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With the rise of social media in recent years everyone seems to have Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts however I am still amazed when talking to students and recent graduates that the majority have never heard of LinkedIn or, for those that have, just assumed that it was solely for professionals who are already well established in the working world.

The purpose of this post is to give an insight into how useful LinkedIn can be for students and recent graduates and how to go about getting started with your profile.

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is essentially a professional oriented social network. In many ways it is similar to Facebook with user profiles, profile images and posts but the ultimate tone and environment are more professional (it’s more about posting about an article your read in the business section than posting a funny video you just saw on YouTube).

According to LinkedIn’s own statistics, it has over 300 million registered users. Included in that figure is over 39 million students and recent college graduates, which also represent LinkedIn’s fastest-growing demographic.

 

Why use it as a student?

Ok that’s all well and good I hear you say but why exactly should you get on the LinkedIn bandwagon? Well there are numerous uses that a LinkedIn profile can provide for students and recent graduates;

Job email alerts – get alerts from specific companies, sectors or locations to keep up to date with new positions as they become available

Recruiters – LinkedIn is like a recruiter’s goldmine and job seekers should make use of it also by creating contacts with relevant recruiters

Look to the Future – Look at profiles of people with a similar background to you  (e.g. I would have looked at ACA to see what type of roles etc people worked at after becoming qualified)

Groups – Start joining (or even creating) relevant groups – alumni of secondary school, university groups, course groups etc.

Network – Use it to grow your network and keep in contact with past classmates, colleagues, friends, lecturers and family

Recommendations – Get public recommendations from past employers, colleagues and lecturers for the work you have done

                                

 

                     Source

 

Steps

Now that you’re convinced you need a LinkedIn profile the next stage is to actually go about creating your online profile. Below I have included a few key steps to get you up and running;

Free – Setting up an account is free and simple. There are premium options but the functionality provided by a free account should be more than enough to get you started

Basics – Put your best foot forward and get the basics right first. Get a professional profile picture and update your contact details, education background and any employment history

Groups – Join relevant groups or even create your own for your course/alumni

Share – Start to share interesting articles/material and your achievements. (Note be conscious of the type of content you share – this is not Twitter or Facebook!)

Grow – Grow your network by adding classmates, lecturers, colleagues etc

 

Good Resources/References

As with everything, there are numerous great resources online for students getting started on LinkedIn. Below is a list of a few I thought are useful (and were used in creating this post);

Linkedin themselves have numerous resources dedicated solely for students including;

Introductory video for students starting on LinkedIn

• LinkedIn’s blog has a specific “LinkedIn for Students” section which has several very good posts

• An overview of what LinkedIn can do for students

Other sites that are good for some tips and guidance include;

http://profalbrecht.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/linkedin-for-accounting-and-business-students/

http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/all-star-graduate-linkedin-profile/

http://daveadelaney.com/students-need-linkedin/

http://socialmediatoday.com/tracycgold/1432031/how-use-linkedin-new-graduates-11-tips

  

My Two Cents

Think of your LinkedIn profile as a permanent type of CV that will be available 24/7 and doesn’t require hours of tailoring and adjustments every time a new opportunity arises. By keeping your profile professional and up to date you can present yourself to the working world at every opportunity. Even if you are not in search of a graduate role yet and are still in the comforts of college life, creating a LinkedIn profile will allow you to start to build your links and network that when the day does come you will have a head start on your peers.

 

As always feel free to ask any questions you have via  info@accountingmilkman.ie, @accmilkman or the feedback function.