Top tips for you on getting the most out of LinkedIn for Graduates

Are you getting the most out of LinkedIn?

Are you a recent graduate or job hunter? New to the world of work?

Here are some top tips to help you get the most out of LinkedIn

Getting the most out of LinkedIn can be hard and sometimes scary. You do have a profile on Linkedin…right? Are you getting the most out of LinkedIn and your profile there?

Job sites

LinkedIn like most “job sites” will not work for you, you need to make it work. It’s a tool, not a service which will feed you jobs on a plate. You need to make it work for you. That means getting active!

Strategy

Using LinkedIn as part of your career strategy is as much a long term game as it is a ‘quick fix’. And yes it is a game. If you play the rules – you can win. If you do not get that it is a game – then just having a profile wont help you.

For those of us that have been around for a while, we have built networks and connections. It is these relationships that make LinkedIn work for us. It also puts people new to the job market at a disadvantage.
But there are ways to use LinkedIn to your advantage (getting the most out of LinkedIn for your career) – follow these SIMPLE steps to help kick start your advantage:

a) Have a complete profile – picture, summary, skills – list at least 20 The more the better – you can always delete them later. Remember your Summary and any job role is like a web page – it needs to have the SAME key words as recruiters that might hire you will be looking for. Without a COMPLETE profile you will not be getting the most out of LinkedIn

.1) Join alumni groups if your University, College or Professional Body

.2) Connect with people of your age profile – of any university – you need over 200 connections – Without a CONNECTIONS you will not be getting the most out of LinkedIn

.3) Connect with senior people in your profession (please do not request to connect to me I will decline, this post is for info only)

.4) Join 2-5 groups in your area/ sector. Each group should have over 10000 members (if possible – the more the better)

.5) Join 1 LinkedIn group of at least 100,000 people in your sector – it’s how recruiters will find you.

.6) Regularly ENDORSE your connections with SKILLS you know they have – Without a ENDORSEMENTS for your key skills you will not be getting the most out of LinkedIn

Add your name and university/ specialism on this post – and be prepared to connect. I NEVER advise this strategy for seasoned professionals, BUT you need a network to start with!

Your goal is 200 people connected!

REMEMBER – This is a ONE off approach to build a network. NEVER be a collector of connections. When starting out, its a valid strategy, but once you have your first real role, keep the connections real. We all need a leg-up to start!

Are you getting the most out of LinkedIn?