Why LinkedIn?
As a college student, LinkedIn is an indispensable resource to connect with professionals, discover job opportunities, and build a professional network in your desired field. With 95% of recruiters using LinkedIn to find potential candidates, it is crucial to establish a presence on this platform.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is an exceptional opportunity for Texas A&M students to develop their skills and enhance their professional profiles. This resource offers free video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills. Pursuing these courses and adding certificates to your profile demonstrates your commitment to professional development, making you more attractive to potential employers.
Learn more about LinkedIn LearningCreating a professional LinkedIn profile
Creating a professional LinkedIn profile is key to making a positive impression on potential employers. Ensure that your profile includes a high-quality profile picture, an informative summary, detailed education, work experience, skills, and any relevant projects or coursework. A complete profile is 40 times more likely to be viewed.
Joining LinkedIn groups for networking and job opportunities
As a Texas A&M student, you have access to a powerful resource on LinkedIn – the Texas A&M Alumni Page with 400,000+ Aggies. This page allows you to research potential career paths, identify employers who have hired Texas A&M students, see top skills of former students, learn about top companies hiring for your major, and understand employment locations. Take advantage of this resource to develop your career goals and make meaningful connections.
Building your personal brand on LinkedIn
Building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn helps to stand out from the crowd and attract potential employers. Begin by engaging with content that is relevant to your field of interest, such as articles, posts, and videos. Show your appreciation by liking, commenting, and sharing the content with your network. Once you feel more comfortable, you can start sharing your own professional achievements, projects, and experiences. By sharing your own content, you can demonstrate your expertise and passion for your field, and attract like-minded professionals to your network.
Need help with LinkedIn?
Attend one of our LinkedIn workshops to unlock LinkedIn’s hidden power. You can also meet with our career advisors during drop-ins to get help with your LinkedIn profile.
LinkedIn Profile Best Practices
- Personalize your LinkedIn URL for your profile
- Make your LinkedIn profile your master resume and optimize it for search hits
- Use a background image that represents your career goals or personality
- Aim to fill ¼ to ½ of the circle with a professional and approachable headshot for your profile picture
- Use a descriptive title with relevant keywords for potential recruiters
- Begin your About section with an aspirational statement to capture attention and engage the reader
- Use relevant keywords in the rest of the section to highlight your skills, experience, and accomplishments
- Use the most descriptive job titles possible in the Experience section and include relevant keywords for search engine optimization
- List all of your work experience, including internships and volunteer work
- Include both hard and soft skills in the Skills section and do some research to find the most in-demand skills in your industry
- Follow nearly all companies in your industry to stay informed about industry trends and potential job openings
- Join LinkedIn groups in your field to network with other professionals, stay up-to-date on industry news, and access valuable job postings
- Remember that recruiters are often members of these groups too, so make sure to make a positive impression