LinkedIn — Joyce’s Career Tip of the Week

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Career

Do you have a LinkedIn account?

Most of the students I meet tell me that they have a LinkedIn account; however, many of them admit that they really don’t use it.

Is learning to use LinkedIn effectively worth your time?

There are currently 562 million LinkedIn users! In the United Staes, 25 percent of all adults use LinkedIn. The platform attracts people with higher paying jobs, with 45 percent of people earning over $75,000 saying they use LinkedIn compared to just 13 percent of those earning under $30,000. And two-thirds of millionaires have used LinkedIn.

What is the best way to get started?

LinkedIn has resources created especially for college students. You will find a college student profile checklist, handouts and videos including a three-chapter Job Hunting Handbook filled with tons of helpful information.

Why should you join any LinkedIn Groups?

LinkedIn Groups are hubs on LinkedIn that provide a place for professionals in the same industry (or with the same interests) to share information. Once you join a group, you can see where the other group members are working, look at their career paths and participate in discussions. This feature gives you the opportunity to learn about companies and job titles as well as share information without leaving your home.

Why should you “follow” your favorite targeted companies?

It is a good way to do your interview preparation research. You will get general information and updated company news, learn about their products, see job openings and discover interesting information.

What is the “career advice platform”?

While training the team of new peer career coaches last week, one of the graduate peer coaches showed us a feature that was new to me. The career advice platform is located on “Your Dashboard” under your profile. This resource allows you to get career advice from professionals, let recruiters know that you are looking for a new position and gather information from “salary insights.”

Get connected!

Set time aside each week for using LinkedIn. The Fulton Schools peer career coaches are available to help you. You can make appointments with them through Handshake.

 

Joyce Donahue is a Certified Career Counselor in the Fulton Schools Career Center.