Introduction
LinkedIn is a little different from other social networks. Users don’t go there for fun or to share overly personal content. Working professionals use LinkedIn to network, advertise, and hunt for jobs/other professional opportunities. LinkedIn looks familiar enough if you’ve ever used a social network, but there are some important things to understand about the service in order to get the most out of your time there.
Add a Professional Picture
Provide a current, professional picture like this:
Dress professionally in your picture and show your face. Resist the urge to post an Instagram photo:
It might look cool, but your profile should quickly and accurately describe who you are.
Connect
LinkedIn is a social network, and successful users maximize their social connections on the service. Search out:
- Fellow students/friends- these people will broaden your network and help you to certify skill areas
- Faculty- teachers are great resources to certify skill areas, especially in English as we can evaluate your potential with writing/communication
- FIU Entities- search out the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of English, and other relevant units in order to grow your reach
Create Content
LinkedIn allows users to post a wide variety of content to a news feed. You can write articles about yourself and any areas of interest to show colleagues and employers your ability. Remember, these should not be status updates, but rather professional content written from your perspective.
Update this section regularly in order to show that you are actively using the service (recruiters won’t contact a person with an abandoned profile).
Don’t Spam
You wouldn’t randomly approach a stranger on the street and ask them to be your professional acquaintance. Refrain from the same behavior on LinkedIn. When reaching out to people that you know, send along a note to start a conversation. Professional behavior will help to grow your profile and network in meaningful ways. Be helpful when some one messages you.
Quality over Quantity
LinkedIn gets a bad reputation for spam, from bad articles to endless requests to certify skills. Social media in general often invite us to over post. A solid general rule of thumb to use is quality over quantity. Post content that has effort behind it, and work hard to build relationships.
Think Rhetorically
The best guiding principle for your profile and interactions on LinkedIn is to think about everything from the perspective of your audience. LinkedIn differs from other social media in that the content is not for you- it’s for the other professionals browsing the site. Always consider this factor when considering what to post, and how to interact with people on the site.