LinkedIn Guidance For Recent Graduates

Graduating is a massive accomplishment and a culmination of years of hard work, perseverance, study, and dedication; however, it is just the first step into the career world. Your next step after graduation is to begin applying to entry-level positions or utilizing a job placement agency or an IT recruiter; for any of these routes to succeed, you will need a finely polished resume, CV, and effective LinkedIn profile. It may come as a surprise to some, but having a powerful LinkedIn profile is just as valuable as a well-polished resume and can double as an invaluable networking tool. So let’s take a look at some of the best ways you can get the most out of your LinkedIn profile as a recent graduate.

1: Create A Full Profile

This step may feel like a no-brainer, but having a compelling and complete profile will allow you to attract the attention of hiring managers and other industry professionals. Make sure you fill in every field but pay special attention to the educational history, summary, and skill fields.

• Educational History: Be sure to list your educational institutions in the education section by clicking on your school or universities logo in the dropdown. You should also briefly mention your education and area of study in your summary.

• Summary: Your summary is the powerhouse of your profile, alongside the skills section. Your summary is limited to 2000 characters (including spaces), so you might have to get creative, but it’s vitally important to utilize this space to sell yourself to a prospective employer or IT recruiter. One of the best strategies is to tell a story with your summary; while doing so, incorporate keywords related to your industry; this will help your profile appear on searches for your field.

• Experience: This is another powerhouse field for your profile; it allows you to convey your most valuable skill and assets to a company. You want to create a full picture of what you can bring to a company, and while doing so, be sure to keep using those industry-focused keywords in your descriptions.

2: Convey Professionalism

Be sure to use professional language, have a high-quality headshot, and a good cover photo; this should also apply to all your social media profiles, not just LinkedIn.

3: Make Connections And Take Part In Discussions

LinkedIn isn’t just a tool to display an online resume; it’s a valuable network of other applicants and industry professionals. First, connect with known industry members like professors, previous employers, previous coworkers, and even friends in the same field. Then begin to take part in your professional community by joining appropriate groups. You should try to take part in industry-focused communication daily and make contacts as often as possible.

4: Identity, Research, And Engage

The final step is identifying your potential employers, researching them through LinkedIn, and engaging with them by applying to their open position outside of LinkedIn utilizing the information you gained through research.