Using LinkedIn for Professional Development & Networking

Building a Powerful & Professional Network

Building a professional network can serve you well for many years to come. These tips can help you learn how to use LinkedIn effectively from the start, so you can hit the ground running with those first good connections.

• Don't connect with just anyone.

  Jenna Rein, founder and CEO of The Intern Hustle, offers some advice for that moment LinkedIn asks to import contacts from your email address.

  “Something I tell people to avoid when setting up their LinkedIn profile for the first time is automatically sending out connection requests to all of their imported contacts,” Rein says. “You don't have a profile set up yet, so you're essentially asking your contacts to connect with a shell of a profile. This doesn't make for a very good first impression. Wouldn't you rather pop up on their radar for the first time on LinkedIn with a complete and professional profile?”

  While in general, your network expands with the more connections you have, it's not purely a numbers game. Keep in mind that relevant and quality connections hold a lot more value for your career than total number of connections does.

  Jenna Rein

• Learn how to connect properly.

  Want to connect with someone who isn't familiar with you? Drop them a line and say hello. Explain who you are and why you want to connect. If you can bring something of value to them, let them know. Above all, be friendly and enthusiastic when explaining why connecting with them was on your radar in the first place. Here are a few samples of how to reach out to someone who might not know who you are:

  

  

  

• Make the headline and summary really pop.

  Imagine you had five seconds to introduce yourself and make a good impression. What would you say to a potential colleague? That's your LinkedIn headline.

  “The headline shows up right under your name on your LinkedIn profile. More importantly, it shows up alongside your name when someone searches for you on LinkedIn. A headline should be informative and interesting and make someone want to click on your profile and learn more about you,” Rein says.

  Here are a few great examples of headlines that pop:

  • Business Student Graduating with Honors, Spring 2019 | Budding Advertising Specialist

  • Engineering Professional in Sioux City Seeks Opportunities with Infrastructure

  • Recent Law School Graduate with a Passion for Emerging Civil Rights

  • Professional Photographer | Aspiring Filmmaker | Open to Digital Media Opportunities

  

• Use a professional photo.

  If a picture can speak a thousand words, a profile picture on LinkedIn can get at least a thousand views. “It isn't necessary that you invest in a professional photo, but definitely no selfies or crops of yourself from a group photo at a party or wedding,” Rein says. “For a nice LinkedIn profile photo, your senior pictures from High School might do the trick, if they are recent enough and not too elaborate. If not, dress professionally, find a plain backdrop and have someone take a headshot for you.”

  Here are a few examples of a professional photo for LinkedIn:

  

• Take advantage of groups.

  LinkedIn allows you to join up to 100 groups, and it's a good idea to join as many relevant groups as possible. Groups can give you even more great connections, increase awareness of your personal brand and allow you to share articles, job listings and other information to establish yourself as a professional.

  It's a good idea to begin the search for groups with keywords, which will narrow down the options to only those that interest you the most. Remember that broad keywords will give you so many groups you might not be able to look at them all, so keep keywords as targeted as possible. You can even sift through the results to find those that contain several of your connections; if it's interesting to them, it may be of interest to you, too.

  Once you find a group you want to join, click the ‘Ask to Join' button. You can also reach out to group admins to build up your network as well.

  

• Don't be afraid to expand your profile.

  Students or recent grads might think their profile is a bit thin, but careful consideration of past jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities can yield surprising options to feature professional experience.

  “Highlight specific skills from your jobs that any employer would appreciate,” Rein says. “For example, a fast food job in high school can demonstrate that you learned a lot of useful soft skills. Dealing with customers requires strong communication, attention to detail and patience. On the other hand, if you already have some relevant work experience or internships that you can highlight, then you may consider leaving the high school jobs off your LinkedIn profile.”