Last week, the AMA was lucky enough to have Linkedin’s very own, Rob Humphrey, come in and teach us how to maximize our personal advertising potential on Linkedin. The best way to learn is to learn from the best…a big thanks to you, Rob! For those of you who missed out, here are some highlights from the workshop:
Facelift your Profile
It’s time to update! Since hunting for internships and jobs are in season, it’s imperative to make sure that your profile is noticeable. Rob said a great way to stand out is to add a summary—one that is catchy and interesting and outside the typical box of “I am a student at NC State majoring in…” Add your interests, your passions, or why you are what every company needs. He suggests having your creative writing friends edit your post to make sure it is interesting and there are no grammatical errors. Nothing can ruin you’re summary quite like a grammatical error.
So add that catchy summary, and add some interesting pictures here, too. Add pictures of you presenting your research at a symposium or pictures of you doing the volunteer work you love. If your summary has something that you have a good picture of, add it. This personalizes your profile and makes you feel more relatable than a resume. Whatever you add, make sure you check it out on a mobile device. Rob said that the majority of Linkedin profiles are looked at on mobile, so make sure it is compatible!
Keep in mind while you are writing your summary and adding pictures that being a relatable person is great, but maintaining a certain level of professionalism is important, too. Rob encouraged us to try and be more than what is typically on a resume—incorporate some humor, add some personal hobbies—be a person. But, he stressed the importance of having a good quality, professional looking headshot. He said it did not need to be a suit or nice clothing, but to make sure it was something you want to represent you.
Add some content. Add presentations, videos you are a part of, essays you wrote—anything of which you are proud. These samples convey those strong writing skills, those public speaking skills, your videography skills, instead of just being evidence-less claims.
Network Smart
What I found most helpful from his workshop was the Alumni tool. CHECK IT OUT! In the top toolbar, go to My Network > Find Alumni, and BAM a list of over 160,000 graduates comes up specifying where they work. You know the pride you have in your school…how you feel a bond with a fellow Wolfpacker when you run into one in another state or somewhere off campus…use this to your advantage! You can message these alumni directly to get a feel for what they do in their job, what it takes to get there, and even ask for help getting a job at their company. The Wolfpack is a pack for life!
When you add alumni or anyone else on Linkedin, take advantage of the little comment box. Rob said most people never personalize this message—guilty—and it is an incredible missed opportunity to remind them of who you are and to stand out from all the other invitations they receive. When adding alumni, throw in a little message of what you are hoping to achieve by connecting with them and let them know you are from NCSU.
We want YOU!
Yes, YOU! To get that job/internship/volunteer opportunity that you want. The AMA loves our members and believes them to be great candidates. We hope you will use Rob’s tips to personalize your profile and get that job. We wish you the best of luck!!
Check out Rob’s profile to see how he markets himself! https://www.linkedin.com/in/robhumphrey
Lastly, write. Publishing articles on Linkedin is a great way to stand out! Not many young people take advantage of this opportunity, but it is a great way to show your knowledge, opinions, or interest in a topic. And, it gets your name out there!