One of the most exciting events in a young adults life, is graduating from college. The culmination of years and years of studying and hard work, everyone can remember that tremendous feeling of accomplishment. What one may not remember, however, is the immediate feeling of intense anxiety that the fun is over, and it is time to find that first real job. It may be hard to even know where to start, but why not start with something you already know like the back of your hand, social media. Here are some tips on using LinkedIn to help land that career you have been dreaming of. 1. Use an appropriate headline - Try and stay away from saying things like you are unemployed, a new graduate, or beer pong champion 2 years straight. Be straightforward and to the point, "Aspiring Engineer" or "Digital Marketer" would be great.
2. Post a professional photo - Your Facebook photo and LinkedIn photo should NOT be the same. Unless of course your Facebook photo is a professional head-shot of you in a suit, but who does that anyway? A senior picture may work, but spending the money on a professional photo is likely to pay off in the long run. Whether we like to admit it or not, looks still play a large part in first impressions, so why not start off on the right foot?
3. Get someone to proofread your profile - Nothing can sink your chances faster tham grammar or spelling mistakes. With all the resources available today, there is n reason your profile and resume shouldn't be perfect. Don't be lazy, spend the time going over everything, and when you think it is perfect, get someone else to do it all over.
4. Join alumni groups - "Its not what you know but who you know" We have all heard it before and although this is not a fact, there is some truth in that statement. Alumni are always eager to help out a fellow graduate, this can often be the quickest and easiest way to get your resume on top of the pile.
5. Include your college classes - Chances are you do not have much work experience yet. Instead of listing your summer job as the ice-cream truck driver, include the classes you took in college that are relevant to the field you are trying to enter. This will help fill out your profile and give potential employers a view into what skills you may posses.
6. Use the search by tool - LinkedIn makes it easy to search by fields such as college or industry. This goes along with tip #4, if you can find fellow alumni in the field you are interested in, reach out to them. You are much more likely to get a response and help from an alumni than a complete stranger.
-Mike