Listing your student status accurately on LinkedIn is an important step as you build your professional profile and network on the platform. As a student, highlighting your academic credentials and progress can help you connect with the right people and opportunities. Here are some tips on how to correctly list yourself as a student on LinkedIn.
Add your school and expected graduation date
Start by adding the school you currently attend to the Education section of your profile. Include the name of the institution, your field of study or major, and your expected graduation date. This gives people an immediate understanding of where you’re gaining your education and skills.
For example:
University of Michigan
Bachelor of Arts, English
Expected Graduation May 2025
If you’ve attended multiple schools, be sure to list each one and the corresponding details. You can reorder them so your most recent or relevant education is on top.
Select the right enrollment status
When adding your school, LinkedIn will prompt you to choose your enrollment status:
– Currently enrolled
– Past enrollment
– Completed
Select “Currently enrolled” if you’re still actively taking classes and working toward your degree. Even if you’re between semesters or on a break, keep it as currently enrolled.
Only change it to “Past enrollment” if you actually withdrew and are no longer pursuing the degree. And of course, update it to “Completed” once you officially graduate.
Showcase extracurriculars and student organizations
Participating in clubs, sports teams, Greek life and other extracurricular activities as a student? Don’t forget to list these on your LinkedIn profile too.
Add them just like you would any other position or leadership experience. Include the name of the organization, your role or titles, the duration you were involved, and a brief description of your responsibilities and accomplishments.
Listing these activities shows you’re an engaged student who pursued interests outside of academics. It also presents additional ways for you to connect with classmates, alumni and others associated with the same organizations.
Feature relevant coursework and projects
Consider spotlighting some of the key courses, class projects and academic work that align with your goals and aspirations. For example, if you want a software engineering internship, call out computer science and programming classes you excelled in.
You can include these within the Education section, or even create a dedicated Projects section to list schoolwork just like any professional experience. Be sure to describe what knowledge and skills were involved so others can see their relevance.
Join university alumni and student groups
One easy way to expand your student network on LinkedIn is by joining your university’s official alumni association and any student groups. You can find these through LinkedIn’s Groups directory and connect with current students, former graduates, professors and more.
These groups also regularly share job leads, internship opportunities, career advice and student perspectives. Be active by commenting on discussions and building relationships within the groups.
Follow university pages and stay updated
Most colleges and universities have dedicated LinkedIn Showcase Pages where they post campus news, highlights and updates. Follow your own school’s page as well as the pages of departments related to your major like the business school, engineering college or computer science division.
You’ll see relevant student content in your LinkedIn feed while also showing interest in those areas as you look to launch your post-graduation career.
Ask for recommendations from professors
Secure recommendations on LinkedIn from professors, advisors and mentors who can speak to your academic performance, contributions and potential. Their endorsements as educators carry more weight.
When requesting recommendations, remind them of the classes and projects you worked on together and any accomplishments that stood out. Offer to send them your resume/CV to jog their memory as well.
Highlight relevant skills and honors
In addition to listing your education, leverage other LinkedIn profile sections to showcase additional academic achievements and relevant skills:
– Honors & Awards – Call out academic scholarships, Dean’s List recognitions, honor societies and other distinctions here.
– Licenses & Certifications – List any professional certifications you’ve earned as a student like Microsoft Excel expert, Adobe Certified Associate, Project Management Fundamentals and more.
– Skills – Include proficiencies like Data Analysis, Budgeting, Public Speaking, Leadership, etc. gained through coursework and activities.
– Courses – Use the Courses section to list notable classes and learnings outside of your degree requirements. For example, relevant Massive Open Online Courses.
Craft an informative student summary
Your LinkedIn profile summary gives people an at-a-glance overview of who you are and what you aim to do. As a student, you’ll want to briefly summarize:
– Your degree, major/field of study, expected graduation date
– Your strongest skills, achievements and credentials relevant to your aspirations
– The type of opportunity you’re seeking – internship, entry-level job, network, etc.
– What makes you stand out (honors, leadership, specialized experience through past jobs/internships/volunteering)
This helps clearly communicate where you’re at in your education and career journey.
Exclude high school once in college
As a general best practice, profiles should only go back 10-15 years. And once in college, your high school information is less relevant and takes up valuable profile real estate.
Instead of listing your high school education, use that space to provide more details on coursework, activities and impact from your college years. The exception is if you won extremely prestigious awards or honors that continue to be relevant.
Setup student job alerts
Take advantage of LinkedIn’s extensive job board by setting up job alerts for student-appropriate positions like internships, fellowships, entry-level jobs, summer opportunities and more. Use relevant keywords for your field of study and ideal roles.
Activating alerts ensures you get notified when new postings that fit your criteria become available so you can apply early before they get flooded.
Join student and industry groups
Expand your community beyond just fellow students by joining professional associations, clubs and interest groups related to your major and field of study. Follow their feeds to stay on top of industry news, opportunities and events.
For example, if you’re studying finance, consider groups like the American Finance Association, Future Financial Advisors, Women in Finance, Young Investors Network and more where you can gain valuable insights.
Follow key companies you aspire to work for
Research leading employers in your desired industry, the top companies that recruit from your school, and any businesses you admire. Then follow their LinkedIn Company Pages.
This better positions you to learn about new entry-level and internship openings, company news and strategic moves in the industry. Following these organizations signals interest in them as well.
Expand your connections with outreach
As a student, you likely have a small network. Set a goal to actively grow your connections with relevant professionals like:
– Professors and academic advisors
– Alumni from your university or major
– Second-degree connections (friends of your existing connections) who work in your target field
– Recruiters and talent acquisition specialists
– Hiring managers and senior employees at companies of interest
Mention your shared university or mutual connections when reaching out. Offer to connect to gain career insights and advice.
Give back by helping fellow students
Answer questions and provide guidance to other students if you have expertise as an upperclassman or involvement in certain activities. This establishes you as a thought leader who gives back.
You can respond to posts in university LinkedIn groups, student threads on Campus Pages or when messaged directly. Share lessons learned, tips and your own experiences to guide younger students.
Complete profile checklist
Review LinkedIn’s student profile checklist to make sure yours is complete. It covers:
- Professional photo
- Customized public profile URL
- Student-tailored headline
- Updated education with graduation date
- Detailed experience descriptions
- List of relevant skills
- Customized summary section
Check each item off the list to put your best foot forward on LinkedIn.
Showcase achievements in publications
If you’ve authored any notable articles, research papers, presentations or creative works as a student, showcase them under the Publications section on LinkedIn. This demonstrates subject matter expertise and thought leadership abilities in your discipline. Use visual examples when possible.
Set your career interests
Select up to 5 industries and job functions that align with your desired career trajectory using LinkedIn’s career interests tool. This helps surface relevant jobs, content, connections and opportunities without directly stating your employment status.
Display honor society badges
If you are part of prestigious honor societies like Phi Beta Kappa, showcase the badges on your profile to highlight your membership and academic excellence. You can add these under the Featured, Honors & Awards, and/or Licenses & Certifications sections.
Advertise tutoring services or skills
College students with specialized expertise in areas like mathematics, writing, music, art or tutoring often market their services to others students. If relevant, advertise these offerings in your LinkedIn profile summary or experience descriptions. This can secure you more clients.
Conclusion
Optimizing your LinkedIn profile and engagement as a student pays dividends now and in the future as you look to land jobs, internships and opportunities in your field after graduation. Follow these best practices to properly list yourself as a student and maximize the platform.
