It’s Time to Talk LinkedIn
by: Jess Becker
It is extremely rare to
find a college student without Facebook. Being absent from the Facebook realm,
especially during middle school days, was equivalent to “social suicide.” Facebook
gives us a virtual sense of belonging and a place for self-presentation.
It comes as no surprise that social media has become an integral part of modern society - so much so that even children only 6 years old have started to gravitate towards social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. They are ruling these platforms by racking up countless followers.
It comes as no surprise that social media has become an integral part of modern society - so much so that even children only 6 years old have started to gravitate towards social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. They are ruling these platforms by racking up countless followers.
Yet,
there is one social media account that we college students seem a little
reluctant to create, and that is LinkedIn.
Here is why this may be the case: LinkedIn is unlike any other social media platform out there. It creates a bridge between us and the professional world, legitimizing the fear that our school years are coming to an end, and that we are growing up. For most of us these are some very scary and intimidating thoughts. Being serious and professional online is not that easy when we are used to posting embarrassing pictures of friends or posting our immediate reactions to Taylor Swift's latest performance.
However, in reality, we do grow older every day, even if we don’t like to believe it. We cannot just expect jobs and career paths to find us. When we are actually able to come to grips with this shattering realization, LinkedIn will become the best social media platform out there where we may want to invest most of our time. Of course this is assuming that most of us would agree that being found and offered a position with a dream company beats getting a plethora of likes on a new profile picture. Though it requires exerting some effort, LinkedIn can certainly ignite job and career development and eventually help us to successfully find a job we love.
Here is why this may be the case: LinkedIn is unlike any other social media platform out there. It creates a bridge between us and the professional world, legitimizing the fear that our school years are coming to an end, and that we are growing up. For most of us these are some very scary and intimidating thoughts. Being serious and professional online is not that easy when we are used to posting embarrassing pictures of friends or posting our immediate reactions to Taylor Swift's latest performance.
However, in reality, we do grow older every day, even if we don’t like to believe it. We cannot just expect jobs and career paths to find us. When we are actually able to come to grips with this shattering realization, LinkedIn will become the best social media platform out there where we may want to invest most of our time. Of course this is assuming that most of us would agree that being found and offered a position with a dream company beats getting a plethora of likes on a new profile picture. Though it requires exerting some effort, LinkedIn can certainly ignite job and career development and eventually help us to successfully find a job we love.
With
that being said, carrying around a solid resume or just “existing” on LinkedIn
is not going to cut it. We must be active and make ourselves noticed. Here are five
quick and efficient ways to increase your chances of being found by the right
people on LinkedIn:
1.) Customize the URL with your name
2.) Specify your tagline to show others what we are looking for
3.) Connect to the Ramily and other Fordham Alumni groups
4.) Upload a professional looking picture with a plain background and a smile on your face
5.) Endorse yourself by effectively summarizing and detailing your goals, experiences and accomplishments
Our profiles and activity on LinkedIn can surely make or break us. We must make being on LinkedIn worthwhile by making use of all that it has to offer. Otherwise, why not just be on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest? LinkedIn gives us the opportunity to build a professional online presence, to make connections with contacts, to research companies, to explore opportunities, and to learn more about networking etiquette.
So take advantage! To get kick started, add your internship and post-graduation information to the Fordham CareerInsights Platform http://fordham.12twenty.com/, and then check out http://university.linkedin.com/ for a closer look at LinkedIn and some more valuable tips!
1.) Customize the URL with your name
2.) Specify your tagline to show others what we are looking for
3.) Connect to the Ramily and other Fordham Alumni groups
4.) Upload a professional looking picture with a plain background and a smile on your face
5.) Endorse yourself by effectively summarizing and detailing your goals, experiences and accomplishments
Our profiles and activity on LinkedIn can surely make or break us. We must make being on LinkedIn worthwhile by making use of all that it has to offer. Otherwise, why not just be on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest? LinkedIn gives us the opportunity to build a professional online presence, to make connections with contacts, to research companies, to explore opportunities, and to learn more about networking etiquette.
So take advantage! To get kick started, add your internship and post-graduation information to the Fordham CareerInsights Platform http://fordham.12twenty.com/, and then check out http://university.linkedin.com/ for a closer look at LinkedIn and some more valuable tips!
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