UNLV Career Handbook - Magazine - Page 49
Maximize Your Job Search With LinkedIn
Think of LinkedIn as a more dynamic and visual representation
of your resume. It provides a snapshot of your professional
experience and interests so you can make a solid 昀椀rst
impression when networking with contacts online. LinkedIn
has over 800 million members worldwide and is the go-to
resource for professional networking.
Create an Effective LinkedIn Pro昀椀le
‣ PROFILE URL
When you 昀椀rst set up your LinkedIn pro昀椀le, change the
URL to something easy to remember and type, such as
your name.
Build your Network with LinkedIn
‣ START BUILDING
Assemble a network of people you know or have
interacted with and who are in professional positions.
When asking them to connect with you, send a
personalized invitation.
‣ GET CONNECTED
Join groups to reach out to potential networking contacts.
Start with your university and industry groups.
‣ BE ACTIVE
Post updates regularly to help you stay on your network’s
radar and to build your professional image. Mention your
projects or the professional events you are attending.
‣ HEADLINE:
Keep your headline short and engaging. Employers
should know what you are looking for right away. For
example, “UNLV honors student bringing fresh, innovative
marketing skills to the workplace.”
SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE WORKPLACE
‣ PHOTO:
Upload a photo of yourself professionally dressed with
a plain background.
Pros:
‣ SUMMARY:
Your summary is a short version of your quali昀椀cations
and goals. Describe what motivates you. You can focus
on your soft skills in this section to enhance the other
elements of your pro昀椀le.
‣ EDUCATION:
Include the degree you are seeking or have earned and
your declared major(s) and minor(s). Show off your GPA,
test scores, honors, and awards if they are relevant to the
type of job you are seeking. High school should not be
listed once you are in college.
‣ EXPERIENCE:
List your work experience, including part-time
employment, internships, involvement with clubs or
organizations, and volunteer work. Photos or examples
of your projects are a great addition.
‣ SKILLS:
Include keywords that represent your skills and that
potential recruiters may be searching for. You can 昀椀nd
relevant skills in job listings and pro昀椀les. As a university
student, you should be able to include at least 20 on
your pro昀椀le.
‣ VOLUNTEER:
List any volunteer experiences. Potential recruiters
and employers are interested in how you give back.
Volunteering can also provide opportunities that translate
into invaluable work-related skills and knowledge.
‣ FEATURED:
Build your pro昀椀le by adding a Featured section to
demonstrate your skills and passions. You can
highlight projects, creations, and various items to
broaden your portfolio.
There are advantages and disadvantages of using social
media in the context of professionalism.
• Connect to other people all around the world
• Instant communication
• Great opportunities for networking
Cons:
• Privacy Issues
• Misrepresentation due to:
• Indiscriminately posting personal information
• Cyber hacking
HANDSHAKE
Handshake works similarly to a social media platform.
Many of the functions and information are similar to
using LinkedIn.
Handshake pays attention to your activity, jobs, and
the locations where you are looking for employment.
Be sure your information is accurate and complete
since the platform will use your information to send
you job recommendations and noti昀椀cations. And the
more active you are on Handshake, the stronger your
recommendations!
Need help with your Handshake or LinkedIn pro昀椀le?
Schedule an appointment with a Career Coach for help.
NETWORKING
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