College to Career: Utilizing LinkedIn

277 million members and growing by the second. That’s how many millions of people have access to your LinkedIn profile! So how, in the world do you make your profile stand out and be a useful tool amongst a pool of millions? The answers are simple and plentiful!

LinkedIn is a way to:

• Create a personal brand
•  Set a clear intention for the future
•  Share your story and dreams with the world
• Be generous through connecting people within your network
• Learn about companies, career paths and FIND A JOB!

Polish the Profile

Every relationship begins with a first impression. Think of that recent internship interview, or a teacher you met for the first time, maybe even a significant other and that first time you locked eyes. You notice their physical appearance and usually the first thing that comes out of their mouth! The same thing happens with a LinkedIn profile.

A professional and crisp photo can grab someone’s attention along with the tagline at the top of your page. No selfies, pets or boyfriends in the photos! It’s time to act like a professional. A tagline shouldn’t just be your title at your job, or shouldn’t just say “student”. It should be a creative catchphrase that describes who you are or what you do.  An example would be, “Three-year honors student and aspiring marketing guru”.  Think beyond the norm! Polish the first impression aspect of your profile for greater impact.

Mesmerize and Summarize

After your photo and your tagline, comes the summary. Think of the summary as your elevator speech - concise, confident and passionate. What do you want a potential networking connection or employer to know about who you are and what you have to offer?

Think personality.  What are you really good at and where do you want to be in the future?  Get creative and have fun with it! It’s always great to include what some of your hobbies or passions are that you do in your free time. Employers want to see that you will bring more than just work related skills!

Bragging Rights

It’s time to brag about your experiences! This is different than a resume, so use paragraph form instead of bullets. You are telling a story. It does not have to be overly formal and you can share not only tasks but also goals you’ve accomplished or things you learned throughout the internship or job. Be sure to add to the organizations, education and volunteer experiences and causes sections as well.

There are also some great features on the site that allow you to upload photos, videos, or projects you have taken part in. This is an impressive way to showcase a portfolio online! Now that you have a beautiful profile, how do you actively use it to network, connect and find jobs?

Connect With Your Connections

Ask your first connections to connect you with a second connection so you can do some informational interviews or distribute your resume! Find those people who have something in common with you (an alumni group, a volunteer organization etc) and they will be more likely to connect! Use your invites to personalize how you connect, don’t just send the auto message!

You Don’t Need a Job…

You don’t need a job you need an informational interview! Use this approach to learn more about a company or the industry of interest before you go for a real interview. Ask them about their career progression, their experience with their company and what advice they have for you! Use LinkedIn to do your homework prior to those calls. And then keep up those connections! Meet them for coffee, send them a hand-written thank you note or give them a call. You never know when you may need their help again or when you could help them!

Be the Brand You Want to be!

It’s time to be the brand you want to be and update your LinkedIn profile today! You may be one in 277 million, but you have all the tools you need to summarize, mesmerize, and connect!

Guest Blogger: Aundrea Dahl-Zeta Epsilon, Santa Clara

Aundrea was a CDC from 2010-2011. After her travels she became an HR manager at a Target store and also participated in their university recruiting program, helping with career fairs, interviewing and resume reviewing. She is currently working as a Recruiting Coordinator for LinkedIn.