Creating Your Profile

After your resume, LinkedIn is the best tool to showcase your experience and professional goals. It’s where you can connect with peers and senior professionals, get noticed by recruiters, and stay updated on the companies you want to work for.

If you’ve already created a LinkedIn profile, great! You’re ahead of the game, but I still recommend reviewing the steps below to ensure you’re getting everything out of it.

Step 1: Create an account

Before building your profile, you need to set up a LinkedIn account.

• Go to LinkedIn.com and sign up with your email address
• Choose a strong password, and don’t forget to verify your email to complete your initial setup

Step 2: Choose the perfect profile photo

Your profile photo is one of the first things people see, so it’s important to make a great first impression.

Picking the right headshot:

• Use a high-quality photo with a plain background
• Wear professional attire and make sure your face is clearly visible

Step 3: Enhance your profile with a cover photo

The cover photo is the large horizontal banner at the top of your profile. While using LinkedIn’s default image is acceptable, you can add a personalized cover photo to make your profile more engaging.

Choosing a cover photo:

• Use a high-quality image of your college campus or one that represents your industry
• Consider using a related photo if you have participated in notable projects or events
• Use a properly sized image (1584 x 396 pixels) for optimal display

Step 4: Craft a compelling headline

Your headline is the first piece of text recruiters and connections will see. It needs to reflect your career goals and skills.

Keys to a strong headline:

• Indicate that you’re a recent grad
• Describe your desired role
• Highlight a few key skills that align with your career aspirations

Step 5: Write a captivating About section

This is your elevator pitch. Use this space to highlight your academic achievements, key skills, and professional aspirations.

Formulating a solid About message:

• Summarize your academic background, relevant skills, and career goals in a few sentences
• Use keywords related to your desired industry and/or job title

Step 6: Detail your experience

Detailing your experiences provides evidence of your skills and accomplishments.

When listing experience:

• Include internships, part-time jobs, volunteer work, and relevant school projects
• Use action verbs and quantify your contributions

Step 7: Highlight your education

Your education is one of your biggest assets as a new grad, so thoroughly complete this section on your profile.

Presenting your educational background:

• Include your degree, major, university, and graduation year
• Mention any honors or awards like Dean’s List or extracurricular leadership roles

Step 8: List your skills

Listing your skills helps recruiters quickly see if you have the right qualifications for the role.

Selecting your skills:

• Include both technical and soft skills that apply to your desired job
• Add keywords from job descriptions to match recruiters’ searches

Step 9: Secure recommendations

Recommendations from professors, supervisors, or colleagues can boost your credibility.

Asking for recommendations:

• Reach out to professors, internship supervisors, or colleagues you’ve worked closely with
• Provide context on what you’d like them to highlight, such as teamwork, leadership, or technical skills

Step 10: Customize your URL

A custom LinkedIn URL is easier to share and looks more professional.

Creating a custom URL:

Go to your profile settings and create a custom URL with your name. If your name is already taken, try using your middle name (or initial), an abbreviation of your name, a hyphen (-), or a favorite number.