LinkedIn Profile Tips

Profiles with a photo receive 21 times more visits and are 36 times more likely to receive messages. Your headshot should be professional, and you can choose to have one taken by a photographer or enlist a helper to take one on your phone against a neutral background.

The best headlines are short, memorable snapshots that convey who you are in a professional context. Your headline should not just be your job title or status as a student.

View the About section of your LinkedIn profile as your virtual response to the common interview question “So, tell me about yourself…”. Take advantage of the opportunity to give others a glimpse of your personality while also summarizing your professional aspirations/experiences and academic credentials.

LinkedIn is all about networking and “All-Star” profiles create more potential networking opportunities because of the diverse array of experiences listed. Consider all the experiences that you have including summer jobs, unpaid internships, volunteer work, and student organizations. Include things on LinkedIn that you couldn't fit on a 1-page resume!

Include information about all of the institutions you’ve attended and include your major(s), minor(s), and concentration(s). Highlight extracurricular activities, study abroad programs, and summer institutes. Show off your strong GPA, scholarships, or other academic awards.

Showcase the work that you are most proud of in your featured section. Consider including your academic projects, research publications, LinkedIn posts that you are mentioned in, or a link to an external resource like a personal webpage/blog.

Insert all of the key transferable and technical skills that you possess in the Skills section. Listing them allows you to gain endorsements and is an easy way to help you stand out.

Everyone has an online brand or presence. LinkedIn has very customizable visibility settings, but making sure your profile is public will ensure that is it one of the first things employers see if they Google your name curated professional depiction of you.

It makes your profile easier to find and more visually appealing to put on a resume or other application materials. Check out the article in the related links section for a detailed explanation of the process.

Projects are a compelling way that you can demonstrate your ability to apply classroom learning to real-world challenges and work effectively in a team. Make sure to add research or class projects to your profile – especially those that are in content areas in line with your career goals.

Extracurricular activities such as student clubs and organizations are a great way to show initiative and highlight your passions outside the classroom. Listing them on your LinkedIn profile can lead to meaningful networking opportunities and will make a positive first impression on individuals who view your profile.

While you're a St. Thomas student, you have access to LinkedIn Learning. The platform is full of mini-courses that you can use to up-skill and learn about topics of interest. As you complete courses, you can choose to get certificates and add them to your profile!

Build your initial network by connecting to friends, relatives, internship colleagues, and professionals you know in the “real world.”

Customize your connection requests with a friendly note. People are much more likely to accept your request if you remind them how you met and include a brief intro of who you are and why you’d like to connect.

Follow employers and organizations you're interested in working for (or just learning more about), indicate causes you're passionate about. Follow your favorite sports teams and the University of St. Thomas. This will fill your news feed with interesting information, including job postings, that might come in handy!