LinkedIn is a social platform, but first and foremost it serves as a professional marketing tool and allows you to manage your professional identity. It serves as a deep-dive into your resume and allows you to connect with peers and potential employers of all sorts. Many companies and brands choose to use Linkedin as a marketing tool, but you should take advantage of this platform to market yourself. 

The University of Georgia’s Career Center holds webinars for graduate students and alumni critiquing resumes and LinkedIn profiles for students, but to participate in the LinkedIn critiques, you must first have a profile on the platform.  

Here are some tips for how to use LinkedIn to boost your personal brand and market yourself with a professional online presence: 

Build Your Profile

There are several parts to a LinkedIn profile. Completing them and tailoring them to highlight your unique skills and experiences is what will make you stand out. Post a profile picture using a professional headshot or working in the field of your current job. The ‘About’ section gives your connections and other users a summary into your professional life; but be sure to keep this concise. Fill out the ‘Education’ section by listing current and previous schools and areas of study. Arguably the most important section of your profile is the ‘Experience’ section where you should not only post work experience, but also share projects or portfolio work to highlight what makes you the best candidate for a job. There are several other profile sections like: ‘Licenses & Certifications,’ ‘Volunteer Experience,’ ‘Skills,’ and ‘Accomplishments,’ and you’ll want to fill these out as well. Your profile should tell employers the most important and relevant things involving your professional and educational life, and this it the place to highlight that. 

Show Off Your Experience

Do not shy away from sharing your professional experiences and work you have done. This is one of the most essential parts of your LinkedIn profile because it shows the experience and skills that you have used and gained from each job or project. LinkedIn has an option to add files to display work and projects you’ve completed. This shows potential employers and your connections that you are capable of producing great work. It’s what makes your profile unique and stand out among applicants.

Make Connections and Network

Once you have the foundation parts of your profile filled out and completed, it is time to start making connections and network with them. Send an invite to connect to classmates, employers and friends both former and current. Also, don’t hesitate to connect with a potential employer working at a company that you are interested in. Send them a personal message and explain your situation. This can help you in your professional endeavors. After all, you are more likely to land a job through connections and people you know. 

Absorb LinkedIn’s Content and Gain Valuable Information

LinkedIn produces helpful articles, videos and job postings. There is a plethora of information available at your fingertips, so why not take advantage of it? Learn about industry trends, join relevant LinkedIn groups, read the accomplishments of people from your network, and read through job postings to make sure your skills and experience match the descriptions of the professional path you want to take. You can also share, comment and like content on LinkedIn which appears in your activity section of your profile. This shows you are active on LinkedIn and interacting with your network. It’s not enough to have just a profile on LinkedIn; interact with others and show that you would be the best fit for a job.