Top Reasons why you must be on LinkedIn
Top Reasons why you must be on LinkedIn
There is a lot of misunderstanding about LinkedIn. Some consider it a social media platform similar to Facebook, while others consider it a job board. To some extent, both ideas are right, but LinkedIn is more aimed toward professionals than Facebook, and unlike other job sites, LinkedIn provides more than just allow you to search for vacancies.
LinkedIn is a fantastic resource for students, in our opinion, but to persuade you, here are the top five reasons why every student should be on it:
To build a strong network of professional contacts
Getting ahead in any career is as much about who you know, as it is about what you know. Start by connecting with your peers and your university lecturers, then branch out into the industry that you want to work in. You never know when a connection will come in handy and the bigger your network, the more chance you have of being referred to a job role.
To get job alerts
While LinkedIn is about much more than just searching for jobs, it is still incredibly useful when it comes to finding your next position – which makes LinkedIn particularly useful for students. You can program LinkedIn to send you job alerts for certain companies, industries or specific job titles, so that you’ll never miss out on a great opportunity again.
Let the companies find you
These days, when you apply for a job, your prospective employer will no doubt conduct an internet search into you. Students often get a bad rap over their social media presence, so by having a LinkedIn account as a student, you can show an entirely different (and more professional!) side to yourself. Having a LinkedIn account allow companies to find you with ease and, most importantly, to find the information that you want them to find.
Prepare for interviews
Interviews are always nerve-wracking but by having an account on LinkedIn, you can conduct your own research into the company, and the employer, so that you can go into your interview feeling as prepared as possible.
