In addition to connecting with professionals and searching for job opportunities, LinkedIn can be an effective tool for college students to showcase your skills and build your personal brand.

Here are some ways to create a strong LinkedIn profile: 

1. Make sure you have a high-quality professional profile picture.

2. Make your headline compelling and specific while highlighting your expertise, skills, and achievements.

Examples: 

Marketing Student: Aspiring Marketing Professional | Digital Marketing Enthusiast | Results-Driven College Student

Computer Science Student: Computer Science Student | Coding Enthusiast | NSBE | Seeking Internship Opportunities

Design Student: Design Student | Award-Winning Product Design Summit ‘22 Participant| Seeking Product Design Full-Time Opportunities 

3. Your summary section should provide an overview of your professional background, including your experiences and accomplishments. Make sure you are using keywords (“digital marketing, SQL, python, copywriting, sourcing”) in the summary section so that your profile is more searchable.

Examples: 

Marketing Student: As a marketing student with a passion for social media, I am dedicated to developing and measuring the success of  innovative strategies. Proficient in google analytics, paid ads, and social media management, I am eager to apply my skills and contribute to a dynamic marketing team. 

Computer Science Student: I am a computer science student with a strong foundation in programming languages such as Java and Python. Through various internships and projects, I have gained practical experience in software development, iOS development, and web development. I am actively seeking internships to further enhance my skills and contribute to cutting-edge technology projects.

Design Student: As a design student with an interest in product design specifically, I am passionate about creating visually compelling experiences. Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, UI/UX design, and prototyping, I am dedicated to delivering innovative design solutions that captivate users and drive business outcomes. Actively seeking full-time opportunities, let’s connect!

4. Describe your accomplishments, projects, and notable experiences in your work history. Use bullet points and make sure to quantify your accomplishments - data is more powerful than just saying you did something.

Example: Instead of saying “Led a fundraiser for my robotics team”, quantify your impact and be as specific as you can. For example: “Led a fundraiser that raised over $5,500 for low-income communities in need of laptops and tablets for educational use”.

5. You can add credibility to your profile by getting recommendations and endorsements from professors, industry professionals that you have worked with, or anyone who can speak to your abilities and work ethic.

6. Share and engage with relevant and meaningful content on LinkedIn to demonstrate your industry knowledge and engagement. This can include articles, posts, and comments related to your field of expertise.

7. Under your work experience, make sure you add skills. This is one of the major ways recruiters search for candidates, Make sure the relevant skills you are adding to your profile fit the experience you are highlighting, such as “sales, customer support, UI/UX, reporting, SQL, Java, photoshop, excel”

8. Optional: If you have an online portfolio of your work, make sure to link that to your LinkedIn. Potential employers can better understand your work style and approach by viewing an online portfolio, which provides tangible evidence of your abilities and accomplishments.