How to Use Linkedin as a College Student

When I was in college, networking was always a hot topic with my professors and fellow students. 

There were networking events with businesses that were trying to recruit new employees and interns.

We had dinners, and social lunches where we listened to guest lecturers extol the importance of making good impressions.

And on top of that, we were encouraged to practice our elevator pitches in case we met someone who could hire us.

I’m sure that you have experienced something similar, and if you haven’t just you wait.

It’s coming.

I graduated over two years ago, and I have realized that Linkedin was ignored mainly in my business classes.

This may be different at other schools, but from my conversations with friends and colleagues, the general rule of thumb is that you should have a Linkedin, but there isn’t too much direction past that.

Let’s take a deep-dive into what the professional social network is, and how to use it while you’re in school.

What is Linkedin?

Linkedin is an online social networking platform for professionals.

The app and website look similar to Facebook, but it is tailored more towards business purposes.

For example, you can apply to jobs, endorse your connections’ skills, share your personal, professional journey, and much more. 

When you create your account, you are presented with a blank slate to build your professional image. Thankfully, Linkedin has a checklist for new accounts with excellent information on choosing a profile picture and detailing your experiences. 

There are sections for education from high school through post-graduate studies.

They offer a dedicated section for volunteer work and any certifications you may have, such as Lifeguarding, CPA, MD, programming languages, personal training, you name it, it’s there.

The reason that Linkedin provides so much space for different credentials and experiences is for your benefit.

Each additional descriptor that you can add to your profile helps the website tailor your feed and recommendations to people and positions that are relevant to your experience.

You may be tempted to leave your summer caddy job or fast-food position off of your profile, but you should most certainly include it.

Why?

Simply because you don’t know who is looking at your profile, and your future employer or mentor may relate to you because of your high school job.

So don’t leave off any experience because your experience is what makes you unique.

Benefits of Linkedin

Now that we know what Linkedin is, let’s take a look at how it can help you build your personal brand.

Building a network

The core purpose of Linkedin is to build your professional digital network. Instead of “friends,” Linkedin describes relationships as “connections.” 

There are three levels of connections: 

1st connections are anyone you are directly connected with. Either they sent you an invitation to connect, or you reached out to them. This would be the same as being friends on Facebook. You can see their statuses and connections and direct message them.

2nd connections are connections of your connections. Imagine that you are connected with one of your friends in Finance class, and your friend’s dad is connected with her. Her dad would be a 2nd connection to you because she is the link between the two of you.

3rd connections are people who have no direct or indirect connection to your network. You may even know someone personally who would still be a 3rd connection on Linkedin since you do not have mutual connections (this happens to me a lot).

Building your professional network is vital to career growth because your network can assist with a lot of the heavy lifting in finding a job or a mentor. 

Building a digital network is imperative in the midst of the global health crisis because traditional networking, like going to a cafe or a bar, is off-limits for the foreseeable future.

Learning corporate lingo

Regardless of your major or career path, business lingo is everywhere.

If you are a business student, you will be familiar with terms like “growth-rate,” “employment statistics,” “SMART goals,” “balance-sheets,” etc. and if you are not a business student, you will still hear them in the workplace.

Linkedin is a great place to observe how this vernacular sounds in “real-life.” Sometimes people are a little heavy-handed with the corporate buzzwords, which sounds corny, but you will learn to discern the difference. 

Understanding corporate lingo is important because it is the language of the workplace. 

The workplace has its own language because it makes it easier to communicate. Observing how it’s played out on Linkedin will give you an advantage prior to entering the workforce because you will be familiar with the terms and their context.

Low risk/high reward

While Linkedin is not the only way to build your network, it is a very simple and efficient way to get your name out there with minimal effort.

You will not be blacklisted or penalized for not having a profile, but an overwhelming number of recruiters and hiring managers in all industries utilize Linkedin to search for and evaluate candidates.

Linkedin is the reason that I landed my second full-time job. I utilized the “open to opportunities” feature, which automatically sends my profile to recruiters. Within two
weeks, I had two interviews and two offers. 

Okay, it wasn’t that easy, but the recruiters reached out thanks to the Linkedin feature, which allowed me the opportunity to interview and hustle, which led to those offers. 

Don’t I need to be a professional to use a professional networking site?

Nope!

Initially, that’s what I thought too, but I realized that it is never too early to build your network. 

Some of the features and tools on Linkedin will be more applicable as you garner professional experience and begin your career, but you can still take full advantage of everything else they have to offer.

Linkedin is worth having in school if for no other reason than following up with professionals that you meet and want to keep up with. As soon as someone gives me their business card I try to find them on Linkedin so that I can:

1. Verify they are who they say they are
2. Connect with them so that they don’t forget about me 

How to enhance your profile as a student

As a student, you may have limited professional experiences and credentials. You are currently in school to receive said credentials and the education required to get the experience. 

Even so, there are a few ways to bolster your profile so that you stand out from the rest of the pack.

Skills and Quizzes

Linkedin offers a fantastic library of courses and quizzes that allow members to receive a small credential to add to their profile.

Topics include: Microsoft Excel, Adobe Suite products, Python, Google Analytics, and many more. The credentials that Linkedin provides are not weighted as heavily as a college degree or accredited course providers. Still, they add a quantitative measure to your profile, which you can add to your resume.

If you are taking a design or finance course where you utilize a well-known software,
take some time to practice on Linkedin so that the certification will be there when you
begin looking for jobs.

Connect with Alumni

Many alumni retain some level of school spirit. This can be a huge advantage to you because you are able to search by name and by school. 

For example, if you searched ‘Justin Estes Charleston Southern,’ I would pop up more quickly than if you only searched ‘Justin Estes’.

This feature is very powerful when you are applying to jobs because if you click on a company’s profile, it will immediately alert you if alumni from your schoolwork there. 

Solicit Recommendations from Coworkers, Professors, and Employers

Finally, Linkedin allows you to endorse and recommend your connections.

Endorsing means that if you have “Leadership” listed as a skill on your profile, one of your connections can upvote that skill, and you be endorsed. 

Recommendations are public praise from people you have worked with or worked for. You can ask anyone for a recommendation, but it is best to ask people who know your work ethic more intimately because you want their recommendation to hold up in an interview if you list them as a reference.

What next?

If you do not have a Linkedin account, I would encourage you to make one. It is very straightforward, and in today’s climate, any help in our careers is welcomed.

If you do have a Linkedin account, try and optimize it utilizing some of the strategies I listed here, or if you know another trick to stand out, let us know in the comments below!