Four LinkedIn Tips for the New Graduate

College is winding down. Your job search is gearing up. You probably know to “get on LinkedIn.”  What you might not realize is that simply creating a profile isn’t going to make much difference. In fact, a poor profile probably does you more harm than not having one at all.

Here are a few ways to use your Profile to dramatically increase the odds of having a recruiter or potential employer follow up with you.

An Appropriate, Professional-looking Photo.

You wouldn’t go to a job interview or networking event wearing a fabulous suit but with a bag over your head, so don’t write a great profile but neglect to include an appropriate photo. What’s inappropriate? Like the famous test for obscenity, trust me, you (and they!) know it when you see it.

Make it Easy to Contact You.

Even though your contact information may be elsewhere on your profile, include your (professional sounding) email and phone number in the “Summary” section. You also can move the “Personal Information” section of your profile to anywhere you’d like on your page; don’t feel that you have to stick with the default layout.

Testimonials from the right people.

Get meaningful recommendations from professors or people for whom you interned. Your internship or class experience can be a great predictor of how you’ll be as employee, so make the most of the relationships and good-will you’ve developed while in college. Don’t be embarrassed asking; your mentors, professors, and others you’ve impressed will want to write about and help
you. Really.

A Knock-Out Summary.

Use the Summary section to your advantage. Skip anything generic and write it in a way that you are talking TO your target audience, and addressing what they are looking for. You’ve heard of the 30 second elevator pitch? Well, your LinkedIn Summary is your online version of that. This is your opportunity to pitch yourself, in 2,000 characters or less. Don’t squander it.

And finally, a bonus tip for those still in college:

Create your profile NOW.

Start connecting with classmates, professors, and your parents’ friends.

Ask for recommendations while that professor still remembers the remarkable contribution you were in class. Join LinkedIn groups related to your school or areas of interest. Then, when you graduate, you’ll already have a strong and diverse community to support you in your job search, and a professional profile that demonstrates that you are ready for the challenges of the working world.