Tips To Prepare A LinkedIn Profile For Students

The world is turning digital and with every passing day, we are bombarded with new technologies and opportunities. One such juncture is LinkedIn. A LinkedIn profile for students is a great way to kickstart your network and career journey. Not many people understand the value of having a LinkedIn profile. Starting early is the key. Especially for students, do not wait till you have graduated to start your LinkedIn profile. You can start it whenever you are ready because the initial point is networking.

A large number of organizations today are present on LinkedIn and looking for deserving candidates who can work for them. It is a great opportunity to meet new people and network with them globally. There are many other added benefits of LinkedIn mentioned below. Read on to learn tips to prepare a LinkedIn profile for students.

Add A Striking Profile Picture

To create a compelling profile for LinkedIn you must add a striking profile picture. Your picture should be decent and look professional. Try to have your full face on the display. Your display picture adds credibility to your profile. It is more likely that profiles with displays get a larger reach than the ones with no picture.

Craft A Killer Headline

Your headline is the first impression and conversation you have with your viewer. Make it worth their time. Keep it short but also engaging. It should be enough to make an impact on the reader. It is a place where most people write about what they do or what they are studying. For example;

• Student of a Mechanical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineer working in a Start-Up

If you are a fresher, don’t stress about it. Add what you are studying and your field of specialization.

Create A Professional Summary

Now the summary is very important. This is a place you tell the viewers details about yourself. What you study, what you have achieved, your aim, and your future. You can even describe or boast about your unique skills here.

This is the summary of the LinkedIn CEO — Ryan Roslansky

Boast About Your Education

Show off all the schools and universities you have been to or are currently attending. If you are from a renowned university, it will act as an advantage to your profile. This even helps you connect with your Alumni who are mastering their field of study. You can network and see if they have any kind of job opportunities, especially Alumni who have start-ups going on. Working in a start-up is a great opportunity to learn and explore how a company is set up.

Apart from the above-given advantages, you can even boast about your academic achievements along with your extracurricular activities. These are the skills that add value to your education.

Add Certificates, Honors, And Awards You have

It does not matter if you have acquired a certificate in an academic accomplishment or a volunteer programme. Your certificates and Awards display like a garnish to your entire profile.

If you have awards in sports, extracurricular activities, or any recognized authority work, make sure you reveal it in your awards and honours section. And if you have achieved certificates in writing, designing or architecture then you can mention and add them to the list of your certificates. Also, add a relevant link so the viewers can verify the authenticity of your certificate.

Share The Projects You Have Worked On

One way to attract a relevant audience and boost your account visibility is by posting whatever projects you have worked on or are currently working on. Being a fresher you might have not worked on any professional projects; one way to solve this is by making your own stuff. Imagine you are a graphic designer, here you have a chance to create dummy or mock designs that are not a real-life project but are entirely made to showcase your skills. Make sure you post such content on your feed so your connections and potential clients/employers can see it. With the LinkedIn algorithm backing you up, your work will be shown on other people’s profiles who are connected with your mutual.

Collect Skill Endorsement And Recommendations

To make your LinkedIn profile even stronger, make use of the recommendations and endorsements on your profile. Employers love to see a candidate with skills. So adding genuine skills will enhance your LinkedIn profile and build trust in your employer’s eyes. To do so, request your professors, internship supervisors, or project managers to add recommendations and skill endorsements to your profile.

Display Your Language Proficiency

With globalisation at its apex, being diverse is a key benefit anyone can have. Knowing more than one (native) language can add value to your CV. It will be extremely beneficial to connect to people across the countries and have communications with them. Add this to the language tab with the right proficiency level.

Wrapping Up

LinkedIn profile for students is a great place to start your career journey. Irrespective of your niche and the industry you work in, there is always something for someone on this platform. To get started make sure you follow the above-given tips and you are good to go!