Launch your career using LinkedIn
Your online CV that never sleeps
What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is a social network for professionals.
No matter how much experience you have, your profile will allow you to follow, connect, or interact with other students, recent graduates or professionals in the industry. Your profile is a great way to share – not only your experience – but also your passion, personality, interests, and connections. Many contacts can be made from this to support your career, from mentoring to future employers.
It’s never been more important for today’s students and graduates to use tools like LinkedIn for their career development. 93% of recruiters use LinkedIn to research and recruit candidates.
Why use LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is not scary. By updating your profile, you can ensure you are accessible to future employers. There are a mix of professionals and companies on LinkedIn - all with a wide range of experiences. By engaging in the business community of LinkedIn you will be making yourself more approachable and employable to others. Your professional connection could be your next boss or a key contact for your future career journey.
A professional brand and network are things that take time to develop, especially at the very beginning, and we are here to help you.
"LinkedIn is a powerful tool for students and graduates to use as it allows you to make connections and build your networks with all the professionals you meet during your studies and career. LinkedIn can help you showcase your skills, achievements, and experiences and your profile may be found if a potential employer searches for your name during their recruitment process. Additionally, LinkedIn might allow you to grow your network, through your connections and provide opportunities for you in the future."
Ellis Webb, Early Careers Manager Babcock International
LinkedIn is a great tool for:
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8Contacting key people within organisations.
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8Following companies and being alerted to opportunities.
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8Linking to peer groups of like-minded individuals.
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8Making introductions and referrals.
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8Accessing industry specific information and insights.
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8Gaining and developing commercial awareness.
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8Following up on people you meet and maintaining a professional relationship.
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8And to be found by recruiters searching for specific applicants.
LinkedIn support
We can offer you LinkedIn support in a variety of ways:
- To explore how to make the most out of LinkedIn, attend one of our 'Master LinkedIn' workshops.
- If you have created a LinkedIn profile and feel confident using the platform you could have additional one-to-one support from our Advisers. You can book an Information & Advice appointment through myCareer or visit us in the Student Hub in the Library.
- LinkedIn Learning – an online training library where you can undertake free courses (current UoP students only) to learn more about specific skills, software and programmes.
I knew nothing about LinkedIn before the webinar and now I have a knowledge of how to set up a profile, connect with people and companies. The intimidation of the social platform has been reduced and I feel confident that I can use it to my advantage.
The workshop was extremely helpful and has encouraged me to be more active with LinkedIn, having more knowledge of how to use it effectively. I have already recommended it to other students.
Building your LinkedIn profile
- Write an information profile headline
- Pick an appropriate photo
- Show off your education
- Develop a professional summary
- Fill 'Skills and Expertise' with keywords
- Update your status regularly
- Collect diverse recommendations
- To increase the professional results that appear when people search for you online, set your LinkedIn profile to 'public' and create a unique URL
- Share examples of your writing, design work, or other accomplishments on your profile, where you can share rich media or documents.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is an online educational platform that helps you discover and develop business, technology-related, and creative skills through expert-led course videos. With more than 16,000 courses and personalised recommendations, you can discover, complete, and track courses related to your field and interests.
As a University of Plymouth student you have a free access to LinkedIn learning
Our graduate's top 5 LinkedIn Learning courses
Graduates Emily and Jo talk about LinkedIn Learning and share their top 5 courses.
"I use LinkedIn on a daily basis, probably more than facebook, to see what the rest of the industry is up to, what projects are happening and to learn about what innovative ideas are being used. It’s great to expand your knowledge and build a wide networking circle." Rosie Poad (left) – Highway Engineer at WSP
"As recruiters we see the benefits of LinkedIn as being able to promote our opportunities but also to reach out to people by searching for key words and courses." Jonathan Schulte (centre) – Recruitment Manager at Bam Nuttal
