This week’s guest writer is Laura Julius. Laura is a graduate student interning with Penn State Harrisburg’s Career Services throughout the Fall 2014 semester. She graduated from Penn State in 2011 with a degree in Secondary English Education and will graduate with a Master of Arts in Higher Education from Messiah College in May 2015. She loves meeting undergraduate students, discussing career development and writing strategies, critiquing resumes, traveling, and drinking coffee.
Laura will be leading 2 workshops about using LinkedIn: Wed. Nov. 19 at 9 pm in the Residence Life Community Center, and Thurs. Nov. 20 at 11:30 in Room 103 EAB (north). (Note: This is a change of location from the original room.) Email us to sign up for either session. In the meantime, here is a taste of Laura’s wisdom.
Why should YOU use LinkedIn?
While assisting undergraduate college students as an academic coach and as a career counselor, I’ve often been asked the question, “Why do I need a LinkedIn account?” The more experience I gain working in career services and speaking with employers, the more I understand the power of networking. Networking means making contacts and connections to acquire information, advice, and referrals for the job hunt. In today’s competitive job market, networking is essential. Studies show that one of the best ways for job seekers to discover career opportunities is through networking.
Just this month, Forbes Magazine published an article entitled, “The LinkedIn Effect: Why Social Media Is Now Mandatory for Success.” In the article, author Rick Smith writes that the use of LinkedIn is “no longer an optional activity… Achievement in almost any area of life is heavily dependent upon other people. Actively cultivating and curating our online professional relationships is now the investment required to achieve a successful career.”
As a job seeker, you should use LinkedIn to become acquainted with employers, explore opportunities, and be visibly active in a professional community. Employers use LinkedIn to search for worthy candidates, hire or partner with new people, and keep tabs on their business acquaintances. With over 259 million users, almost all employers in today’s world expect job seekers to use LinkedIn; as Smith writes, “Long-term success is now dependent upon it.”
How do you use LinkedIn?
Once you have created your LinkedIn account, it’s important to create a professional page that will impress and attract employers. This article entitled, “How to Create The Ideal LinkedIn Profile,” explains, “On LinkedIn, it’s your picture, name, and professional headline most times that people see.” Your first step should be to include a professional picture that will help employers and others to recognize you.
Summary: As you build your profile, include a summary that will highlight your most important accomplishments, values, and passions. Think about your audience and who you want to reach with your summary. As always, keep this professional!
Experience: Think of the experience section on LinkedIn as a place to highlight your resume. Make it compelling and interactive by linking your jobs and internships to their company. If the company has a profile on LinkedIn, the link and company’s logo will appear on your profile. In this section, remember to use action verbs/words. For example, your job descriptions should begin with such verbs as, “managed…” “led…” or “grew….”. Also remember to use the correct tense! This means that you use the present tense for your current job and past tense for previous jobs.
As with any sample of work (resume, cover letter, etc) that you are sharing with employers or other professionals, please remember to check for spelling and grammar! This is one of the most common yet avoidable mistakes.
Networking: After meeting potential employers or any professional contacts, connect with them on LinkedIn. This will help the employer to remember you and your name. The more active, interested, and invested employers believe you are in their company, the more likely you are to receive an interview or job offer. By becoming a recruiter’s professional acquaintance, you are greatly increasing your job opportunities. Finally, whenever you have academic and professional experiences/accomplishments, update your LinkedIn profile!
As you work on writing, editing, and updating your professional profile – including a resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile – keep in mind that Career Services is always here to help! Call us at 717-948-6260 or email us at ask4careeradvice@psu.edu for advice or assistance.