Now that you've created a LinkedIn profile, you can explore more about the platform, see how it's used, and know what is expected of a modern online professional. LinkedIn can be used for more than just hunting for a job; it is a type of professional social media. On this page, we will also discuss how you can make the best use of LinkedIn in your day-to-day life, not just while job searching.

This page is meant to help you achieve a basic-level skill and understanding of LinkedIn. Once you've gotten familiar with the platform, menus, tools, and features of LinkedIn, the next module will provide follow-along tutorials exploring specific use cases for advanced features as well as how to maximize your NW&JS tools together.

Introduction

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the internet. You can use LinkedIn to find the right job or internship, connect and strengthen professional relationships, and learn the skills you need to succeed in your career. LinkedIn is a platform for anyone who is looking to advance their career. This can include people from various professional backgrounds, such as small business owners, students, and job seekers. LinkedIn members can use LinkedIn to tap into a network of professionals, companies, and groups within and beyond their industry.

Watch the video below for an overview of LinkedIn and how you might use it throughout your career:

Transcript forthcoming

LinkedIn Spotlight:

Compared to other platforms, LinkedIn stands out for its ability to create meaningful connections, highlight professional achievements, and foster trust among industry leaders and decision-makers.

Build career visibility: Keep your LinkedIn profile polished and active to attract recruiters, clients, and new opportunities that might not be accessible on other social media.
Join industry conversations: Participate in discussions and share your insights to help shape your field and connect with thought leaders who genuinely influence business decisions.
Grow your trusted network: Use LinkedIn to connect with professionals, learn from their experiences, and develop relationships that support your personal and business growth.

LinkedIn also has elements like job posting, social media, professional profiles, and networking tools

Job Postings

Students can search for a job or directly access the Jobs page, where they can search and apply for jobs.
Easy Apply: This allows you to apply for the job directly on LinkedIn.
Apply: You’ll be redirected to the company or third-party website where you can apply for the job externally

Social Media

Use LinkedIn as a professional social media platform by engaging in content and participating in conversations.
Engage authentically: Participate in real conversations by commenting thoughtfully, contributing to articles, or joining live events to connect and build credibility within your community.

Professional Profiles

Use a LinkedIn profile to manage your professional branding. A customized profile will help recruiters and other members understand your professional personality.
Track your professional milestones: All of your professional achievements (new job, work anniversary, promotion, etc.) can be recorded and displayed on your LinkedIn profile.

Networking Tools

Students can start conversations by commenting on posts and interacting with others in comment threads.
Build rapport: Send connection requests after consistent and authentic interactions.

Explore Your Account

Spend some time exploring LinkedIn, so you have a better idea of how you can leverage all of its features. For a general tour of LinkedIn, watch the video below:

Transcript Forthcoming

Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile:

A LinkedIn profile shows off who you are, what you do, and what you've accomplished. This video goes over some tips about how to optimize the three main sections of your profile:

Headshot, Banner, Headline
About (or Summary), Featured
Work Experience, Education, Skills

Transcript forthcoming

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCkgBTmAb9E

LinkedIn Maintenance: Everyday Networking

It might seem overwhelming at first. But one of the best ways to stay focused is to consider what your primary purpose for using LinkedIn is. Once you've identified your goal, adjust how you set up and maintain your profile to match your goal. When working on and updating your account, look for opportunities to use keywords, words that are relevant to your field that others may use when searching for someone like you.

Since LinkedIn functions as a professional social media, it uses algorithms that detect use in order to filter the content you see in your feed. To see the most relevant content, you need to engage regularly with individuals, articles, and organizations that are in your field. Ideally, you should be on LinkedIn for 10-15 minutes every day and always stay visible on the LinkedIn platform.

LinkedIn Help

For help using LinkedIn, sign in to LinkedIn and select the button below to watch videos from their courses:

Learning LinkedIn

Adjust your mindset to look at LinkedIn and your interactions on the platform as a way of adding value to your network. LinkedIn is a great place to get updates, ideas, and resources from industry leaders. Use it as a way to create win-win relationships where you're sharing your knowledge and helping people within your network. When you help others, you also increase your visibility on LinkedIn, especially if others share your contributions with their networks. The more you post and interact with others, the more you'll show up on other people's feeds. Remember to be professional and conduct yourself, and your profile to reflect this. Once you've created a great LinkedIn profile, share the URL to your LinkedIn profile on your business cards, email signature, and in other places to help build your network.

Defining Your LinkedIn Goal

Ask yourself, why are you using LinkedIn? What are you trying to accomplish?

Are you looking for a job?
Are you building a professional network, showcasing your business or product, or searching for news and ideas related to your field?

Potential LinkedIn Goals:

Job seeking
Building a professional network
Showcasing a product or service
Staying up to date in your field

Stay visible on LinkedIn:

(https://www.linkedin.com/learning/learning-linkedin-19899255/create-a-great-profile?resume=false&u=2153100#)

Use relevant keywords,
Add value for the people in your network
Stay active
Start early
Be professional
Keep your profile current
Share your profile

LinkedIn Post Schedule

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alicjasmin_this-is-my-most-requested-post-ever-after-activity-7307362445474369537-WnYJ/

It can be challenging to figure out how often you should post on LinkedIn and what to post. Below is a beginner's schedule of how to go about posting on LinkedIn.

First 3 Weeks

Start off with 7 posts for the first few weeks. Take this time to experiment with what works and what types of posts you enjoy more. ONLY publish if you have something to say, and try to stick to 2-3 topics you want to be known for.

Post Division:

60% educational posts to give you validity and authority
30% personal posts to showcase your personability
10% "broad" themed posts to show virality

Weekly

Only post 3-4 posts maximum each week. Only comment on posts that are "on-brand," and avoid tagging big creators to get more reach. Instead, follow creators in regions you're selling to.

Remember, the goal is to focus on profile views, not post impressions.

Daily

Comment daily: Treat comments like mini-posts and set a goal of making 50 comments every day.

Focus on commenting on:

Your Ideal Client Personas
Peers to leverage competitors' views
Bigger influencers to leverage their views
Your LinkedIn friends to connect with others in your follower range

Be early on each of the posts to give you more profile views.

Send a direct message to warm prospects:

Your favorite commenters
Ideal Client Personas within your commenters
Ideal Client Personas from the "reactions" list
Your Profile Viewers (primarily Ideal Client Personas)

Never pitch in your first DM.

Remember that personalized voice/video notes are a great way to connect with others. You may also try personalized guide/loom videos. For help, use Linkbound to find leads inside your interactions

How to optimize your LinkedIn profile.

Additional LinkedIn Resources

FAQ

Reminder:

This page is meant to help you achieve a basic-level skill and understanding of LinkedIn, one of our three primary trifecta tools. Once you've gotten familiar with the platform, menus, tools, and features of LinkedIn, the next module will provide follow-along tutorials exploring specific use cases for advanced features as well as how to maximize your NW&JS tools together.

What makes LinkedIn different from CareerShift?

LinkedIn vs. CareerShift:

CareerShift is not meant to replace LinkedIn but to expand what students can do, since they serve different overall functions, so the wisest professionals will use tools together. Still, CareerShift has some great, unique features and holds some distinct advantages over LinkedIn:

	LINKEDIN	CAREERSHIFT
More Direct Contact	Doesn't require profile contact information, and info may be outdated or indirect, offering limited touchpoints to connections and potential connections (LinkedIn does have in-platform messaging, but it relies on how often the user checks LinkedIn)	Provides all publicly available contact information, including direct emails and phone numbers
Unrestricted View	Filters and narrows what you see in your feed with an algorithm based on your interactions (also requires regular, frequent use to be most effective)	Compiles data across the internet—including information available on LinkedIn—based only on whatever new, unique criteria you provide
(More) Targeted Employer Research	Shows networks, including 2nd and 3rd degree connections	Helps students quickly identify departments, decision-makers, and potential mentors
Centralized Job Search Management	Offers in-platform job applications or posts about opportunities	Offers robust tools for tracking applications or outreach
Better Company-wide Mapping	Shows an individual's current job title, and the organization and department where someone works	Shows organizational structure and employee directories
Contemporary Information	Account information relies on its users being active, accurate, and up-to-date	Pulls publicly available information from a variety of sources to provide you with the most up-to-date information

LinkedIn is a basic professional necessity—seriously, if you can only use one platform, pick LinkedIn—but CareerShift is a close second in terms of value. Its cumulative database is a great place to begin any search, but it's also a great support tool, allowing you to both deepen and widen your search horizons when you make discoveries through other sources and platforms.

How do I refine my profile?

Here are some additional resources that can help you better understand the finer points of your profile and its purpose:

Create a good LinkedIn profile - LinkedIn Help Answers article
Learning LinkedIn - Free LinkedIn Course with Gerrick Chow

Networking & Job Searching for IP&T Introduction to LinkedIn