What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking site. It helps its over 500 million users find the right job or internship and connect with other professionals in their industry. Similar to a resume, your LinkedIn profile showcases your professional experiences and interests. However, LinkedIn does not duplicate your resume, it supplements it.
Why is it Important?
Using LinkedIn gives you an opportunity to create a strong profile that represents your personal brand. This includes displaying your skills, achievements, work history, and more. LinkedIn is an important online tool to connect with faculty, alumni, other students, and administration professionals of prospective colleges.
If you’re a high school or college student without much experience, this is an opportunity to showcase what experiences and interests you do have. Use your profile to showcase what you aspire to be, while still highlighting your valuable talents.
Profile Basics:
The top portion of your LinkedIn profile is the first thing viewers see when they land on your page, so it needs to be professional, polished, and complete. Here’s how to make a good first impression.
LinkedIn displays a profile level tool on your profile page to let you know how complete your profile is. The more sections you complete, the higher your profile will rank. Everybody starts as a beginner, but be sure you are actively working towards an intermediate and, eventually, an All-Star rating.
Once your profile is complete, take advantage of its features. Add and follow interests, such as companies or key people. Read articles and comment on posts people share. Write or share an article. Most importantly, make connections–and be sure to include a personal note with every connection request. It’s never too early to start building a professional network, and LinkedIn is a good place to start.