Five tips on how to make the most of Linkedin
Published: 2023-11-17
Stina Vikingson is a career adviser at the Career Services at Lund University School of Economics and Management (LUSEM). Here are her five best pieces of advice on how to succeed as a student on the networking platform Linkedin.
Make your headline unique and less generic
Being a ‘Student at Lund University’ doesn’t say very much; rather try to emphasize who you are and what skills you have! This is the first thing people see, so make sure it is clear and informative. You should state your current occupation and your future aspirations in the headline. If possible; also include relevant experiences.
Photos are important
Your profile picture should be a photo that looks like you, and gives the right expression. The best advice is to smile! We appear more approachable and friendlier if we smile. The photo should focus on your face and be taken by someone else. Avoid selfies or photos with other people in the picture. Your background photo can be used to highlight an interest, something industry-related, or others. But also, just a simple one-colour background photo makes your profile look more interesting.
Add a note when making a new connection
Always send a personalized message explaining who you are and why you are connecting. If you don’t have a specific reason, flattery is always a good idea. Maybe this person has an exciting background or works for a company you are interested in.
Use Linkedin to get inspiration
Feel free to look up University alumni. Go to your School page, click ‘Alumni’, and then you can apply different filters to find the most relevant alumnus. Alumni are often very helpful and can easily relate to being students, so don’t be afraid to reach out.
Engage with your network
Share relevant posts, endorse the skills of your classmates, and write recommendations. By engaging in other people's content, you generate more visibility to your own profile, too. Just being on Linkedin won’t give you a job, but engaging with people and helping others will improve your chances.
