LinkedIn is a professional social networking platform that has been around longer than today’s popular social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram. LinkedIn has been more popular recently with the amount of college students joining and creating professional profiles.
Having a profile on a platform such as LinkedIn is important for college students to use and represent themselves because it can set the basis for them to establish a professional presence online.
The platform can be used by students who want to create a strong record of their education, experiences, ambitions and ongoing development.
Dr. April Kemp, College of Business ambassador, stated, “I encourage my students to create a LinkedIn account because they are able to connect with peers, professors and other professionals.”
Students should start thinking about where they want to be professionally once they graduate and LinkedIn can help. It can display your accomplishments and allow potential employers to see your level of expertise.
“LinkedIn is a great resource to strategically connect with other professionals who can help you in the right direction toward achieving your career goals,” Kemp said.
It is also a great way for students to put themselves out there and connect with possible business professionals for future job opportunities.
Madeline Mayfield, president of Women in Business, said, “Some benefits that having a LinkedIn profile provides to students are being able to connect with industry-specific professionals, a resource page to access alumni in specific industries for mentorships, recommendations from teachers, coworkers and receiving endorsements.”
Students can start to create their own professional LinkedIn profiles as a way to establish themselves in the business industry. It is an important way for students to become involved in the business world while still on the path to earning their degree in that area.
The first step to creating your profile is navigating to the LinkedIn sign-up page, then filling out your first and last name as well as your email address and creating a password.
On LinkedIn, you get to create a headline, tell your story, highlight your professional skills and showcase your personality, share relevant information and stay connected with future professionals in the your preferred field.
It is also important to frequently go back and update your profile with your newly developed skills, jobs and any other relative information.
“Some of my students have frequently updated their profiles and kept them to a professional standard, which has allowed me to be able to connect many students with potential employers, including Southeastern alumni, for internships and job opportunities,” Kemp said.
LinkedIn can also help rank your name on Google. When you apply for a job, the first thing that most employers or human resources managers will do is Google your name to see what comes up. If you have a profile via LinkedIn, it will appear in the search results, benefiting you in the long run.
For more information on how creating a LinkedIn profile can benefit you in the business world, you can look on any business or professional website or visit Southeastern’s business page for possible information.
