so many positions, Weller Rios finds it useful to post regularly about her accomplishments in each organization.
“I try to post a ‘semester wrapped’ showcasing what I achieved within each organization to not only show the skills I’ve developed, but also keep myself accountable on the progress I have brought to each one.”
You do not need to post every time you get an A or attend a club meeting. Instead, think about what you have done that shows your unique skill set.
“Post about what sets you apart from the rest: your own passion projects, events you’ve spearheaded and individualized achievements,” said Weller Rios. “This is a place where standing out matters!”
Announcements about new roles are great, but they do not have to be the only thing you post. A project you are proud of, an event you helped organize or a skill you recently learned can give people a better idea of what you can bring to the table.
Using LinkedIn to network
One of the most recognizable milestones on LinkedIn may very well be the switch from “499 connections” to “500+.” But while the number can be satisfying, building your network should be about more than collecting connections.
Utilizing the connect feature can help you get your foot in the door for internships and other opportunities. Connections and the people you know are extremely important to securing coveted positions.
“In today’s world, getting a job is not as easy as just applying and getting a job. It doesn’t really work like that anymore,” said Sazanskyte. “It’s more networking, and I think LinkedIn is a great place to start doing that.”
Do not wait until you are staring at an internship application to start networking. Follow companies you are interested in, connect with alumni and reach out to people whose careers interest you.
“Reach out to the people that inspire you and you look up to. You never know who may become a mentor, a friend or someone that can connect you to future positions,” Weller Rios said, echoing the importance of making connections.
There is no real way to make your profile “perfect,” and you do not need hundreds of connections to share your achievements. Keep adding as you go and let your profile tell your story.
words_keira faddis. photo_manuela mesa. design_adela polanco.
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