5 Things Every New Graduate Needs to Update on Their LinkedIn

Using LinkedIn in the job search should be viewed as more than a recommendation – in today’s world, it’s practically mandatory. After graduating, you want to give yourself the best chance of finding employment, which means you need to keep your LinkedIn updated.

With most recruiters checking the site to both find and assess candidates, you want to make sure you’re easily identified and searchable. Because it can be a company’s first impression of you, you need to make the necessary changes to wow its recruiters. Here are a few of the LinkedIn best practices to keep your profile updated and appealing to recruiters.

1. Start with a good picture

Each social media site has a different personality and precedent for the profile image. While Facebook and Instagram might be a more whimsical or personal shot, the image you select for LinkedIn must be a professional headshot, or something close to it.

You don’t have to hire a photographer to get a quality image. You just need to make sure you’re in professional clothing, it’s from the shoulders up, and the background is clean. It should just be you and a blank background. Once you’ve chosen a new photo, you can consider changing all your social media profile pics to the same image to help employers identify you across all networks.

2. Write a good headline

Your headline should explain what you are currently doing and what you hope to do with your career. This will appear to anyone who searches you, making your ambition clear. Choose keywords to use in your headline carefully, so recruiters who are looking for candidates can easily find you in their searches.

3. Think through your summary

Your summary is like a cover letter, explaining your qualifications and why a company should hire you. Take time to carefully discuss your experience in a tone that reflects your personality.

4. Keep your experience and education up to date

If you want a company or recruiter to find you based on your experience, make sure everything is updated with the most recent information. More than just the list of jobs, take time to list what you’ve done, the projects you worked on and your accomplishments. Including your school experience, like GPA, to show how hard you worked.

5. Ask for endorsements and recommendations

Two ways to boost your credibility further involve asking for both endorsements and recommendations. These tools from LinkedIn allow recruiters and companies to see from outside sources that you’re a qualified and competent candidate, not just someone who claims to be talented.

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