LinkedIn is known for being the professional social network. It was created to help professionals keep connected with business contacts and is a beneficial tool for anyone who is serious about being successful in their career. So, is LinkedIn useful for graduates?
Many graduates seem to be either unaware of or simply uninterested in what LinkedIn can offer them. There are numerous recent grads who are ambitious, driven and eager to thrive in their career and yet they are nowhere to be seen on LinkedIn.
Do they know what LinkedIn is for?
Do they not understand the benefits it can hold for them?
Whatever their reason may be, they need to wake up and get on board!
Whether they are just getting started with their first graduate job or are about to start looking for graduate opportunities, LinkedIn is useful for them! It is worlds apart from Facebook and Twitter and is great at showing off skills and experience to business connections and potential employers. It could hold the key to kick-starting the career that they want.
All graduates should make LinkedIn one of the first stops on their job search. Here are 5 reasons why:
1. Positive online presence
Graduates are pretty aware of how social media privacy (or lack of it) can be damaging to their job search and career prospects. As a graduate, you know what an incriminating status or a terrible photo of you falling out of a club can do.
There’s no avoiding it, your employer or potential employers are going to look you up on social media and while you restrict what they see on your personal platforms you will actually want them to see your LinkedIn profile! LinkedIn offers you an additional opportunity to show off your professional side and look awesome.
2. Follow company movements
When carrying out your graduate job search it may be a bit forward to contact employers directly out of the blue if they do not have any opportunities advertised. With LinkedIn, you can choose to follow the companies of recruiters and employers that you are interested in.
The majority of companies are active on LinkedIn and post regular updates that may be of interest to you, including graduate jobs. You will also get a better idea of the company culture, what they are up to, who their competitors are and if/when they are recruiting.
3. Keep up with industry news
Loads of great articles are published and shared on LinkedIn every day. This makes it easy for you to follow and keep up-to-date with industry trends and innovations. If you are looking for a job, then employers will be able to see that you are commercially aware and have a genuine passion for your career. If you have already landed your first graduate role, then keeping up with industry news will help you to develop professionally.
4. Career benefits
LinkedIn isn’t just useful when looking for a job. Its main focus is to help users to grow and maintain a network of valuable business connections. As you progress in your career your professional connections will grow and you never know when these contacts may be useful!
5. Search for jobs
Employers can now advertise jobs directly with LinkedIn either by listing them in the main ‘Jobs’ tab or by sharing them on their company pages. LinkedIn actually selects jobs for you based on the skills and experience listed on your profile because you never know when your next opportunity might arise. Don’t miss out on these exceptional opportunities!
Is LinkedIn useful for graduates? The answer is clearly yes!
If you’re ready to get your LinkedIn set up, take a look at our LinkedIn Beginner’s Guide to make sure that you are ticking all of the boxes.