Students given tutorial on “LinkedIn”
Students gathered in the Merrill-Cazier Library Wednesday to learn more about LinkedIn through a presentation by Utah State University Career Services and the Alumni Association.
LinkedIn’s website states, “Our mission is simple: connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. When you join LinkedIn, you get access to people, jobs, news, updates and insights that help you be great at what you do.”
The hour-long presentation, which included photography for the students’ online profiles, was carried out in order to help students understand the online website and know what constitutes an attractive and professional profile.
“I got a lot of good information from the presenters and (from) this hand out they gave me,” said Ben Strong, a senior majoring in finance. “These days you can be the best candidate out there but if you don’t know someone you don’t have as good of a chance. So LinkedIn is a way to know more people and increase your chances.”
Presenters also talked about the need to maintain a professional online presence, and went so far as to say it’s time to “clean up” our Facebook, Instagram and other social media profiles, stating that potential employers will often type candidates’ names into Google and browse through their social media profiles during evaluation. LinkedIn, it was argued, can help students in this search for professionalism.
“We’re already on social media anyways,” said Strong. “Move one step further and get a professional social media through LinkedIn.”
“We spend a lot of time on social media and we know what that does for our social life and our fun,” said Krystn Clark, assistant director and career coach for USU Career Services. “Imagine what LinkedIn can do for you in building your career and helping you get there. You won’t be able to do it just based off of your degree.”
LinkedIn allows students to network using different criteria such as location, career field or alma mater. Clark emphasized in her presentation that she has never heard of a contact between a USU student and USU alumni in which the alumni is not willing to meet with or somehow help the student. These relationships, according to the presenters, are key to hearing about and exploring different career opportunities, as well as making connections that help while applying.
“They may not be friends that you want to vacation with, but they’re friends that you’ll want to keep in contact with to network – either now or in five or ten years,” said Scott Olson, director of outreach and engagement for the Alumni Association.
Students interested in receiving help with LinkedIn or meeting with a career coach can visit USU Career Services in University Inn 102.
–levi.henrie@aggiemail.usu.edu