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As soon as you reach the last year or semester for your graduate degree, it’s wise to start preparing for a job hunt! You would want to get hired as soon as possible and finally be in the company or organization you’ve always wanted to be a part of.
Additional Resources:
- How To Clean Up Your Social Media Profiles For Your Job Search
- Tips for Networking While You’re in Graduate School
- How To Land a Job After You Get Your Graduate Degree
Given the high competition among fellow graduate degree holders, it’s paramount to find ways to stand out. The key is to build and optimize your LinkedIn profile!
All About LinkedIn
It’s important to understand what LinkedIn is exactly and why it matters to your job search after completing your graduate program. LinkedIn operates as a leading business and employment social media platform. It was launched in 2003 and has since been popular among professionals who depend on it for industry networking and finding career prospects.
Professional networking and career development are the primary purposes of the platform, which enables employers to post vacancies and job seekers to showcase their CVs. Since December 2016, it has been 100% owned by Microsoft. Recruiters and salespeople have been using the company’s information about users since 2015. To date, LinkedIn has more than 950 million registered users from more than 200 countries all over the world.
With LinkedIn, users can create profiles and connect in an online social network that simulates real-world relationships between professionals. Members can invite anyone to connect with them. Additionally, LinkedIn offers a lot of features, such as posting job hiring, publishing articles, and creating professional groups.
Who should sign up for LinkedIn?
Anyone trying to advance their career should use LinkedIn. As a master’s degree holder, this is an even better environment for you to establish your brand as an individual. It’s the best platform to build your professional background, no matter what career you want to pursue. Members of LinkedIn can connect with individuals, organizations, and groups inside and outside their industry.
Is LinkedIn free for everyone?
Yes, it’s free for everyone to use. It is free to join LinkedIn if you want to establish a professional online presence. There is a Premium subscription available if you want to maximize more of its offerings. Products for marketing, hiring, selling, and learning are available through our premium subscriptions. For one month, you can test out LinkedIn Premium without cost.
How can you measure the success of your LinkedIn profile?
It’s important to measure the success of your LinkedIn profile, and there are ways to do so. You can monitor your profile views, connection requests, job offers, and recommendations. All these data can help you gauge the performance of your optimized LinkedIn profile.
What should be your emphasis on optimizing your LinkedIn profile?
You should concentrate on your most recent 10 to 15 years of employment, giving specifics and achievements for each position held. Try to indicate specific, short, and concise descriptions of your backgrounds and work experiences. The titles of your positions and dates on your resume should match.
Crafting Your LinkedIn Profile Summary and Headline
Most people reflexively fill in their titles and present jobs in their headlines, which is a big mistake. The best way is actually to modify your LinkedIn headline if you haven’t already. Your headline should include two intriguing titles as well as other keywords related to your sector. Next to that should be your summary section, where you should succinctly and clearly outline your major qualifications and achievements.
Both have a significant impact on LinkedIn’s algorithm, so what you post here is crucial when hiring managers and recruiters look for possible prospects of interest.
What are “buzzwords” on LinkedIn, and how are they used?
Buzzwords are adjectives that are used in LinkedIn headlines and summaries so frequently that their meaning is all but lost. Terms like leadership, focused, strategic, experienced, passionate, expert, creative, and certified frequently appear on the lists of the most overused buzzwords.
It’s best to choose those that are unique and realistic in matching who you really are and what services you offer. It would be best if you exhibited them as well, both in your self-description and in how you use the LinkedIn profile’s features to highlight your values.
How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Now, the step as a graduate degree holder maximizing on LinkedIn is to optimize it. The most important tool you can use when seeking a job is LinkedIn, along with your resume. LinkedIn will open limitless doors of opportunities that no other traditional job-hunting ways would allow you access. But of course, the first step is to register and set up your account on LinkedIn. As soon as you have a LinkedIn profile, make sure to enhance it so that people will notice you and take notice of your work.
A LinkedIn profile contains different tabs and information that allow a viewer (possible employer or business partner) to understand more about you, your skills, background, and experiences. It’s key to understand and maximize all the features in your profile. Your branding is built on the basis of your LinkedIn profile page.
What’s even better is that LinkedIn often updates features to improve its functionality as a platform for personal marketing and provides you with fresh methods to communicate your qualifications and goals. You can discover fresh opportunities to develop your brand if you haven’t recently visited your profile page.
Apply the tips and tricks below so you can differentiate your profile on LinkedIn:
Begin by choosing the right profile picture.
Like other social media platforms, LinkedIn will require you to upload your profile picture. Your LinkedIn profile photo serves as your business card; as visual creatures, it introduces you to others and shapes their initial perceptions of you!
While there are many other tips for choosing the best professional photo, a simple step is to make sure the photo is recent and represents you, that your face takes up about 60% of it. Remember to wear professional or at least decent clothes in your picture, and you should have a smile to make you appear warm and friendly.
Choose a catchy headline.
A headline is a vital part of your LinkedIn profile. Use the headline area to explain your perspective on your career and share what motivates you. Optimize your headline for “social selling” by listing more than just your job title.
Incorporate keywords into your LinkedIn summary and profile.
Keywords are necessary for your LinkedIn profile. You should be aware of the keywords you want to rank for while choosing them. For instance, depending on your profession or target employers, be sure to include keywords that potential customers or employers may be searching for. Check out other similar LinkedIn profiles, see what keywords they use, and integrate them into your profile.
Keep your summary interesting.
Make sure to create a summary on your LinkedIn profile. Some people skip this, not knowing that it’s an effective way to boost your account. Use your summary to convey your narrative; don’t just list your qualifications or previous positions. Try to illustrate the value of such talents and the impact they may have on the individuals you deal with.
Don’t be afraid to spend some time creating your summary, attempting a few revisions, and asking others to read it. It is considered the most intimate piece of content marketing. Therefore, it’s worth the time.
Grow your network and connections.
The next crucial step is to grow your network. Connect your LinkedIn profile to your email address book so it is easier to find and follow others, especially those that you’re directly or indirectly affiliated with.
Also, consider who LinkedIn recommends to you. These recommendations are often appropriate contacts whom you can connect with at your liberty. It’s also a wonderful idea to add your connections through their LinkedIn accounts so you can keep in touch professionally.
Indicate your talents, skills, and services.
LinkedIn is your ultimate way to promote yourself and your service offerings. This new LinkedIn feature enables consultants, freelancers, and small business owners to showcase the range of services they provide. Your search engine visibility can be enhanced if you fill out the Services section of your profile.
Request recommendations from people you’re associated with.
If a profile is filled with sincere and encouraging testimonials about the individual and their job, this greatly increases confidence. You may make use of this function by going and asking your supervisors, clients, and coworkers for suggestions. This can increase your credibility and make your account more optimized for sure.
Optimize your feature section.
Your LinkedIn profile comes with a feature section. This is your chance to dazzle profile visitors with your work, and high-performing material is in the highlighted area. Describe your proudest accomplishments, awards, and information. The content should be high-quality and relevant to your professional brand.
Your LinkedIn strategy and objectives should be consistent with it. You can include videos, blogs, articles, and other media forms as part of your content strategies. In turn, visitors will get a comprehensive picture of your knowledge and interests from this.
Periodically update your featured section to keep it up-to-date and interesting. Think about highlighting your most current work or your most successful material.
Follow influencers and key people in your industry.
Like Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn allows you to follow others. It’s best to follow influencers and key people in your industry. Several intriguing items will flood your feed, which you may share with others when you feel it would be helpful. Contextualize your LinkedIn profile and show your enthusiasm for what you do.
Spark conversations and engagement.
There are many ways to engage and spark conversations on your LinkedIn account. One way is to share and comment on information. The logical next step is to publish lengthy posts. Watch how others react and share your content!
Air your opinion on certain topics that matter to you. It keeps you authentic and shows your prospective employer that you are well-versed in issues hounding society. Be prepared for new conversations to begin as a result of your lengthy posts. Observe the remarks and be prepared to reply.
What’s In It for You If You Optimize Your LinkedIn?
Optimizing your LinkedIn profile may help you reach your objectives and develop your career, regardless of your level of experience. Let’s begin by maximizing the value of your LinkedIn profile.
Grow your visibility and reach.
Potential clients, recruiters, and hiring managers use LinkedIn to locate individuals with specific skills, experience, or credentials. As a result, your LinkedIn profile will rank higher in search results the more optimized it is. Your chances of being recognized and contacted for employment possibilities or business agreements will rise as a result of being more visible to potential employers or clients.
This also implies that individuals who would not have discovered you otherwise will see your profile. As a consequence, you will have more chances to build your network and interact with people in your sector.
Network effectively.
A well-optimized profile on LinkedIn can assist you in forming connections and expanding your network. You can grow your network, establish connections with people in your sector, and attract the correct connections by making sure your LinkedIn profile is optimized.
Additionally, when reaching out to new contacts, an optimized profile may help you make a great first impression. You are more likely to be regarded seriously and provide a good first impression if you show yourself as a professional with the necessary training and expertise.
Establish a strong and professional brand.
As your LinkedIn profile becomes more optimized, employers and viewers will perceive your brand in a good light. This will indicate how professional your brand is. You can demonstrate your talents and skills and make yourself authoritative in your field of practice.
More employment possibilities, joint ventures, and other professional prospects may result from this. You may create credibility by showing your abilities, successes, and experience on a well-optimized LinkedIn page.
LinkedIn’s Advantages for Master’s Students
Business Networking
Grad school students can take advantage of business networking as early as possible. LinkedIn can be your professional social media platform that can offer opportunities that no other socials can. You can add connections and follow notable people and organizations after creating your LinkedIn profile. Your feed will display posts from the people you follow, keeping you informed of relevant industry news, available positions in your field, and advice from seasoned experts.
Employment Recruitment
77% of recruiters in 2022 utilized LinkedIn to discover candidates for available positions or to research candidates before inviting them for interviews. It is, therefore, beneficial to have a LinkedIn profile since it allows employers to assess your skills, training, and experience. LinkedIn is a great place to research your alternatives and even contact recruiters directly, where firms may also advertise open positions.
Investigate and Study Prospective Employers
Master’s graduates need to be sure about the employers who can hire them. There’s no time to waste, and it’s such a hassle to go through interviews and application steps just to be disappointed in the end. Fortunately, aside from the individual accounts of their employees, most businesses have LinkedIn company pages.
These frequently highlight available positions, staff turnover rates, and important information about the workplace culture in order to appeal to prospective employees. It is also a good idea to request informational interviews from those who work there to learn more about the workplace culture. By learning about the company you’ll work for, you have peace of mind.
Publish Your Work
A résumé and a LinkedIn profile both list employment history, education, awards, and noteworthy projects. In that it’s a multimedia site where you may add links, original content, and a distinctive bio, LinkedIn differs from a resume. This is the best way to highlight online projects, publish your work portfolio, and include a business website or a university article about your master’s work. You can place them in the feature section of your LinkedIn profile.
What NOT to Do When Using LinkedIn
Now that you know how to optimize LinkedIn, it’s equally important to know what to avoid when using LinkedIn. Here are some of them:
Posting Offensive Content
While posting inappropriate stuff online is never a smart idea, this is especially true on LinkedIn. Keep in mind that instructors and recruiting managers are looking and are passively scrolling into candidates’ accounts.
Political content, suggestive images, content about drinking and partying, and, also, too sentimental or intimate content are all deemed improper for LinkedIn. It’s best to post anything entertainment-related on your other social media accounts and reserve LinkedIn as professional and formal as possible.
Inconsistent Content and Information
Consistency is key when you’re writing about your information, jobs, and backgrounds. It’s important to be honest in all the information you post. Don’t oversell yourself when adding your professional experience on LinkedIn, even though it’s great to do so.
You risk coming out as needy if all of your posts highlight how awesome you are or why someone should hire you. Yes, show off your work, but avoid being spammy or excessive in your presentation. It won’t hurt to have another set of eyes assess and check your profile before you finalize it.
Spamming Connections
LinkedIn connections ought to be genuine and have limitations, much like real-world contacts. Your professional career may suffer if you repeatedly direct message connections or make too many connection requests to strangers. Instead, exercise the same caution you would in social situations at work by being cordial, sincere, and considerate of others’ time.
Missing Out on Your Profile
Your LinkedIn profile should change along with you as your professional persona does. It’s a good idea to update your account once in a while, especially if you have an important change or milestone in your life. This might be as simple as updating your feed with a status update about a study endeavor or revising your overview section and photo. You don’t have to be on LinkedIn constantly, but you should log in frequently.
What Should a Masters Student’s LinkedIn Header Look Like?
Your LinkedIn headline for a master’s or doctoral student should specify who gains from your study, the value you contribute, and how you go about doing it. Creating an excellent LinkedIn headline involves strategically using keywords, highlighting your strengths, and demonstrating your professional identity clearly. In doing so, you can appeal to many prospective employers even when you’re still in grad school.
How Many Characters Can Be Used in the Headline on LinkedIn?
The maximum character count for the LinkedIn headline is 220. It is critical to utilize this valuable space on your LinkedIn profile to craft a catchy headline that effectively captures your professional personality and emphasizes your distinctive value proposition. Your profile’s success can be greatly impacted by a well-written LinkedIn headline, which can also help you draw in the proper chances and connections.
How to be Proactive on LinkedIn
Share and comment.
When you add comments to your shares, you become more visible in the stream and start to justify why you think a certain piece of content is significant. When comments are written correctly, a larger range of topics may be shared. For instance, even if you don’t agree with something, you could still find it intriguing.
With a statement that may reflect that opinion, you first establish your perspective and thought leadership. Additionally, it will probably result in more comments, which will improve your LinkedIn profile. As you compose your remark, keep this in mind and make sure to include something you’re glad to be affiliated with.
Constantly tweak or change your LinkedIn Profile.
Make sure you are active on LinkedIn after finishing and tweaking your profile to improve your marketability, searchability, and exposure. Every time you click like, comment, or share, that is featured or highlighted in your social media feed. As a result, you will be at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts in your network. You will benefit from this, and it will open up many options for you.
Bottom Line
You may make the most of LinkedIn and accomplish your professional goals by employing pertinent keywords, highlighting your skills, and customizing your profile to your career goals as a grad school graduate. You may open up new doors and advance your career by growing your visibility and reach, developing your professional brand, developing strong relationships, and networking successfully.
You may present yourself as an expert and seasoned professional in your business by devoting time and effort to enhancing your profile. Any professional who wants to acquire new employment prospects, develop their brand, or increase their network must optimize their LinkedIn profile.
