As a soon-to-be graduate, I’ve begun preparing for post-grad life. I just applied to graduate, I’m crossing off fun things on my Springfield bucket list, and I have finally gotten around to creating my LinkedIn page. LinkedIn seemed incredibly intimidating and difficult to learn so I kept putting it on the end of my to-do list. But now that I’ve created my account I can’t stop checking it! It has integrated itself into my top three favorite social media platforms. 
Here are some tips I can give you when you start your own LinkedIn account:
- Don’t expect it to be completed in under five minutes. Employers will be looking at your account, so make sure you invest some time into the presentation and content of your LinkedIn profile.
- Have someone else review your resume before you post it. This could be the through the Career Center or a having a couple friends vet your document, but make sure another pair of eyes sees it! Nothing is worse than misspellings or incorrect grammar on a resume.
- Get professional head-shots. Lucky for us, the Career Center offers this for free! Since I don’t have a professional picture readily available, I used a picture of me from an award ceremony for my organization. Strive to be as professional as possible if you can’t get professional pictures done!
- Connect with those you know, but not everyone that is available on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is just like any other social media platform, so make sure you are aware of strangers and don’t accept invites from just anybody because you want your ‘connections’ number to rise. Be picky about who your associate with on social media.
LinkedIn has been a fun exploration for me, and I hope these tips help out for you!
~Grace
(Grace Walker, a senior majoring in Socio-Political Communications, is an Orientation Assistant in the New Student and Family Programs Office. Here involvement on campus includes University Ambassadors, the Traditions Council, the Homecoming Committee and Alpha Chi Omega.)