30 Things College Students Should be Doing on LinkedIn Right Now

[tps_header] This past week I got an email from a member of the YouTern’s #InternPro Chat community. In that email was this question:

“I’m graduating in December 2014. When do I need to be on LinkedIn?”

My (admittedly snarky) response:

“December 2010.”

So the follow up question from that December grad was fair (and way less snarky than deserved):

“So what do I put in my LinkedIn profile if I’m only a student? And what do I do there?”

In response, and because I know this isn’t the only person with this question, here are 30 things every student should be doing on LinkedIn right now…

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1. Upload a professional-looking, charismatic headshot (I know everyone says this, but poor photos are epidemic; please… this is so easy… get it done!)

2. Grab your custom LinkedIn URL (here’s how)

3. Build a great – and I mean GREAT headline (Example: Instead of “Teacher” use “Not just a teacher; a mentor…”)

4. Create a summary that lists your desired industry (no qualifiers like “soon-to-be” and “burgeoning” – write like you belong already)

5. Also in that summary, create a bulleted list of skills: soft, technical and professional (don’t just say it, demonstrate it with impact and quantified statements)

6. One more item for that summary: your specific niche (what are you really, really good at? what sector of your chosen industry will you specialize in – and why?)

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