The Complete Guide to Building the Best LinkedIn Profile for Students | Chegg Internships (2023)

Updated August 9, 2022

Especially now that we spend a lot of time online. We live in the so-called information age and companies around the world are now 100% virtualized. Therefore, it is more important than ever to improve your online presence when applying for internships and jobs.

Most college students today are already social media gurus. Your Instagram stories will likely get dozens of views, your tweets will always be retweeted, and your Facebook posts will spark a lot of healthy debate. But there is one platform that is often not in daily circulation: LinkedIn. Unlike other platforms that are primarily designed to distract you from your actual work, LinkedIn is critical to your professional success. With internships and jobs becoming more competitive than ever, you want to buildGive prospective employers and recruiters the perfect LinkedIn profile.That's what you'll find in this guide:

Why connect with LinkedIn?

When it comes to building your career and landing your dream role, people keep telling you to network. Virtually have lunch with an old classmate, email a few family friends, call your old nanny — you never know who has the most important connection! In today's increasingly digital world, LinkedIn is where you connect — conveniently isolated from wherever you are. Everyone on LinkedIn is a professional — meaning they're your potential contact if you're doing an internship or job hunt.

Finding an internship or job is a big deal. It's time-consuming, confusing, and highly competitive (especially now!) — but it's also incredibly rewarding. The sooner you start building a professional online presence, the better. Creating a LinkedIn profile allows you to connect with other people, research areas, and companies that interest you and establish yourself as a trusted professional with specific experiences and skills.

The more people you reach out to, the more likely you are to meet people related to your dream role (and the more likely those connected people are to contact you). If you suddenly find yourself looking for a new job this summer, don't just ask your neighbor if they need an assistant and pray. With a strong LinkedIn presence, you can reach tens or hundreds of people working in organizations or industries directly related to your career goals. Also,95% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find candidates, so a big opportunity could fall into your lap - if you play your profile cards right.

LinkedIn is also a great way to actively shape your online identity. While stalking your ex online is old tale, recruiters and hiring managers also use Google to learn more about potential new hires. You save them a lot of time and effort by creating a LinkedIn profile; it shows what your CV is only telling them, thus boosting your credibility as a candidate. Additionally, as we'll discuss in more detail later, you can include a lot of information that isn't on a resume, such as direct recommendations from others and work samples.

On the other hand, while employers use LinkedIn to get a full picture of you, LinkedIn is a great resourceResearch potential companies (and their employees).Websites can be out of date, but LinkedIn Pages usually aren't. Companies also issue press releases, employee-written articles, or breaking news—all of which make for great conversations when you arriveInterviewphase.Speaking of interviews, you can also use LinkedIn to find people who might interview you and identify common interests or experiences.

Do you believe it? OK Let's dive into the details of profiling.

Create the perfect profile on LinkedIn

Now it's time to create your own LinkedIn profile, step by step, section by section.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when following LinkedIn's student-centric tips for signing up: First, have your profile and resume ready, and make sure you're signing up with a professional email address, that you check frequently. When LinkedIn asks if you're a student, current students will want to answer "yes." If you are a studentAndIf you're at work, don't worry: once the basic setup is complete, you can update your account.

When LinkedIn asks you, "What interests you most?" rest assured that you can edit all of this later and customize your profile. First, select "Find a job" - that's a good start.

Another tip for recent grads: if you don't currently have a job, act like you do (and make sure you show up in searches). This simple trick: Create a post that mimics LinkedIn's job format but describes your current alternative. Work a regular nine to five. For example, a recent graduate might write "Python Developer/Class of 2019" or something similar. Write whatever you want for the company name.

Once logged in, all of your information will appear under your “Me” profile in the top navigation bar of your LinkedIn home page. You can add new sections by clicking the Add Profile Section button.

1. Photos:

After uploading your photo, you become a full LinkedIn member. You should now be on your LinkedIn homepage.

LinkedIn will ask you to add a photo when you set up your account. It's the first thing anyone sees. While professional photography is the way to go, you don't have to think too much about it. Just ask a family member to take a high-resolution portrait photo of you in a clean shirt and smiling. You can even ask a friend to take a snap via video chat. When everything is done, go to the university career center; a free photo service is often offered there.

2nd title:

Click Me in the top right corner of the home page and select View Profile.

Once you click on your profile, LinkedIn provides a wizard that will walk you through suggested steps based on what else is missing from your profile. Alternatively, you can select the pencil icon to the right of the Add Profile section to follow our guidelines.

First, it's time to grab a killer title. Your headline is the first thing people read on your profile. So you want to make a difference. Don't just say "student" or "graduate". This does not summarize who you are and what you do. You can, of course, include your current title and company (or major and school) — that's the LinkedIn default, in fact. But you can also say who you want to be, highlight your greatest achievements (memberships, certifications, and areas of expertise are all valid), and promote your latest projects. You want to grab people's attention with as few words as possible. It's also a great place to promote what you're looking for next. If you are looking for an internship, speak up. This ensures that your profile is displayed when recruiters search for interns. For example:

3. Contact information:

Click Contact Information next to your location to make sure everyone knows where to reach you. If you enter a phone number, you may need to adjust your privacy settings accordingly. You can also place your personal website or online portfolio here. A small step that can really boost your profile!

4. Summary:

In the Add Profile section, click About and then click the + sign to present yourself at your best.

You want to add all those little details to your headline that excite you — so people want to get to know you. This is what your LinkedIn summary will look likeSummary or objective of the resume, but with plenty of space and opportunity to write anything you want in your own words. We recommend writing in the first person rather than the third person as it is more personal. You write 2-5 paragraphs to grab your audience's attention and get them to connect with you. As a student, you want to balance your needs with those of your employer - so focus on who you are looking for in your next role and how you can add value to the company.

a great LinkedInSummary highlighting your area of ​​expertise, your relevant hard and soft skills (including your measurable impact), your desired industry/career opportunity, and your unique qualifications and personality. Essentially, you tell the story of your career from past to present to future. If you are less experienced, guiding with a compelling anecdote or your personal mission can help. If you're in a more technical field, focus more on industry keywords and your hard skills.

5. Experience:

The next sections are all under Add Profile Section: Background.

The first and most important: Here you describe your professional experience (internships, traineeships, cooperations and part-time jobs are absolutely important) and what you have done and achieved in the individual roles. You can import your resume first and then manually customize each role to optimize keywords and content. As with your resume, always start with your current position and work your way down.

We have some resumes if you need themInspiration for current students and graduates.A great resume is the backbone of a strong LinkedIn profile that you too can readMore resume examplesTo ensure your experience section is correct.

6. Education:

Listing your qualifications is a matter of course for students. This is where everything goes from your degree. Get your secondary school involved too, as it's a great way to socialize. For current students, include your expected graduation date and don't forget to add summer courses and study abroad experiences.

7. Licenses and Certifications:

If you have received certificates or licenses, please place them here. You can even enter your license number to let any prospective employer know you're telling the truth.

8. Volunteer Experience:

Even if you don't get paid for your work, do it anyway and the employer will recognize it. List all volunteer engagements and highlight your measurable impact and transferable skills in bullet points – as well as your work experience.

9. Skills and Recognition

In the Add Profile section, click Skills and then click the + sign to highlight the hard skills employers really want.

10. Achievements:

In the Add Profile section, click Achievements and review each applicable category individually.

For current students or recent graduates, the Honors and Awards section is crucial as these honors are tangible proof of your excellence. You can also add your coursework, focusing on the courses that are most relevant to your chosen industry and best showcase your skills.

For many students, the Publications section is a great way to highlight and link to your published work for recruiters to easily view (and review). With "Languages" you can prove your multilingualism. However, do not list any language unless you are familiar with its use. In "Organizations" you develop extracurricular activities during your school days, from sports to clubs. You can add professional memberships later in your career. Just as with your volunteering and work experiences, be sure to describe what you did and achieved for each one. Finally, "Project" is another useful category: Have you managed a successful project in one of your courses? Are you currently writing your first novel? Mention here.

twice the effort

If you have completed all of the above sections, you are in good shape. Be sure to double-check your work to make sure everything is correct, your grammar is perfect, and you don't see a single typo. Your Careers Services Center will be happy to assist you with current students.

At this point, you also want to go to Settings and Privacy to check what everyone can see. In particular, make sure recruiters know you're open by going to Job Search Preferences and changing everything to Yes.

We've got some tips, tricks, and additional content for you if you want to become a LinkedIn superstar.

That's it folks!

Now you're a LinkedIn expert. Just like your other social media sites, you needKeep your profile up to dateAnd check things regularly. From here you can join groups, share updates and connect with professionals around the world.