Job seekers can no longer deny the importance of social media in today’s job search. An increasing number of employers are using social media to evaluate potential employees. While Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are very popular social media avenues, they might not reflect the most professional aspects of individuals, and can actually prove damaging at times. LinkedIn, on the other hand, is a professional social networking site than many employers are now using to evaluate potential employees. But what exactly should you put on your LinkedIn profile? How do you handle it differently than your other social media accounts? Forbes.com posted an article on “What Every College Student Should Post on LinkedIn.” And below are my three favorite pieces of advice:
- Show off your schoolwork by including your coursework and other academic extracurricular activities. Not all of us will have work experience when we graduate from college. Some students think this means they have nothing to put on their resume, but it doesn’t. Academic projects, involvement in clubs and activities, campus volunteer experiences and relevant coursework can all be useful material to include on a resume. It’s not so much about what you did, it’s about what you learned and what skills you gained from it.
- Check for spelling and grammar errors. I have heard countless employers talk about how frustrating it is to see grammatical and spelling errors coming from professionals. Employers may be looking at your profile without you even knowing it, and you may never get the chance to meet them in person, so it’s important to make a positive, professional impression by making sure your profile is error-free. You wouldn’t want an employer’s first (and sometimes only) impression of you to be based on silly errors, right?
- Don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations. Recommendations from advisers, professors, and managers can prove very beneficial on your LinkedIn profile. I just caution you to make sure you really consider who you’re asking for recommendations from. Ask people who can really speak to your work and who are familiar enough with you to be able to give an honest and insightful reflection. Think quality here, not quantity. It’s better to have a few genuine and really strong recommendations rather than to have many that are inconsistent, basic and that don’t necessarily represent the best version of you.
So take a good, hard look at your LinkedIn profile. Are you following this advice? Where can your profile use some TLC? And overall, do you feel you’re using social media to your best professional advantage? Career Services can help you answer some of these questions. Stop on by, we’re here all summer!
Written by Sarah, senior Finance major