Getting “LinkedIn”

It is that time of year where students are on the job hunt, submitting application after application. Whether it is searching for an internship or trying to land a job after graduation, a great way to find jobs and have employers find you is to have a stellar LinkedIn profile.

LinkedIn has multiple profile levels you can achieve. The following is a guide to help your profile reach the highest level, “All-Star” status. Being an “All-Star” will get you further exposed to employers, recruiters and jobs on LinkedIn.

The initial step to reaching the “All-Star” level is to add a profile picture. This is your profile’s first impression of you so make sure it is professional.

Next, list two jobs that you have held. With each job, include a description of your role.

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After that, be sure to have at least five skills listed on your profile. Skills can include experience with social media, team work, time management or anything relevant that you have practice with. Skills can be endorsed by other LinkedIn members. The more endorsements you have the more credible you are as an employee.

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Another step to reaching “All-Star” status is to write an articulate summary about yourself. The summary should include a description about your preferred industry and your qualifications. This is also a place to provide a link to a portfolio website if you have one.

Be sure to fill out your current city of employment or current city where you go to school.

Adding where you attended school also will get you one step closer to reaching that “All-Star” level.

Finally, you need gain more connections. Fifty connections are a good starting point and also checkpoint for “All-Star” status. Once you have over 500 connections, LinkedIn stops tallying your connections. It is important to note that your connections need to be meaningful. You should not be adding people at random—have a calculated and authentic reason for the connection.

Follow these seven “All-Star” steps to upgrade your LinkedIn profile and your chances of landing a job or internship will only increase.

By Jay Ferrick, Videographer