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Phase 1, Step 5 - Start or Update Your LinkedIn Account

Step 5:  LinkedIn has become an essential tool in the recruiting process. Recent studies show that 80% of recruiters are using LinkedIn during the sourcing and recruiting process. Some recruiters are actively posting jobs via LinkedIn and then doing searches of profiles for particular competencies and reaching out to specific people. Some recruiters are checking profiles during the application process to see if your LinkedIn profile matches your resume. Finally, how you manage your LinkedIn account gives them some indication of how technology savvy you are especially when it comes to social media. Marketing professionals should pay particular attention to how other marketing professionals set up their accounts.

Questions to ask yourself:

1. Does my LinkedIn profile match my resume? Am I highlighting the same strengths and accomplishments?
2. Have I updated my summary yet and added key words? Whose profile do I like?
3. What do I like about other people’s profiles? Who are the super-connectors that I know? (those with 500 or more connections)
4. Have I recently gone through a demo of what is available on LinkedIn?
5. Review the list of who has viewed your profile recently.  Why do you think they are looking?

Checklist:

1. Set up a LinkedIn profile.  Add your work experience, volunteer experience, education and a summary.
2. Reach out and ask for recommendations from previous coworkers.  It is ideal to have two or more recommendations from each job or volunteer role.
3. Review profiles of people who have the jobs in which you are interested.  Look at their career trajectory. What jobs did they have before or after the role you want?
4. Review profiles of companies of interest to you.  Do you know someone who works there? Reach out and connect to those you know.
5. Find associations available for your area of interest. Consider joining and getting involved.  Join the Willamette MBA groups!

Deliverable for GSM5108:

Start or update your LinkedIn profile.  

After class, review your LinkedIn profile and connect with your Career Coaches (Beth and Shelby) via LinkedIn. Let them know that you’ve completed Phase 1.   Identify 3 people you would like to talk with and ask your Career Coach for introductions through LinkedIn.  

Complete Phase 1, Steps 1-5:  You will receive access to the Professional Network in Career Navigator.

Why this is important: 

Establishing a LinkedIn profile not only helps you market yourself online to employers and professionals, but it is also a platform to collect all the connections you make during your MBA and into your future career.  In the past, many professionals lost touch with old colleagues due to a career change, but with LinkedIn you can continue to build upon your professional network for the rest of your career and stay in contact with everybody.

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