LinkedIn for Undergraduate Students: A Smart Way to Expand Networking for Higher Studies

Abhijeet Acharjee Jeet

Let us consider two friends “A” and “B”. Both of them are higher study enthusiast undergraduate students. “A” has a relatively good academic profile whereas “B” has a moderate profile. Since “A” has a captivating profile, he seemed a bit “relaxed”. On the other hand, “B” is always looking for ways to compensate for the drawbacks of his profile. He knows that he needs to follow a different path than that of “A”. As a part of this journey, along with skill development, “B” maintained a good LinkedIn profile. And guess what? This organized LinkedIn profile is something that has put “B” ahead of other aspirants. At the end of his undergrad life, he discovered that he has good communication with the pioneers of his field of interest which paved the way for his opportunities in upcoming days. The key concept that lies here is “Networking”.

Yes, today we are going to discuss about “LinkedIn” – a social networking platform for professionals and officials of different fields. LinkedIn can be a very effective medium for students who have a desire for higher studies abroad. It can be helpful for students of different stages. However, I want to discuss how an undergraduate student can properly build an engaging LinkedIn profile to make the best use of this large platform.

First thing first – knowing the etiquette. Since, it is a professional platform, we need to be very conscious about the code of conduct. A formal profile picture and a well-written summary are the two major things that make our profiles stand out. A customized URL of LinkedIn profile is also preferable. Another thing that will draw the attention of the visitors of your profile is a punchy headline. Being concise and informative is a must in this case since it will create the initial impression.

Now, let us talk about “connections”. LinkedIn connections are the persons that are part of your network which can be set up by invitations from either sides. Let us see what LinkedIn authority is saying about connections – “On LinkedIn, the basic type of connection is a contact you know personally and who you trust on a professional level. Once you’ve connected to them on LinkedIn, you are considered a 1st-degree connection.”. The key thing in this quotation is “knowing personally and trusting on a professional level”. Therefore, we should connect with someone if we know them personally or if we trust them professionally. If we don’t know someone and want to connect with them, we should leave a short note along with the connection request which will help that person to understand the motive of the connection. For instance, if I am interested in the works of a certain professor and want to keep in touch with him, I can send him a connection request with a short note in which I may mention some of his works that ignited my interest to connect with him. A little bit of homework is mandatory before approaching any pioneer in your field. The initial connection will establish a 1st degree connection with someone. There are also 2nd and 3rd degree connections. Now, for contacting 2nd and 3rd degree connection you need to do it with the “InMail” service which is available in the premium account. However, if you can connect along with a brief note, this limitation can be overcome easily. When you will be building connections with pioneers of your field, LinkedIn will suggest you persons with similar profiles which is very helpful in some cases. It is always a good practice to thank someone after accepting your connection request. Next thing that is important for a healthy professional communication in LinkedIn is “Interaction with connections”. Since LinkedIn is a platform for professionally keeping in touch with each other, we should comment or opine sincerely and politely. For example, if you see one of your connections has published a paper and shared it on LinkedIn, you should congratulate him. There can be many other similar scenarios in which a small compliment will do the work. In this way, you can have an improved professional relationship with the other person. Nowadays, professors (or seniors who are already pursuing their PhD abroad) tend to share various opportunities of openings in their LinkedIn profile. Therefore, a warm professional relationship with those persons will always keep you ahead in the race.

Now, let us look into other profile sections. In the “Experience” section, you can list all the work experiences you have with a concise description. In the “Licenses and certifications” section, you can list any valid certification or license you have received with appropriate name of the issuing organization, credential ID and credential link. For example, if you complete any reputable course and obtain a certificate you can list it in this section. In the “Volunteer experience” section try to add all the volunteering experiences which will create a good impression about you validating your leadership skills. One of the most important sections is “Skills and endorsements”. In this section, you can add your existing skills. Moreover, you can give a 15-minute quiz on a specific skill in which if your score lies among the top 30%, you will receive a badge from LinkedIn. Another important thing is endorsement. Suppose, you have been helped by one of your friends in a work of “ArcGIS”. You can appreciate his help by endorsing him in ArcGIS in his “Skills and endorsement” section. In this way, you can also receive endorsements from your connections when you help them in a specific work. The next crucial section is the “Recommendations” section. There are two tabs under this section – “Received” and “Given”. If you recommend someone for any work (such as data analysis, team management, research etc.), it will be shown in the “Given” tab. You can write about someone in your own words emphasizing his skills and capabilities in his “Recommendation” section. Moreover, you can ask for recommendations from someone with whom you have worked after any project, research or group work etc. It can be your supervisor, your senior, your friend or any coworker who can evaluate your capabilities. However, it is never a good practice to ask for a recommendation from someone who has not worked with you or doesn’t know you. The last section I want to discuss is “Accomplishments”. This section can be used in various ways. For example, you can share your publications in this section under the “Publications” heading. Same goes for projects, languages you know or important courses you have taken that may impart an idea of your work types.

This is all I had to share. LinkedIn is a great platform to showcase how prepared and matured you are when it comes to professional communication. If utilized properly, one can make the best use of this platform regardless of his drawbacks or limitations. I would like to draw the conclusion with a quote by Derek Handova, a famous journalist,

“No matter what job you have in life, your success will be determined 5% by your academic credentials, 15% by your professional experiences and 80% by your communication skills.”