You’ve made an account on Knightline. You’re refreshing the page on Handshake. You’re talking with Career Services or the Office of Professional Development every other day. You’re on the hunt to Get to the One!
One great way to help differentiate yourself from the competition is to make a stellar LinkedIn profile. Lucky for you, we’re going over 5 ways to enhance your LinkedIn account so that employers can find you!
Upload a Professional Headshot
We hate to break it to you, but the selfie you took isn’t going to cut it as a professional headshot. Invest in the time to get a professional headshot taken. If you attend one of our career fair events like The Invitational, there’s a good chance a photographer will be available to take a professional headshot of you for free! If you need help discerning what constitutes a professional headshot, look at your connections’ profile or those who work in your industry.
Understand the Difference Between a Resume and LinkedIn Profile
When making your LinkedIn profile, understand that it’s being used to help you cast a wide net for employers and industry professionals to find you. A resume, on the other hand, is what tailored to a specific position you want to apply for. Therefore, you want to use keywords and phrases from target job descriptions on your profile that will attract employers. Understanding that your profile is made to pull in and draw attention to potential connections, whereas your resume is pushed out to key employers. If you need help enhancing your resume, we have a helpful guide here.
Post Content Relevant to the Industry You Want to Work in
Now that you have traffic going to your LinkedIn profile, you want to keep your audience engaged by posting relevant content. This can either come in the form of text-based posts, pictures with captions, articles, or videos for those who enjoy vlogging! Not only does this show your connections more about yourself, but it gives you the opportunity to share valuable knowledge that they will appreciate. If you’re struggling to come up with content ideas, discuss what you’ve been learning in class and how that could apply to the company or industry you want to work in.
Update, Update, Update!
Constantly updating your profile allows you to showcase your accomplishments and experiences. It signals to employers that you’re very active on LinkedIn, as well as consistently improving your set of skills. A good practice is to update your LinkedIn with the classes you’ve taken, any special projects you worked on or gained any added skills or work experiences at the end of each semester.
Talk to our Office of Professional Development to Help Review Your Profile
Along with resume reviews, our Office of Professional Development can assist you in updating your LinkedIn account to attract attention from specific employers. By building connections with the team, you might even be able to make connections with those target companies! Be sure to schedule an appointment; more information on OPD can be found here.
Now that your LinkedIn profile has engaging content, a professional appeal and the OPD stamp of approval, you’re one step closer to Getting to the One!