How new graduates like you are using LinkedIn to kick start their careers

Each summer, tens of thousands of new graduates head out into the word of work with a shiny new degree under their belts. Whether they want to work in education, healthcare, engineering or sales, the social networking site LinkedIn will be a crucial part of their job-hunting arsenal.

If you also are looking to bag your first graduate job, or want to make a change in your career trajectory, then you too could do worse than spending a few hours getting to grips with all the ways LinkedIn can help you.

LinkedIn is more than just a repository for your CV. The more you put in to your LinkedIn profile, the more you get out of it. For this reason, think of it like a snapshot, not just of what you can do, what you work you are searching for, and your qualifications; it is also offers employers a taste of your personality and what you might be like to work with.

In order to spruce up a neglected LinkedIn page, make sure you have an appropriate, business-ready profile photo of you looking friendly and professional. Make sure your ‘headline’ information is eye-catching and informative. Don’t just make a bland statement about who you are: be explicit. You want to work in marketing, work overseas or work with animals? Say so from the start. Your summary information is also a great way to show what you are about in a way that will appear to people who view your page.

LinkedIn is a networking platform. Link up with companies you want to work for, with alumni from your university, your friends, your friends’ parents and your professors. Somewhere along the line, one of these may have the contact you need to get in with your dream employer.

For more information about how to use LinkedIn to get the job of a lifetime, including using its advanced features to showcase your work, or to join in influential industry discussions, why not download our How to Master LinkedIn for Business Diploma Course and invest in your future career today?