LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. It has more than 740 million members. The fastest-growing demographics on LinkedIn are students and recent college graduates. (Source: About LinkedIn)

Overview video for parents & educators

What is LinkedIn.com?

Professionals of all ages understand the importance of having their resume online and the power of networking. LinkedIn is becoming a very important tool for students who want to improve the first page of their Google results when applying to colleges, internships, or jobs.

Having a LinkedIn account can help students:

• Share their story, accomplishments, interests, and strengths
• Learn about universities from around the world. Find the latest college news and discover fields of interest from existing students attending that school
• Be found by college admission officers and future employers

Where is LinkedIn available?

• Students must be 16 years or older to create a LinkedIn profile
• App Store: 12+
• Google Play: E (Everyone)
• LinkedIn.com
• Owned by Microsoft Corporation, Headquarters in California

Parent & educator training video

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Why should parents & educators care about LinkedIn?

• A student’s Google results can have a major impact on college or job applications.  LinkedIn is very good at appearing on the top page of Google results and students have complete control of what is on their LinkedIn page that appears in the results
• Students will often receive connection requests from strangers and spam messages in the Inbox that could be a distraction or temptation to check frequently
• Any contact information students put in LinkedIn may be seen by any other LinkedIn user or visitor to their profile
• Students may receive “phishing” emails trying to get them to reveal website log in or financial information

What can parents & educators do?

• First, work with your students to develop the brand they want to establish for their applications
• As with all social media, talk with your students about appropriate strangers to interact with online and remind them that people may not be who they say they are online and to contact a trusted adult if they feel uncomfortable at anytime
• As a family, talk about personal information that should never be shared on social media, such as, login information for any websites or bank information
• Assure your student that the quality of achievements in their profile matter more than quantity and their online information must be truthful at all times
• Decide how much time is appropriate for students to spend on all social media, including LinkedIn, and building their personal brand
• Become a Very Informed Parent (VIP) to learn more about the dangers of social media and how to talk to your student about their overall online presence

LinkedIn in the news

The 20-year-old's handwritten cover letter posted on LinkedIn has now been viewed nearly 7 million times... Today.com

'Shifting to virtual networking has required a bit more work and attention on my behalf...Reaching out to someone on LinkedIn has never been easier.' Arizona State University's The State Press

'I did not make a LinkedIn profile for my friends,' said… a high school senior in Marietta, Ga. 'I made it to show people who don’t know who I am what I am about.' The New York Times

Parent & student training video

What we're covering in this video:

• Why students should create and maintain a LinkedIn profile
• What types of images to use for your headshot & header & how to write your headline
• What experiences and accomplishments to include (with ideas for students)
• How to maximize your search results
• Tips to stay safe
• How your activity continues to build your profile
• Josh's "hack" to ask for recommendations
• How to maximize connections and minimize distractions

How should students use LinkedIn?

• Create one account for yourself using a professional headshot that would help a school recruiter or hiring manager recognize you in person
• About: Ask yourself, your parents, and your teachers “what am I good at and what do I want to be known for?” and build your profile to tell your story
• Experience: Even if you don’t have a lot of work experience yet, use your volunteer projects or student club experiences as job experiences
• Education: It’s ok to list only your high school degree.  Highlight any study of focus you had in your classes
• Projects: Highlight your favorite class projects where you’ve applied your creativity and talents
• Accomplishments: Did you make the honor roll or earn a merit-based scholarship? Add it to your LinkedIn profile
• Organizations: Do you participate in on-campus or external organizations, play sports, or have an interesting hobby? Admission officers and hiring managers like to know that you are a good team player or leader of a group 
• Recommendations: Think outside the box about who knows you. You must be connected to someone for them to leave a recommendation on your profile, which may not be possible with your high school teachers because of the school’s social media policies for staff and students. For instance, your peers, employers, volunteer supervisors, etc. could all provide brief recommendations that support your official application recommendations
• Find your dream schools or organizations and follow their official accounts. Look for the national organizations for your local clubs and follow their accounts

Learn more about your target schools through University Pages

Learn from a college admissions counselor about how you can leverage LinkedIn to improve the college admissions process[/caption]The numbers don't lie; more than 60,000 college and university alumni groups are active on LinkedIn, making it a valuable resource for college-bound students. Yet, most high school students I work with do not have a LinkedIn profile. Many believe that LinkedIn is only for job seekers and business professionals. Below I have debunked the myth about LinkedIn for students and highlighted a few ways LinkedIn provides students with an edge in the competitive college admissions process.

University Pages on LinkedIn contain a wealth of information

University Pages on LinkedIn contain a wealth of information. Students can join the conversation and engage with the campus community, admission officers, and alumni. Stay up-to-date on campus news, activities, and events for all your target schools. Interested in a university in England? Start by searching for schools in London. Then, connect with current students and get their viewpoints on the college. Additionally, students can utilize LinkedIn to explore the careers paths of graduates and connect with alumni in their chosen major.

LinkedIn hosts thousands of university alumni groups.

Connect with alumni

What's it like to live on campus? Do most students study abroad? Which professor is your favorite? These questions and many others can be answered by an informal alumni interview. LinkedIn hosts thousands of university alumni groups. Students can connect with alumni and ask a variety of questions that will help determine if a university is a good fit. Typically, alumni are more than happy to help potential students.

A LinkedIn page is more personal than a resume.

LinkedIn brings your resume to life

A LinkedIn page is more personal than a resume. Think of it as making your one-page resume come to life and highlighting who you are as an individual. Do you play the violin? Why not post a video of one of your performances? Are you a soccer player? Post a video of your winning goal. Take your time and make your LinkedIn page personal and highlight your goals, accomplishments, and why a university would be happy to have you as one of their students

What LinkedIn tips do you have for college-bound students? Let us know in the comments below!

About our guest blogger: Kristen Moon is an Atlanta-based college admissions counselor and founder of Moon Prep. She specializes in highly selective colleges and joint BS/MD programs. Connect with her on Facebook to find out more ways to shine in the competitive college admissions process.

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More LinkedIn resources

Army Veteran LinkedIn bootcamp video

Watch as Josh and an Army veteran review LinkedIn and the possibilities to add to his profile.

• ‍The Power of LinkedIn: 6 Reasons Why Every High School Students Needs to be on LinkedIn
• 3 Ways Linkedin For students Can Improve the College Admissions Process
• How to Enhance Your High School Resume Using Social Media
• How to Improve Your Digital Footprint for College
• Top Tips for Scoring Student Internships and Jobs

Conclusion

LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for taking control of the content about your student online. Just like all social media websites and apps, students must be cautious about the quality of their content and the connections they engage with. However, one great profile may not be able to “undo” poor online decisions on other social media platforms, but a positive footprint with LinkedIn can help build your student’s positive online reputation.