Professional Development
What's the number one thing incoming first-year students can do to set themselves on a successful path towards getting a great job when they graduate?
The most effective strategy for first-year students is to create a LinkedIn profile immediately and actively post content about their industry interests twice weekly throughout their four years at university. Students should share interesting articles, insights from relevant classes, and internship experiences authentically. This consistent engagement demonstrates passion and knowledge to potential employers. By maintaining this LinkedIn presence, students build a substantial history that makes them stand out when applying for jobs after graduation. Employers will recognize them as more passionate and knowledgeable than other applicants, significantly enhancing their attractiveness as potential hires. This underutilized strategy opens up numerous professional connections and opportunities that most students miss.
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FinalLayer
00:00 - 02:07
What are the most effective platforms for applying to tech internships and why?
The tech career coach recommends exclusively applying through company websites or specialized job forums like AngelList and LinkedIn. These platforms are superior to mainstream job sites because they provide additional tools that enable networking with people involved in the roles you're applying for. Networking is crucial in job hunting, with studies showing 70-85% of jobs are landed through networking connections. The coach emphasizes that networking simply means talking to people who can connect you to opportunities. These specialized job forums facilitate making these valuable connections, making them the coach's personal favorite way to find opportunities in the tech industry.
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Damsel in Data
08:33 - 08:43
How can LinkedIn benefit older college students in their career development?
LinkedIn offers older college students a valuable platform to create professional profiles and build meaningful connections that give them a head start on developing their professional network. By establishing a presence on LinkedIn, students can bridge the gap between academia and the professional world. These connections often lead to lasting impressions and make the job market feel more accessible and less intimidating. Through informal conversations and professional networking, students gain confidence in approaching their career planning, empowering them to take charge of their future career paths with greater clarity and purpose.
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CareerFit
02:52 - 03:08
How can college students effectively use LinkedIn for their career development?
College students should embrace LinkedIn despite concerns about lack of experience. LinkedIn is an essential platform for building professional networks and landing jobs. Students should create an engaging profile that showcases their skills and experiences, aiming for 'All Star' status. Regular engagement is key - creating posts about achievements, learnings, or promoting others can provide value to followers. Even with a small network, posts can gain significant visibility (800+ views) and connect students with recruiters. The LinkedIn job board is superior to other platforms, making it a crucial tool for students to brand themselves and secure their first professional role.
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Stacy Jene
00:00 - 00:14
How should you track and interpret your LinkedIn profile views?
LinkedIn profile views are a key metric that refresh approximately once daily and indicate how many people have clicked on your profile. For free LinkedIn users, you can see the total number of profile views, while Premium members ($40/month) get access to a 90-day trend line graph and can see specifically who viewed their profile (unless viewers have set their privacy to anonymous). To effectively track this data, record your profile views regularly in a spreadsheet, notes app, or calendar. Higher profile views generally indicate successful profile optimization, which is important for job seekers looking for interviews or professionals seeking business development opportunities.
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Brenda Meller | Meller Marketing 🥧LinkedIn
00:00 - 00:06
How can I optimize my LinkedIn profile's work experience and skills sections?
For the work experience section, use dynamic action verbs like 'collaborated,' 'narrowed,' and 'reduced' at the beginning of each sentence. Quantify your achievements with measurable metrics to illustrate your value. Include 2-3 sentences that provide an overview of what each job entailed, and list outcomes using hyphens to show impact and purpose in your roles. You can also upload supporting documents like presentations or PDFs to validate your claims. For the skills section, strategically add relevant keywords related to positions you're targeting (up to 50 skills). Members with five or more skills listed are 33 times more likely to be contacted by recruiters and receive 70 times more profile views.
Watch clip answer (01:42m)
René Delescen
09:35 - 11:17