I always recommend graduates and students to join up LinkedIn whenever I'm giving a personal branding talk at a university. The trouble is that most students have barely even heard of LinkedIn, although they are prolific users of Facebook. I tell them LinkedIn is Facebook's boring cousin, where there are very few graduates so your personal brand will really stand out if you join up. I am very happy to see that LinkedIn have made an effort to target students with their new LinkedIn Student Job Portal. It's here to help recent graduates find jobs easily.
Honing in on jobs for graduates and students
It's basically just a function of their job search engine but they have neatly repackaged it with a flashy landing page and the compulsory smiling faces (as per above). When you click on the LinkedIn Student Portal, you get a choice of industry for your job search. Pick the one that interests you and LinkedIn will generate any relevant job opportunities for graduates in that field. You will also notice that they have chosen a very Seth Godin-esque title here…
LinkedIn tips for graduates and students
- Put your network to work: Each connection you make expands your network, adding people who can provide insights into opportunities, or who can even help you land a job. Connect to fellow students and see where they’ve found jobs, reach out to alumni whose companies are hiring, and leverage the networks of your parents, family friends or mentors.
- You can research companies: Linkedin Company Pages provide rich insights to help you explore where you want to work. Learn who companies hire, what products and services they sell, what professionals are saying about them, and who you know who works there.
- Companies find you: At the end of the day, it’s also a great opportunity to be found by leading companies. Companies continually comb LinkedIn’s member profiles for the best candidates. The more complete your profile, the better your chances of being found.
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