Quick Answer
Yes, students can create LinkedIn accounts. LinkedIn allows anyone aged 13 and above to create an account. Having a LinkedIn profile as a student can be beneficial for networking, finding internships and jobs, connecting with professionals in your desired industry, and building your professional online presence.
What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 850 million members worldwide. It allows members to connect with other professionals, search for jobs, post resumes, follow companies, join industry groups, and more.
LinkedIn profiles function as interactive resumes where members can highlight their education, skills, accomplishments, recommendations, and work experience. Profiles also allow members to publish professional content in the form of posts and articles.
Benefits of Having a LinkedIn Profile as a Student
Here are some of the main benefits students can gain from having a LinkedIn profile:
Networking Opportunities
LinkedIn allows students to connect with professionals in their industry of interest. By building connections, students can learn more about their desired career path, gain insider knowledge, and build relationships that may help them land jobs and internships down the road.
Internship and Job Search
Many employers post internships and entry-level jobs on LinkedIn. Having a complete profile allows students to be discovered by recruiters and hiring managers searching for candidates. Students can also directly engage with companies they are interested in working for.
Build Your Personal Brand
A polished LinkedIn profile provides the opportunity for students to showcase their skills, accomplishments, recommendations, and ambitions to future employers. Building their personal brand in this way can help students stand out from other candidates when applying for roles.
Gain Industry Knowledge
Following leading professionals, companies, publications, and interest groups relevant to their industry allows students to gain insider knowledge and stay on top of important news and trends. This can help inform studies and career goals.
Make Connections Before Graduating
By engaging with professionals and building out a network while still at university, students can hit the ground running with connections when entering the workforce after graduation. These connections are invaluable as students embark on their careers.
How to Optimize Your Student LinkedIn Profile
To gain the most value from LinkedIn as a student, it’s important to optimize your profile. Follow these tips:
Craft a Strong Headline
Your headline appears right under your name and acts as your tagline. Include your current university and field of study or desired occupation. For example: “Computer Science student at University of Florida”.
Showcase Education
Include all schools, degrees, and majors. Highlight relevant coursework and projects. List any academic honors. Feature your graduation date once confirmed.
Highlight Skills and Accomplishments
Include relevant skills, languages, certifications, sports, publications, scholarships, society memberships, or awards. These show what makes you unique.
List Work and Leadership Experience
Detail any jobs, internships, volunteering, extracurricular activities, tutoring, mentoring or other leadership experiences. Explain your contributions.
Get Recommendations
Ask managers, professors, or colleagues for recommendations. This external validation builds credibility.
Build Connections
Grow your network by connecting with classmates, alumni, and professionals at companies you are interested in.
Join Groups
Join LinkedIn Groups related to your major, interests, university, or professional associations. Engage in discussions.
Follow Companies
Follow companies you want to work for to stay up-to-date on their news and job postings.
Get a Custom URL
Claim a unique LinkedIn URL like www.linkedin.com/yourname to include on your resume.
Tips for Students Using LinkedIn
Here are some top tips for maximizing your experience on LinkedIn as a student:
Complete Your Profile
The All Star badge is awarded to complete profiles, signaling to visitors your attention to detail.
Be Professional
Use proper language and tone. Assume connections and employers will read your posts.
Engage Thoughtfully
Comment on others’ content and post relevant updates rather than spamming. Focus on quality over quantity.
Build Meaningful Connections
Connect with those you have interacted with, not just anyone. Personalize invitation notes. Nurture connections.
Join Relevant Groups
pick a few Groups to regularly engage in. Offer helpful advice and insights tailored to each Group. Position yourself as an expert.
Follow Company Pages
This signals interest in working for the company. Engage with their content to stand out.
Utilize LinkedIn Learning
Take free courses to build skills and add certifications to your profile.
Find Opportunities
Utilize Jobs and internship postings. Discover companies hiring through Groups and alumni networks.
Research Employers
Review company pages and employee profiles before interviews to prepare talking points and questions.
Common Concerns: Should I Wait to Make a Profile?
Some students wonder if they should wait until later in their studies or after graduation to make a LinkedIn profile. Here are some common concerns:
“I don’t have much to put on my profile yet”
You can start building your profile with your current education, relevant coursework, skills, activities, volunteering experience and interests. This provides a foundation to build upon.
“I want to create it closer to my job search”
It’s actually ideal to start earlier to take advantage of networking opportunities and start connecting with professionals and peers in your industry. This takes time to build.
“I’m afraid it will hurt my chances if my profile looks amateur”
The key is crafting a profile that looks professional. Follow the optimization tips above and ask faculty or career advisors to review your draft.
“I don’t know what I want to do for a career yet”
You can start networking with professionals in fields you are interested in exploring to help inform your career goals and interests.
“I’d rather focus on schoolwork right now”
Maintaining your profile doesn’t have to take over your life. Just occasional engagement can be very beneficial without becoming a distraction.
Should You Make Your Profile Public or Private as a Student?
LinkedIn allows you to control the visibility of your profile. Here are some things to consider regarding having a public or private profile:
Public Profiles
– Allows networking with a broad range of professionals
– Increases visibility to recruiters looking to hire students
– Showcases your brand and accomplishments
– Enables your connections to fully view your profile
Private Profiles
– Limits visibility primarily to your direct connections
– Prevents random LinkedIn members from viewing your full profile
– Recommended for students who are more reserved about their public online presence
– Still visible to recruiters at companies you apply to
Many experts recommend students have public profiles to maximize connections and be discoverable to opportunity seekers. However, you can start with a private profile and switch it to public later on.
Who Should You Connect With?
Growing your connections expands your professional network. But who should students connect with? Consider connecting with:
– Fellow students and alumni from your university
– Professors and faculty advisors
– Professional contacts you meet at campus events or through internships/jobs
– Friends and family members with established careers to learn from
– 2nd and 3rd degree connections at companies you are interested in
Avoid randomly connecting with strangers or professionals unlikely to mutually benefit your career interests. Focus on quality connections over quantity. Customize invitation notes to establish your relationship and goals.
How to Use LinkedIn to Find an Internship
Here are tips for using LinkedIn to search for and land valuable student internships:
Complete your Profile
Recruiters may preview your profile before contacting you. Put your best foot forward.
Follow Companies you Want to Intern For
This signals interest and keeps you updated on their new postings.
Build Your Network
Connect with company insiders and alumni at your target companies to help get referrals.
Join Relevant LinkedIn Groups
Engage in Groups related to your desired industry and internship function to connect with the right people.
Apply for Posted Positions
Many companies post internship openings on LinkedIn. Apply and engage with posted content to stand out.
Utilize LinkedIn Jobs
Search for internships using factors like location and company. Set up job alerts for new matching postings.
Message Recruiters
Respectfully message recruiters at target companies expressing your interest in internship opportunities.
Watch for Company Status Updates
Companies will often post openings and programs on their Company Pages before the roles are listed.
Get Referrals
Have your connections personal recommend you to their contacts at companies of interest.
Tips for Using LinkedIn After Graduation
After you graduate, continue expanding your LinkedIn presence by:
– Updating your headline, experience, and education for your first job
– Joining new industry Groups and following new companies
– Staying connected with your alumni network
– Getting recommendations from managers and colleagues at jobs
– Sharing career updates and milestones in posts
– Utilizing LinkedIn Learning to keep skills sharp
– Maintaining engagement with your established network
– Following companies you’d like to work for in the future
– Setting up job alerts for open positions in your field
The connections and brand you built as a student serve as the foundation for career success after graduation. LinkedIn provides the tools to continue building upon this foundation.
Conclusion
Having a strong LinkedIn presence provides immense value for students looking to network, learn, find opportunities, and launch their careers. By thoughtfully optimizing their profile, connecting with the right people, engaging professionally, and actively using LinkedIn’s tools, students can leverage the platform to achieve academic and career success.