5 Reasons Why You Should Have a LinkedIn Profile

College is much more than academics; it’s a place to network and meet people. Many people you will come across during these 4 years will be helpful during your job search once you graduate. Having A LinkedIn profile is a perfect way to start making connections that can help you both in college and thereafter. Here are 5 reasons why you should have a LinkedIn profile.

1. It’s a great place to network

A LinkedIn account allows you to network with lots of different people – from your favorite college professors, to your future employer. Most of the time people get into their dream job or career path based on their connections with people. LinkedIn is also a great place to research different companies and career paths that may be of interest to you. When you find something that interests you, follow the company; connect with the manager or CEO so they can see that you’re interested. Who knows, they might look into your profile and give you a job!

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2. You can showcase more of your skills

Think of LinkedIn as both your portfolio and resume in one. You get to showcase all of your skills instead of being restricted to a one-page resume. Throw in your hidden talents/skills, your link to your online portfolio, the awards you received, etc. This is the place to show off and write everything there is about you (professionally of course)! LinkedIn is also great because you can always update your resume when something new is added, and everyone in your connections will be notified.

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3. You can stay connected to your dream job

With LinkedIn you can connect with jobs you are interested in and look into their job requirements and descriptions. In that way you can get a sense of what they are looking for in an employee when they are hiring. You can also receive notifications when they post new open positions or updates on the company. It’s like you’re an inside spy that gets to see everything first hand about the company you want to be a part of.

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4. You get personalized job alerts

If you haven’t found your area of interest or don’t know your possible career path, you can simply get notified of any job postings. You can make them as specific as you want them to be, catering to your interests, location, etc. I know you can do this with other job sites, however LinkedIn is a one stop shop because if you find a job you like, simply “connect” with the manager or CEO and all of your information is already there for them to see!

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5. It’s a great place for internships

Not only can LinkedIn help you with your job search and possible career paths, but it can also help you look for internships while in college. For those extra credits we may need in order to graduate or to gain work experience, getting an internship is key. Search on LinkedIn and look for different types of internships available and who knows, you might even end up as an intern at a job you can eventually build a career in.

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Feature image source: millo.co