How to Maximize your Linkedin?

Fri, 05 May 2023 19:41:04 -0400

What is Linkedin? And why should you be on it? Linkedin is a great platform where you can gain access to over 300 million professionals, network with UMBC alumni and highlight your skills and abilities!! Here's how to begin:

Create a Profile

Use information from your resume to complete the Education, Headline, Summary, Coursework, and Extracurricular Activities sections.

Include a headshot photo of you alone-- it's easy, and you could take it yourself from your phone, or borrow a camera from the digital media lab in the AOK library

Add a skills section where you can highlight particular skills in which you excel. Additionally, connections can endorse you for particular skills.

Actively Connect with Others

Connect with professors, advisors, peers, your co-workers, and anyone else you may know.

Linkedin has a "Find Alumni" tool to search for UMBC alumni by location, industry and major to connect with or just to explore career paths.

Join alumni and industry groups and be active by engaging in discussions to make yourself stand out.

Create a unique profile link and add it in your resume and other professional documents to help colleagues connect to you.

Use your LinkedIn connections to your advantage, ask for informational interviews, job leads, mentoring opportunities, or just general career advice.

Find Internships and Career Opportunities

Create an appealing headline with your area of study and/or career ambitions, and passions -- consider keywords that appeal to recruiters.

Formulate a key action word heavy--summary that includes type of positions you are seeking, and vocabulary that would make you the ideal candidate

Include volunteer activities, relevant projects, internships and extracurricular activities.

Ask for recommendations from professors, advisors, internship colleagues and supervisors.

Double check to make sure the grammar and punctuation are correct!

Follow accounts of companies and organizations that you are interested in and are eager to learn more about industry trends for that type of organization.

Use as an interview prep: look for current employees, as well as company group pages to better prepare for informational and job interviews.

ALSO, The Career Center can review your LinkedIn profile and provide feedback! We encourage you to explore our resources or schedule an appointment on Handshake to meet with a career advisor for more tips!

Best,

Natalia Alfaro

Career Peer