This semester one of our assignments was to attend a GSU Career Services event. Throughout the semester the department puts on many workshops, interviews, and career fairs. I choose to attend a workshop on the online networking site, LinkedIn, called “Using LinkedIn to Launch Your Career”. I did have a LinkedIn account before attending the event, but I was not very active with using my LinkedIn account. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical about the success of finding a job through the site, so that is why I wanted to learn more about it.
The presentation was very insightful, and defiantly swayed my opinion of the professional networking site. The presentation went over all of the basics of the of your account and discussed the “5 Golden Rules of Professional LinkedIn Profiles“. They said that if you have these five things, then your profile will be successful.
The 5 Golden Rules are:
- Fill out your profile to 100% completion
- photo, headline, keyword-rich summary
- all experience
- Join relevant groups
- Claim your custom URL
- Request recommendations
- Keep your profile up-to-date
After these basic steps, which most of them I had done, besides keeping my profile up-to-date, they went over other great aspects of the site. I was not aware of how much a recommendation could help you while trying to find a job, and that companies are using LinkedIn, to see if 1. you are connected with social media sites, and have good things said about you 2. If your connected with their company/business. Recommendations also give a chance for not only your boss to say something about you, but your professors, classmates, and peers as well, which can give the employer a well-rounded perspective of you.
Other tips that they discussed in the workshop was to research and network within the LinkedIn network. You are able to use the research tool to narrow down a search on a company, which most companies now have at least a profile. You can type something in a specific field too, and companies that are a part of that field, or have divisions in it will be selected, and the information is at your fingertips. Networking within the site is also available. You can look up GSU’s alumni, and add them to your connections, as well as join GSU’s LinkedIn profile. I did not think about finding connections through GSU’s profile, but after looking through the people I actually found that I knew a lot of people on LinkedIn. Now that I have been trying to update my account more frequently, I have e-mails of people wanting to add me to their connections and have found it fun to go through and look at companies sites! I hope my LinkedIn profile will help me in my job search!
If you would like to visit my personal LinkedIn profile CLICK HERE!
Hi Sarah,
Maybe it’s just me, but i do not like linkedin. I don’t know why, it just doesn’t appeal to me. Do you like it? I like PROpeoMic way better. Maybe that’s because it caters more to what we want to do and it has a lot of different opportunities for just PR people. Maybe i just know how to navigate it correctly, i don’t know. Well, i liked your post a lot and it made me want to play around with linkedin a little more to gain a better understanding of it.
By: Jayme on April 21, 2010
at 1:19 pm
[...] Sarah Kemp: Getting LinkedIn-April 21, [...]
By: What I Had to Say…My Comments « Let's Get Social on April 21, 2010
at 1:28 pm
Hi Sarah!
I read your blog about Linkedin. As you know, Professor Nixion gave us the opportunity to start a Linkedin account and I am still working on completing it 100%. When she told us about Linkedin, it was honestly the first time that I had ever heard anything about Linkedin. Now that I understand the concept of it, I actually think that it is a great idea and I am excited to develop my profile more. That is why I liked how in your blog you included the five golden rules of professional Linkedin profiles. I am not kidding when I say I will be using these to fix up my account. I really appreciate the great research and advice! Thanks- Kristin
By: kbixby1 on April 22, 2010
at 2:43 pm
[...] 16. Sarah Kemp- Getting Linkedin [...]
By: Comments « Bixby's Blog on April 22, 2010
at 2:56 pm
LinkedIn is so important! I didn’t know this until I started using it myself. I think that more people need to give LinkedIn a chance because it gives so many opportunities to open doors in this field. Not to mention you can stay connected with people you meet from all over the world. It is such a cool site that doesn’t get enough credit.
By: ashleigh martin on April 23, 2010
at 3:58 am
[...] Comment on LinkedIn, written by Sarah [...]
By: Talk Back 2: More Comments « a PR student at Georgia Southern University on April 23, 2010
at 4:22 am
Sarah,
I have found this website to be the most beneficial of them all so far. Not only can I now keep in contact in a more professional way with co-workers, past employers, and friends, but I love the fact that its set up to help people out. With the recommendation application provided, you can have references for future employers at your fingertips. I’ve had great experience with this site since I joined, and hope you do too.
-Kati Ann
By: katiann4710 on April 23, 2010
at 12:29 pm