Professional Skills
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.
Watch clip answer (02:07m)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.
Watch clip answer (00:16m)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.
Watch clip answer (00:13m)What is the key to building successful professional relationships after networking events?
According to Vanessa Van Beek, networking events are just the beginning of relationship building, not the end. After initial meetings, it's crucial to further these connections through consistent engagement. This includes following people on LinkedIn, commenting on their posts with thoughtful insights, and participating in conversations about shared interests like books or research topics. Vanessa also emphasizes the importance of establishing your own voice through writing, which clarifies your perspectives and positions you as a thought leader. This creates a profile that demonstrates your expertise beyond just verbal conversations. For introverts especially, writing offers a powerful way to build professional relationships, as it allows others to see your thinking process and expertise even without face-to-face interactions.
Watch clip answer (02:16m)How can you attract people to grow your network on LinkedIn?
There are three main ways to attract people and grow your LinkedIn network. First is outreach, where you identify interesting people and send personalized messages explaining why you find them valuable and what you can offer them. Second is posting content on topics you're passionate about, which builds trust with your audience. Third is engagement, which involves interacting with other people's posts and comments, then following up with connection requests. For beginners, start with engagement, then progress to outreach, and finally develop a content posting strategy as your network grows.
Watch clip answer (02:16m)How can I enhance my LinkedIn profile's credibility with Skills and Recommendations?
LinkedIn Skills and Endorsements are powerful ways to boost your visibility, despite seeming like a small profile component. You can select up to three skills to pin at the top, which should reflect what you want to be known for. Having others endorse these skills provides social proof of your expertise and helps you appear in relevant searches. Recommendations take this credibility further by allowing coworkers, clients, or partners to share what it's like working with you. This section functions like five-star reviews directly on your profile. To add recommendations, you'll need to request them from your connections by adding a new profile section and selecting people you're already connected with on LinkedIn.
Watch clip answer (02:27m)