Enhancing Your LinkedIn

LinkedIn isn’t just a website for finding a summer internship or career; it’s a platform that encourages professional development.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a first-year college student or a Ph.D. candidate, anyone can utilize LinkedIn! For the longest time, I never understood what networking meant, but using LinkedIn has shown me that networking doesn’t just have one form.

When it comes to finding an internship or a potential job, LinkedIn will become your instant best friend.

Build a complete profile After you sign up for your LinkedIn account, you don't just stop there! Ensure that your profile has accurate information that can be viewed by job recruiters.

Taking some time to add experiences and skills to your profile will bring your profile to life!

Pulling up your resume or CV and transferring it onto your LinkedIn profile will save you time.

Your LinkedIn profile should be seen as a way to create a professional online presence, so make sure that you include and describe meaningful work/volunteer experiences, relevant coursework, awards, and projects. Don't worry, LinkedIn has built-in formatting to organize your profile's information!

A little networking never hurt anybody At first, sending connection invitations can be a little daunting, but think of it as sending a friend request on Facebook! Connecting with co-workers, current/former classmates, and even professors will expose you to a variety of professional opportunities.

Also, you can message individuals within your network for professional advice or questions. You never know who can help you with career development, so LinkedIn connections can be a reliable support system.

Stay informed by following hashtags

By following hashtags related to your interests, you will be able to tailor your LinkedIn feed with relevant articles and posts that will be useful or thought-provoking.

Utilizing this feature of LinkedIn allows you to customize LinkedIn to become a tool that provides you with the necessary tools for your job or internship hunt!

Feel free to join LinkedIn groups

Similar to hashtags, joining LinkedIn groups will expose you to other individuals with similar career interests and goals!

For example, many colleges and high schools have groups that allow alumni to connect. Within these LinkedIn groups, members can connect or share job or internship postings. Plus, it’s a nice way to connect virtually!

Write Posts on LinkedIn to inspire others

Do you have professional development advice to share with your network? Writing a post will allow you to interact and become more engaged with your network.

Sharing stories about career experiences or ideas can resonate with other LinkedIn users. As a result, your post could equip someone with the needed information or confidence to apply to their dream internship or job!