Networking via LinkedIn: Your Professional Identity
LinkedIn, owned by the prominent tech company Microsoft, stands as the largest online professional network worldwide. Comparable to social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, LinkedIn serves as a social network. Its purpose revolves around aiding individuals in discovering suitable job opportunities or internships, fostering and cultivating professional connections, and acquiring the necessary skills for career progression. Accessible through web browsers or the LinkedIn smartphone application, this platform offers convenient accessibility to its users.
In the past, before the emergence of social media, prestigious companies would primarily visit campuses to seek out potential candidates for career opportunities. However, in the present era, numerous recruiters rely on social media platforms like LinkedIn to identify individuals suitable for specific job roles. Considering the multitude of benefits that come with connecting with professionals on LinkedIn, college students should not underestimate the significance of this particular social networking site. In fact, students are encouraged to initiate their networking journey on LinkedIn at the earliest opportunity. Upon graduating from college, LinkedIn will prove invaluable in assisting them with job search endeavors.
The following are few important points about how college students can use LinkedIn and how they can get the most out of it by engaging with professionals on this social networking platform –
1. A Great Platform for connecting with professionals: Networking with people in industry is critical, as is maintaining the relationships someone established in person. LinkedIn allows doing exactly that: build deep links between industry experts and other professionals.
2. To get job alerts: If someone searching for career opportunities, LinkedIn is the best place to go because it will help to have a better chance of finding one. It will show specific job postings and suggest positions that fit according to profile. LinkedIn is used for hiring managers to select the best prospects.
3. Conducting Company Research: One of the most valuable features of LinkedIn for college students and career hunters is the ability to look at the pages of potential employers. Candidate can do analysis on the location of the venture, the recruiting process, and what people have to say about it through visiting business sites. This type of LinkedIn business analysis will help someone to stay out of the competition and improve your employability.
4. Getting Recommendations: LinkedIn also has a tab that allows requesting recommendations from others. People who have a high number of endorsements have a better chance of catching the eye of potential employers. To improve their employability, college students should try to get as many recommendations as possible.
5. Let the companies find you: Today, a vast number of companies use social networking sites like LinkedIn to find qualified applicants. If you have a well-written and informative personal profile, you have a fair chance of catching an employer’s eye.
6. Connecting with Other Students: LinkedIn can also be used by college students to network with other students. This style of networking has an excellent opportunity to learn how other college graduates seek jobs or were employed by a company.
Few Important tips for creating a LinkedIn profile as a student:
- Use a professional profile picture.
- Craft an attention-grabbing Headline
- Develop a professional Summary.
- Join groups and follow companies that you share an interest in.
- Remember to fill out your profile! Using it as an expanded CV with as much detail as possible to show employers that you are a well-rounded person with a diverse set of skills that you might apply in the workplace.
- As soon as you’ve finished your profile, start creating a solid network. Don’t let your account go unused; take advantage of it and start making those all-important contacts!
- Share Industry relevant updates regularly.
