Have you used LinkedIn before? Or even heard of it? It's often referred to as "Facebook for Professionals". Others describe it as a social network for people already working and who have experience.
As a college student, you may think that LinkedIn is something that you will look to join later. Later, when you have a bit more experience or at least know what you want to do when you graduate.
Read this article from Forbes explaining Why College Freshmen Need To Major In LinkedIn.
Actually, joining LinkedIn now is exactly what you should do. Learning how LinkedIn works today even while you are a student will set you up for success using LinkedIn in the future. It may help you find your path to what you want to do even if that is uncertain right now.
Watch this short video that explains how LinkedIn is For Students.
Connecting with your classmates, counselors, and professors throughout your college career will help you begin to build a network of contacts. It's that network that may help you find that perfect job in the future. With today's highly competitive job market, you need to do everything you can to be recognized and remembered...to be remarkable. Connecting via LinkedIn will help you make and maintain contacts who may one day be looking for someone just like you to fill a job at their company!
For this assignment, you will create your own LinkedIn profile. Even if you already have a LinkedIn profile, read through the rest of this next section to make sure your profile is in tip-top shape.
Again, there is no cost in signing up and creating your LinkedIn profile. It is completely free, so if you haven't already, visit the LinkedIn Signup page to begin setting up your profile.
Once you have entered the basic contact information and created your profile, there are some "best practices" to keep in mind when adding to and updating your profile. The goal is to make sure that your profile represents you accurately and in the best possible light.
This video, Top Five Profile To-Do's, provides a quick list of items to initially add to your LinkedIn profile.
Going a bit further, here's a checklist that is worth revisiting in the future as you update the education and experience sections of your LinkedIn profile and as you begin networking with others on LinkedIn.
From these suggestions, here are the things I am looking for you to do in your profile:
Here is the Grading Rubric for the completed items that I want to see in your LinkedIn profile: