Why Students Need LinkedIn
Why every student should be on LinkedIn
Social media is something that every student will probably know plenty about. Whether it is posting photos of their lives on Instagram, using the latest fun filters and chatting on SnapChat or perhaps watching videos of cats on Facebook, as a student you are going to use social media on a daily basis.
It is no secret that social media is great fun but for students, it can actually offer a lot more. Especially if you take a look at LinkedIn. So, with other social media platforms already in use, why does it make sense for every student to think about putting themselves on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn helps build a professional network
Social media is all about making friends and building a network, with LinkedIn that network has a much more professional feel then you may see on Instagram for instance. Once you have a profile you can connect with not only your peers, but also your lecturers too. You can also take this one step further and connect with individuals that are already in the industry that you want to work within in the future.
LinkedIn will help with building your career
More than just putting you in touch with those who work within your chosen industry, LinkedIn actually can help you to find jobs too. This could be industry specific, company specific or job title specific, but the idea is that with it, you will never have to worry about missing out on a potential job opportunity that could have a huge impact on your future career.
Even better than this, not only can you receive job alerts, but those companies who are hiring can also find and contact you. Meaning that you may end up being tracked down to make a job application, rather than having to hunt for one yourself.
LinkedIn helps you to show you are serious
Compared to other social media platforms out there LinkedIn is one that takes a more serious approach to networking. When you take the time to make a LinkedIn profile and add all of the relevant skills, knowledge and educational attributes you have, it shows that you are someone who is thinking about their future, that you are serious about furthering your career.
LinkedIn might not help you to share your holiday photos or check out which gigs are in your area, but what it can do is to help you in the future. Whether that is just getting your name out there in your chosen industry, starting your job hunt or perhaps simply just building a network of people who are going to be worthwhile contacting when you have finished studying. By taking the time to look at LinkedIn you are definitely going to be setting yourself up for the future.