8 Benefits of having a LinkedIn profile for college students

The world of social media is not mysterious to college students. They live and breathe through these apps. Out of the pool of social media applications, one that particularly stands out is LinkedIn. What might initially seem like an app for professionals, it has immense potential for college students as well.
With a growing number of users, having a LinkedIn profile can be seen as a pathway into the corporate world. If you’re looking to study abroad having a profile on LinkedIn will help you a long way.
Here’s why having a LinkedIn profile is advantageous:

Employment Opportunities
The foremost advantage of having a LinkedIn profile is that it is your doorway into employment opportunities worldwide. Before the advent of LinkedIn, students would get jobs through connections. However, now your job opportunities have increased magnanimously. Students who have attained education abroad can put in their area of specialization and find an appropriate job. Apart from this, if there is a particular company that you’re interested in, you can make applications for the same. Companies regularly update their LinkedIn profile when it comes to job openings and hence you can be one of the selected few who know about the same.

Easy Job Applications
The traditional recruiting process has taken a back seat and LinkedIn has become paramount. Gone are the days, where you would have to run around with copies of your resume. With the ease of uploading the necessary information on your LinkedIn profile, not only will the recruiters peruse through your profile but you can update your skills regularly. The initial stress of a job application is reduced because the recruiter is already aware of your skills and wants to explore them further. This gives you an excellent opportunity to capitalize on the same and use the app to its fullest.

Skill Assessments
A recently added feature of the app is the Skill Assessment tab, wherein you are required to show adequate knowledge for the skills you’ve put in. You have to complete a set number of tasks only upon the completion of which you are allowed to add the skill to your profile. It provides you with the advantage that your skills are backed and thus employers won’t get an opportunity to question the same.

Initiate Connections
Apart from receiving a job offer, the connections you establish on your LinkedIn help you in the long run. For instance, you may start by connecting with your school and college friends and eventually shift to your colleagues. Alumnus from your university are good connections to have. Having an illustrious list of connections speaks to your strong profile. Having a connection who is working at your dream company can be your pathway to the same. Initiating connections will allow you to analyze industry trends and be at the top of the game.

Endorsement and Connections
Collecting endorsements and connections is an excellent way of adding social backing to your profile. As mentioned earlier, having illustrious connections will add value to your profile. Upon receiving an endorsement for your skills, employers receive extra confidence in your profile. The trick now is to not only have relevant skills but also make your profile stand out.

Branding
Having a profile on LinkedIn allows you to create a personal brand. This enables you to showcase what you are, what your skills are to the employers. By highlighting your skills, attributes and interests you create a personal brand for yourself. Once you have created a brand for yourself, employers know what you stand for and thus the process of receiving a job offer becomes streamlined.

Get Job Alerts
If you’re looking to jump into the professional world upon completion of your overseas education then LinkedIn will be the right place to be. You can set it up in such a way that you will receive alerts regarding job openings of certain positions or at certain companies. Receiving these job alerts will allow you to stay one step ahead of others.

Positive Social Image
An increasing trend amongst employers recently is the act of conducting a social media search. In most cases, students often lag in the same department due to several innocent social media posts. Having a LinkedIn profile, shows the employers how serious you are and thus allows you to have a positive social image.

Like any social media, having a LinkedIn profile can be extremely beneficial as long as you know how to capitalize on its benefits.

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