Tips for LinkedIn Beginners

On Monday, November 3rd, Her Campus WPUNJ hosted a LinkedIn Workshop at William Paterson University to familiarize students with LinkedIn and understand its significance. It is never too early to create a LinkedIn profile! There are some truly beneficial features including things you couldn't otherwise include on your paper resume like links and photos. LinkedIn is the best way to make connections with professionals, join groups, and look for jobs and internships, so it's important that students start to do this the very next chance they get.

I'm sure you're wondering - Is it worth completing a LinkedIn profile right now? Yes, start early and be ahead of your competition! Here are ways students can benefit from LinkedIn:

1. Connect with others. Stay in touch with previous employers, current employers, colleagues, fellow classmates, friends, club or team members, professors, alumni, family and more. You never know who you are going to need one day so it's good to connect with everyone possible.

2. Explore opportunities with organizations that don't recruit on campus. If you join specific groups, follow companies, or check your news feed for updates from your connections, you will get to take advantage of the information or events they share.

3. A strong profile can make you stand out among the rest. Getting a job or even an internship is more competitive than ever before. Anything you can do to make yourself shine, do it! Include links to published work, portfolio clips or sample work, add skills, brag about the awards you won, and so on.

4. Research companies and career paths. Although many of us may have distinct interests and passions, we still may not be sure what companies or industry appeals to us the most. A great way to investigate and learn more about particular job responsibilities of those within certain companies is to do relevant searches on LinkedIn. You can learn so much information that is valid and reliable.

Now that you know a LinkedIn profile can benefit your future and understanding of the corporate world, here are the necessary items that need to be completed in your profile:

1. Photo. Keep it professional and appropriate. It should only be a head shot.
2. Headline. This can state your current internship position or career ambitions.
3. Summary. Make this only a few sentences describing your career aspirations and how your skills or experiences have helped you.
4. Experience. Include internship positions, jobs, volunteer work and clubs you participate in. Give a brief description of your responsibilities for each and provide links if necessary.
5. Education. Include the college you attend, anticipated graduation date, major and minor (if applicable), GPA if above 3.0, and scholarships or any other awards. If you want, you can list any relevant courses.
6. Skills. Add all of the skills you think you possess. Once you do so and start making connections, people will endorse you for the skills they think you attain.

5 more tips to make you a superstar among your connections: 

1. Provide endorsements and recommendations for others. If you do something for others, they are likely to return the favor.
2. Comment on discussions and posts in groups you joined. Having a voice in a professional group is great because it will help you build more connections and stay in the know about a certain topic or industry.
3. Customize your URL. LinkedIn URL's are super long. Personalize it if possible!
4. Update your profile when needed and check status updates daily. Whenever you start or end a new job or internship or acquire a new skill make the proper changes on your LinkedIn.
5. Provide contact information. Make your email accessible to your connections. If someone wants to collaborate on a project or recommend you for a job, it would be convenient to have your email readily available.

Good luck creating your LinkedIn profile. Sell yourself and make new connections everyday!