LinkedIn

LinkedIn has become an important tool to create and maintain connections. Recruiters are also using LinkedIn to find and hire qualified candidates. A student aiming to attract recruiters on LinkedIn should focus first on plugging clear, targeted keywords into their job titles, headline, and skills—these are the search terms recruiters use to find candidates.

  • Craft a specific, SEO-focused headline, use the exact job titles and key phrases you see in your desired roles, and update your skills list to match your field so you’ll appear in more recruiter searches.
  • After nailing the keywords, tell your story in the About section by highlighting your achievements and results, and use your experience descriptions to show not just what you did, but the tangible impact you made.
  • Recommendations, volunteer roles, and publications look great, but it’s those top three profile elements—headline, job titles, and skills—that actually get you discovered .

LinkedIn Profile

This profile resource from LinkedIn will help you get started. Review Quinncia’s recommendations as well How to Build a LinkedIn Profile – Student Library

Finally, our tips below will assist you in strategically refining your profile and start using the platform. The 4 most important components of your LinkedIn Profile are:

Top Tips:

  • Invest in a professional headshot
  • Face forward; avoid side views and shadowy shots
  • Smile – it’s the universal welcome symbol
  • Choose a simple background or one that truly exudes your personal brand
  • Dress in a way that reflects who you are and is relevant for your target audience
  • When it’s time to upload your new pic, crop your image so about 60-80% of the real estate is your face
  • Make sure to name your headshot file “yourname.jpg.” That way, when someone does a Google image search on you, it will show up in the results

What not to da:

  • Don’t use selfies – save them for Instagram or SnapChat
  • Don’t use images where you’ve cropped others out of the frame
  • Don’t use a logo in place of your face. As proud as you are of your company, using the logo takes the humanity out of your profile
  • Don’t use images with multiple people
  • Don’t leave it blank – this makes you less real and more dubious in the virtual world
  • Don’t have a background that is so busy it detracts from the headshot – or worse, a background that makes you look unprofessional or disorganized

Arruda, William. “The Best LinkedIn Headshots And How To Create Yours.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 7 Sept. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2018/09/05/the-best-linkedin-headshots-and-how-to-create-yours/#3b4732826d2f

The header is a short statement that describes you as a professional. Headers can help bring people to your profile by clearly and succinctly conveying information. Here are some ideas for what to put in your header:

  • What are three words to describe you? (Intern, Student, Finance Professional, etc.)
  • What roles do you fill? (Marketing and Communications Intern at __)
  • What is your career objective? (Transforming Brands by Using Social Media; Helping Companies Achieve Sustainable Financial Growth)

Writing a strong summary helps potential employers see what motivates you and what makes you stand out. Strong summaries let the reader know your core values and why you are interested in your current career path. Consider addressing the following questions in your summary:

  • What are your professional and personal strengths?
  • What do you value? What brings you joy or gets you excited?
  • What experiences had the greatest impact on your career choices?
  • What do you do at AU? (Graduation Month/Year, Clubs, Volunteer, Leadership, Organizations)
  • Where do you see your career going?
  • Do you have any certifications? Additional credentials (these should be relevant to the industry you are pursuing)?
  • What are you interested in(fields, outside interests, industry, within a field)?

Reinforce your brand: This is a great way to show who you are as a professional and what sets you apart.

Examples:

  • Image of a Workplace: This communicates professionalism and work ethic.
  • Image of Value Proposition: This communicates client focus. What services or deliverables do you provide to clients? How can you communicate this in a picture to show your client focus? (e.g., charts and graphs might show data visualization)
  • Image of City: This communicates location preferences.
  • Image of Industry/Passion or Cause: This shows commitment to the cause. (e.g., images of the environment, recycling or up cycling for sustainability)

  • List your work experience (internship, volunteer experience, on-campus involvement).
  • Add your education as: American University – Kogod School of Business
  • Include industry-relevant keywords as recruiters sometimes search keywords.
  • Include technical skills and languages.
  • Upload your LinkedIn profile to Quinncia to receive feedback and recommendations.

Using LinkedIn

Now that your profile is complete, you can use LinkedIn to network and build your brand.

  • Form Connections: Connect with faculty, peers, past employers, and connections you make at events such as conferences.
  • Join a Group: Gain industry insight by joining and expand your network by joining a group. (Example: American University, Kogod School of Business | Alumni Group)
  • Post: Share your professional accomplishments, lessons learned from conferences, interesting insights, and your (non-political) take on your industry of interest or the news. This will help build your brand with your connections.
  • Alumni Outreach: Reach out to alumni from your alma mater (your high school, undergrad [for grad students], or from AU). Check out these sample messages.
  • Follow Companies: Follow companies of interest for news and current events as well as job postings and career program postings. Follow talent acquisition LinkedIn accounts as well as the main company account when relevant.
  • Recommendations: Add color to your profile by receiving recommendations. People might also be more willing to write recommendations when you write them one as well.
  • Leverage LinkedIn Messenger: Use this tool to reach out to alumni with tailored messages referencing your interest in their projects, work experience, skills or knowledge. Be specific!
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