If students don’t have a LinkedIn account, the Career Center at the University suggests you do.
The Career Center is hosting the event “Are you LinkedIn” April 10, where students will be able to have professional headshots taken for a LinkedIn profile for free. They will also learn tips on what to include on in their profile. The event will be held from 5:50-7:30 p.m. in 120 Olscamp.
LinkedIn is a professional online account where students connect with potential employers by showcasing their work experience and resume.
Kristen Anthony, graduate assistant at the Career Center, is coordinating and hosting the event and said it is a valuable program to attend as more employers are looking for potential employees through the networking site.
The event will cover what should and shouldn’t be on a student’s profile and what skills employers want to see. Students will also be able to create an account, or have their profile edited by counselors at the program.
Anthony said as social media sites become more popular, employers are making more of an effort to check up on applicants and their social media involvement.
“[LinkedIn] is really becoming a strategic way of recruiting potential employees,” Anthony said. “Employers don’t want to go through dozens of applications; typing in a skill they want and narrowing their search has become more effective for them.”
Unlike Facebook and Twitter, Anthony said LinkedIn is meant to be professional and similar to an online resume. She said employers still check up on applicants on these social media sites though.
“Facebook should be cleaned up, but it should also represent you in an appropriate way,” Anthony said. “It can be a good tool to use when you want to let others know you’re job searching.”
Twitter is an opportunity to brand oneself, she said. Students can do this by tweeting or retweeting professionals in their field, or using career-specific hashtags to make their presence known.
LinkedIn, however, is relatively new to some students. Anthony said some may have a hard time articulating their skills, especially if they have only had part-time job experience, such as waitressing or working in a clothing store.
Mette Blumensaadt, a junior at the University, does not have a LinkedIn account but said it is something she would be interested in when the time comes for her to apply for jobs in her field.
“I always hear about [LinkedIn] but I’ve never actually seen it or used it,” she said. “I would need some help in deciding what’s best to put on there.”
Anthony said it’s important for students to highlight their transferable skills, rather than the technical things they have learned in previous part-time jobs.
“Communication, teamwork and writing are all things that you can use in any career field. They’re all things that employers will find useful and valuable,” Anthony said.
While LinkedIn can be used for employers to learn more about applicants, students can use it to learn more and connect with potential employers they’re interested in as well.
Junior Kyle Fugger said the site has been very helpful when trying to keep in contact with potential employers.
“A lot of times a company representative will talk to students at the Career Expo or at student organization meetings and you only get to talk to them for a few minutes a year, but they hold the key to your post-graduate job,” Fugger said. “LinkedIn could be your only connection to that recruiter or company.”
The LinkedIn program is new to the Career Center and is open to all students of all majors, said Anthony. In addition to the workshop, she said students can also come in to the center any time to edit their profiles and build them up, or start from scratch.