Outline:
LinkedIn vs. Facebook
- LinkedIn and Facebook are not the same thing!
- LinkedIn is a professional site that can help you with your career.
- Facebook is for socializing.
- Do not mix the two sites. Do you really want future employers looking at your Facebook photos or wall posts?
LinkedIn Statistics
- 100+ million users
- Over 150 industries are represented
- 2+ million college students
- 37,000+ college and university alumni groups – including National College!
Why You Need a LinkedIn Account
- It’s your professional online presence
- Opportunity to connect with other students, alumni and local employers
- Research companies/career paths
- Explore opportunities with local employers that may not recruit on campus
- Learn professional networking etiquette
What’s on your LinkedIn profile? Headline
- Appears directly below your name
- Affects how people will find and classify you
- Think of this as a slogan for yourself – How do you want people to think of you professionally?
Profile Photo
- Allows people you have networked with to quickly identify you
- A professional looking headshot is very important
- You should be the only person in your profile photo
- Remember, this isn’t Facebook – pictures of you partying are not appropriate
Education
- Include information about all schools you have attended
- Include your program of study and degree or certificate
- Include any honors or awards you’ve received at school
Summary
- This should resemble the first few sentences of your cover letter
- Allow for others to quickly learn about you
- Present your summary in short blocks of text for easy reading
Specialties
- Include keywords and phrases that a recruiter or hiring manager might type to find a person like you
- The best way to find relevant keywords is by checking out job listings that appeal to you and pulling words from there
LinkedIn Profile Sections
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Showcase your college accomplishments
- Projects
- Awards & Honors
- Organizations
- Courses
Adding Sections Adding Sections (cont.) Adding Sections (cont.) Your Completed Profile
- Users with 100% complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn
- You can’t build connections if people don’t know you exist or see what you have to offer
- Think of your LinkedIn profile as your online business card, your resume, and letters of recommendation all in one
LinkedIn Basic Checklist
- Headline
- Profile Photo
- Education
- Summary
- Specialties
- Profile Sections
