How Students Can Use LinkedIn to Find a Job or Internship

LinkedIn is a great place to build your professional brand, and it’s also a great place to find real job and internship opportunities. Follow these tips to find and win the position you want…

1. Become an expert. A great way to stand out from other job seekers is to read as much as you can about the industry you want to join. Being in the know will help you discover organizations that might be hiring and will help you make a good impression as you begin networking and interviewing. Set up LinkedIn Today’s news dashboard and have the top daily industry headlines sent to your email inbox.

2. Attract opportunities with a strong headline. Make sure recruiters and hiring managers can find you by clearly promoting who you are and what kind of work you’re looking for. Develop a great headline, such as "XYZ University honors student & aspiring public relations associate" or “Finance major seeking investment banking internship.” If you’re undecided, it’s okay to be more general: “Entry-level creative professional” or “Recent college graduate with strong communication and organizational skills.”

3. Include keywords. Next, make sure your profile is full of the keywords recruiters use to find candidates for the job(s) you want. Find relevant words and phrases in the job descriptions of these positions and then pepper them throughout your profile’s Summary statement, Specialties area and LinkedIn’s student-focused profile sections such as Skills, Coursework and Organizations.

4. Mention all relevant experience. Experience doesn’t have to be paid to appear on your LinkedIn profile. Your profile’s Experience section can and should include internships, extra curriculars, volunteer work or any other activity that’s provided you with knowledge and skills relevant to the jobs you want. You never know what accomplishments might draw the attention of an employer.

5. Ask your network for help. Build your network by sending personalized LinkedIn connection requests to everyone you know -- friends, family, neighbors, classmates, everyone. Next, send each personal a customized message (no mass emails!) to tell them you’re job hunting and to explain what position(s) you’re looking for. Request some advice or a phone call to talk further, or ask if they can refer you to anyone they know in your desired field. If you make the extra effort to connect one-on-one, people will make the extra effort to help you with advice, a lead or even a future job offer.

6. Find “ins” at your desired employers. Go to the LinkedIn Company page of any organization you want to work for and see if you’re connected to anyone who currently works there or has worked there in the past. If you discover a connection, reach out to that person and ask if he or she would be willing to share some insider advice or pass along your resume to the right person in HR. Some companies even compensate their employees for bringing in new hires, so you might be helping yourself and your contact.

7. Search the Student Jobs Portal. The Student Jobs Portal is a collection of all entry-level job postings on LinkedIn. Search by job function or check out postings from featured companies. When you apply for a job through this portal, the employer will be able to see your full LinkedIn profile along with your application.

8. Get gutsy. Finally, don’t be afraid to reach out directly to a recruiter on LinkedIn. The best way to use this strategy is to first submit your resume for the position you want and then send a message to the specific recruiter who has posted the opportunity (you can find this information on the LinkedIn job posting). Say something like, “I just applied for XYZ position and I wanted to reach out to you directly and express my interest.” This isn’t a guaranteed strategy, of course, but in a competitive job market, every bit of extra effort counts. Good luck!