LinkedIn may be been seen as the social networking site for intimidating professional executives, but it is really for anybody looking to get their foot in the door in their career. Like any other social networking site, the purpose of LinkedIn is to connect with others, particularly professionals dedicated to practicing their work and strengthening their skills. LinkedIn can get you some really cool connections, provide useful information, and develop your skills to build your career if you know how to use it right. Finding the right connections, discovering your dream job, and building you skills are available to you through LinkedIn at the touch of a button. When you know the features and tricks of LinkedIn, your professionalism will shine.
Networking
It’s all about the connections you have in your network, instead of friends or followers like other social networking sites. You can see what your connections are up to in a more professional setting, as well as their work and educational background. One of the most stressed pieces of advice is to find something in common with whom you’re connecting with. That could be the field of study/work, organizations, alumni, or even if they work for your dream company. You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to find a Temple alum in the public relations industry, and strike up a conversation while sending a connection request. Showing genuine interest and asking questions will help build the connection, and engaging in their posts will help maintain it. This alone helps build key digital communication skills necessary for PR.
Career Search
LinkedIn’s job post section is a good place to start when looking for potential internships or post-grad entry-level jobs. You can filter out what might be a good match in terms of location and experience level, as well as whether it will be remote or in person. Alongside each job posting, you can see how many applicants there are, how many of your connections are already working there, and if you might be a good match based on your skills and experience. From there, you can apply externally or through LinkedIn’s Easy Apply feature that automatically submits your profile as your application. Most times, the job posting will include the company recruiter, which is a great opportunity to build a key connection if you shoot them a quick message.
Professional Development
Being a Temple student with a LinkedIn profile means you have free access to LinkedIn Learning, a digital library filled with thousands of online courses and instructional videos on developing skills in business, technology, and creativity. If you look up “public relations” in the search bar, you’ll find an abundance of courses and videos on the subject ranging from the foundational basics to writing tips to developing a strategy. These are cool refreshers to solidify your understanding of PR and get fresh tips from practicing professionals. This is a free resource that will benefit anybody dedicated to furthering their professional development, including PR and communications work.
There are tons of hidden ways in which LinkedIn can benefit you. As a Temple student you are granted access to special premium features for free, and it’s best to take advantage of that while you still can. Knowing these things and how to best navigate and utilize LinkedIn features, you have a better chance at having strong and professional profile that potential employers would love to see.
This blog was written by Arlene Isardat, TSG Representative.
Comments