Leveraging LinkedIn

Why LinkedIn?

The power of LinkedIn to build a professional network and reinforce professional presence is unparalleled:

• LinkedIn has over 150 million American users, including profiles of approximately 6,000 Agnes Scott alumnae.
• Over 95% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find candidates.

What do employers see?

Think of your LinkedIn profile as your online resume and professional presence. You should keep your profile current as you network with alumnae, apply for internships, research or jobs, and meet other professionals on- and off-campus. Anyone you meet or any employer you apply to can look you up on Linkedin!

When someone searches for you or you ask to connect with someone, they'll see your:

• Photo: make sure your profile image is clear, friendly and professional.
• Headline: include keywords relevant to your career interests.
• Location: you'll be able to choose a location description based on your zip code. 
• Connections: people within your shared network.
• Contact: social media accounts, websites, blogs, and email addresses. 

Use discretion when accepting invitations. Be wary of people wanting to connect without a profile picture. Avoid invitations from complete strangers, unless you see a clear connection.

When you apply for a position:

Employers who post jobs on LinkedIn receive an email notification each time a new applicant applies. The following information, pulled from the applicant’s LinkedIn profile, is included in the email notification. It is critical that this information matches what is submitted in the job application:

• Candidate’s name (should match the name on your resume)
• Headline (beneath candidate’s name).
  • Example: ____ major interested in a career in ______.
• Current employment job title(s) (titles only, no employment details). You should ensure your title is clear and descriptive.
  • Example: instead of just “intern”, say “public relations intern." Instead of “work-study”, say “office assistant.”
• Past employment job titles (titles only, no employment details).
• Education (institution name only, no education details).
• The number of recommendations (no recommendation details). Make sure you have some recommendations from faculty, supervisors and co-workers who know you well academically or professionally.
• The number of connections. Set a goal of having at least 50.
• Contact information. Your email address should be professional and up-to-date. Do not include your phone number or birthday for security reasons.

Employers “scan” this brief information to decide whether to investigate a candidate further. 

What can I do to make my full profile appealing?

• Include a relevant, engaging summary. Unlike a resume, your profile is a first-person narrative. Make it interesting. Consider:
  • Who is your audience?
  • What will motivate them to want to learn more about you?
  • To consider you for an interview?
• Mention interests, experiences and accomplishments.
• Add examples under profile sections. Include writing samples, video(s), presentations (from coursework, community involvement, or job/research/internship) and other examples of your work. Links to your blogs or social media accounts.
• List relevant skills. Add at least five relevant skills to your profile. Research indicates that listing relevant skills in your profile makes it 31 times more likely to be found by recruiters and LinkedIn members.
• Customize your URL. Put your cursor over your photo on the top right of the screen. Select “View Profile.” Click “Edit Public Profile and URL” and then the pencil icon. Try using your first and last name, with no spaces. This will make it easy to include your URL on your resume and business cards.

What can I do to connect with more people and opportunities?

LinkedIn is only as powerful as the number of people in your network. Set a goal of 50 connections to start, and then add a few new connections each week. LinkedIn will offer relevant contact suggestions. Ideas for building your network:

• Find Agnes Scott alumnae to ask for advice. If you have Agnes Scott College listed under Education on your profile, LinkedIn will help you connect with Agnes Scott alumnae. You can search by title, company or keyword. You can filter by graduation year, location, or workplace.
  • When reaching out, include a customized message to increase the chances of them accepting your request and responding. “Hello, I’m a sophomore at Agnes Scott considering applying for the Kroger internship you have listed on your profile. Do you have some time to chat about your experience?”
  • FOLLOW UP AFTER CONNECTING. Alumnae are usually willing to help students with informational interviews and career/organization insight, if you follow up promptly with them, both when they initially respond to you and after they have given you advice.
• Join groups and professional associations. This includes:
  • National chapters of organizations you are involved with, community groups, and groups in industries of interest.
  • The Agnes Scott Internship and Career Development Group.
• Engage with Others and Groups.
  • "Like" others’ articles.
  • Congratulate people on new positions, degrees or honors (you'll get notifications from LinkedIn for job anniversaries, promotions, and other professional milestones).
  • Publish an original post or ask a question to a group to establish your professional identity
  • Follow people companies, influencers, and industry leaders to follow news and gain insight.
  • Go to their profile and click the “More…” button on the right. Then click "Follow."

For more ideas, view your supervisors’, co-workers’ and faculty’s profiles and our career roadmaps.

How do I apply for jobs on LinkedIn?

Visit www.linkedin.com/jobs/ and to search for jobs by location and career interest. Use filter to view by date posted, company name, experience level, etc. If you like the search results you receive, activate the “Job Alert” at the top to notified of similar opportunities in the future.

Applying:

• Read the position announcement carefully. Make sure your profile indicates that you meet at least 70% of the qualifications, including the top three.
• To save jobs for future view, use “Track Jobs."
• After applying, reach out to the employer who posted the job on LinkedIn to share your interest in the role and let them know you applied.

Do I need a LinkedIn Premium Career Account?

A Basic LinkedIn account is free and recommended for students seeking part-time or internship positions. The Premium Career plan on LinkedIn may prove beneficial to students and alumnae seeking full-time employment. For more information, please visit premium.linkedin.com.