Students are actively looking for a job even before graduation. They know the world is a tough place where one cannot survive without a well paid position. Thus, young people are starting to build online resumes on social professional networks.
But how do you differentiate a professional profile from a social media one? What should you include and most importantly, what you should leave out?
Read on and solve this dilemma by finding out what exactly should a LinkedIn profile contain.
- A profile photo
Post a professional photo where you wear a shirt and you smile politely. In this way, employers will be able to associate a face with your digital description. A photo makes a person look real and adds a human touch to a distant profile.
- List your coursework and extracurricular activities
Some employers are surprised to find out that there are Master courses in their field of activity. And then, some of them don’t know what a certain faculty program supposes. As a consequence, it is a great idea to put down a list with the most relevant courses you have attended in college. Also, describe a little what exactly you have learned in those classes.
Next, don’t be shy on showing off your extracurricular activities like volunteering, internships, tutoring, clubs and organizations you’ve participated in, and so on. Employers like to know that candidates dedicated their time to noble activities and they invested in their professional future.
- Present your schoolwork
You can post all sorts of academic materials due to rich media means. Include photos, videos and even graphics with your previous works. In this way, employers will be able to see your talent.
- Always ask for recommendations
Whenever a professor praises you for the good work done, take advantage of the moment and ask for a recommendation. This one should contain both academic and personal aspects related to your progress so far. Employers value recommendations written by professors, because they know these ones speak from an objective point of view.
- Connect with influential people
Besides creating resumes, LinkedIn is also made for connecting with all kind of people. Take advantage of this feature and look for representatives who work in your area of study. When submitting the request, make sure to personalize it. Don’t approach persons to ask for a job, but tell them you admire their career and need a little professional guidance. Then, after you get to know them better, dare to ask for an internship. This is the best way of getting into a company and having the opportunity to show what you are capable of.
- Read and comment on industry-related articles
Another way of making yourself visible on LinkedIn is commenting on articles. Don’t try to look smart by criticizing the post. Instead, look for an interesting idea and ask the author to develop it for you. Writers are always willing to get engaged with the audience and to offer more of their opinions.
- Be open to different career paths
The job market is so dynamic today, that one cannot say he/she wants to have the same position for the entire life. In the modern era, a great career is regarded as aconstantly advancing job. So don’t be reluctant to start with less important positions. The important thing is to do your job so well, that the manager should think you deserve more!
- Enroll into LinkedIn groups
A great way of building professional relationships is by enrolling into industry-related groups. Follow discussed topics and ask smart questions. Make friends by asking for particular pieces of information or advice.
- Check for grammar and spelling errors
There is nothing more upsetting than a resume of an impressive person, butwhich contains spelling errors. Employers will not overlook these tiny details;they will just give up on you.Therefore, the online resume must be perfect by all means. If you are not sure you can spot all mistakes, just copy paste the texts into an online editor. This tool will underline the errors and help you eliminate them.
Implement all these aspects into your LinkedIn profile and come back to share the results with us!
