LinkedIn, a professional social networking platform with over 750 million+ members, is a great tool to network, discover internships and jobs, and learn additional skills that will be beneficial to your future career path. What is the best way to maximize this tool to make meaningful connections? LinkedIn can be overwhelming at first because you want to make your profile professional, while highlighting the skills, talents, and experiences you have to offer to a company. On November 10th, 2022, Jhaakira Jacobs, the Associate Director of Career Development at the Villanova Career Center, offered a workshop to demonstrate how to create a LinkedIn profile that will stand out to recruiters and how to use the tools LinkedIn offers to leverage your network in the job market and interview process.
In the 21st century, online networking for career opportunities is key to learn more about the role you are applying for, the company’s background and employees, or just building a network of people from diverse industries and experiences. Online networking can be a great way to hear about others’ experiences, as Jhaakira emphasized throughout the presentation. Simply starting a conversation on LinkedIn can open the door to countless opportunities. Some tips offered in the session include, ensuring that your profile, educational background, and skills are visible to the publica so recruiters can see valuable information about you, display any media that you have written or that you are mentioned in to highlight your unique skills or experiences, and give a brief description in the “About” section. She also explained that LinkedIn has educational/training opportunities about a variety of topics and if you complete them, you can display them on your profile.
In addition to exploring LinkedIn in this workshop, Jhaakira Jacobs also mentioned the Nova Network, which is similar to LinkedIn, however it is specifically for members of the Villanova community. This is a great way to connect specifically with Villanova alumni and students to gain insights into a variety of career opportunities.
As a freshman, this workshop was beneficial because LinkedIn is a great tool I can use to discover opportunities in industries I am interested in, learn from people whose have experience in these roles, and network as I am entering into the professional stage on my life. While I have had a LinkedIn profile for some time, I was unsure how to maximize its potential and display my profile most effectively, but this workshop provided me with the tools and tips to successfully navigate the world of LinkedIn.
– Erin Lynch
Professional Skills Building 