UoB Xtra: Four LinkedIn top tips for graduates

Written by Stephen Bayles, Employability Advisor at Careers Network

In my experience, a lot of people create a LinkedIn profile because they are told they should get one. But once you have, what then? From connecting with companies and individuals to viewing relevant vacancies, there are so many different ways to use the professional platform.

Below are four tips to help you to use and navigate LinkedIn as a graduate.

1. Your Audience: Who are they? Potential Connections? Collaborators? Employers? All three? Whoever they are, keep them in mind when creating and updating your profile. What do you want them to know about? Which of your experiences, skills or achievements do you feel they would be most impressed by? Essentially, everything you include should in some way reflect who your audience(s) are.
2. Profile Picture: Even though you’re a recent graduate, try to think about yourself as a professional. What image do you want to project? How do other people in your industry portray themselves in their profile pictures? Aim to have a profile picture that shows you as someone who is approachable and professional. Also, try to ensure that your head and shoulders fill the frame and that the background is free from any distractions. 
3. Research: Is there a company or an organisation that interests you? Why not follow them? Once you have, take a look at what they’re posting about, as this can be an easy way of finding out about what’s going on in your chosen sector. You could also have a look at some of the profiles of people who work for that organisation, to give you a better understanding of the skills and experiences that their organisation values. Finally, why not sign up for job alerts if you decide they’re an employer you’d like to work for?
4. Make it work for you: LinkedIn can be a news source, a place to network, an online CV, a jobs board, a blog platform and many other things as well. However, please don’t feel overwhelmed, you don’t need to be doing all of these things, all at once. Instead, define for yourself what you want to gain from using it at this moment in time. Whether it’s connections, job opportunities or research, just place your focus on using it in a way that makes sense for you now. 

For further LinkedIn tips take a look at our online resources or book an Application Appointment with a member of the team. 

Don’t forget, during UoB Xtra we also have a number of free online and in-person events to support you with applying for jobs including Job Search Live on Wednesday 5 June from 11am. Register your free place to this event and others on the UoB Xtra intranet site.