Here at Curtin Careers, we think LinkedIn is an excellent career tool, no matter what stage you’re at. And it seems that as of April 2022, 830 million users worldwide, including 12.7 million in Australia, agree with us. That’s a lot of profiles!

What’s more, every week 49 million people worldwide use the LinkedIn’s online job board to search for employment. If you aren’t already across this networking giant, maybe it’s time you considered hopping on the LinkedIn bandwagon.

What is LinkedIn all about?
LinkedIn is a networking site designed to help you build a professional presence online. Just like you use your social media platforms in your personal life, you can use LinkedIn to develop and promote your professional persona.

The platform allows you to highlight your skills and experiences, build connections with industry and keep an eye out for employment opportunities. Organisations, employers and recruiters use LinkedIn to connect with potential candidates, advertise opportunities, and build their own presence and connections. It really is the place to see and be seen!

LinkedIn is also a great learning tool. The platform allows you to build your professional skills, keep up with developments and news in your chosen field, and learn about employers and organisations.

LinkedIn has emerged as a global forum where industry leaders, experts and influencers go to impart knowledge and insight – free of charge – to their followers. To get you started, here’s a few suggestions on who you could be follow, based on their areas of expertise.

How can LinkedIn work for you?
As a student, having a LinkedIn account demonstrates that you’re dedicated to pursuing your career. Connecting with people in the field you aspire to move into will show you’re putting in the time and effort required to succeed in your chosen career.

Developing your LinkedIn profile can help you build an online network and personal brand from the very beginning of your work life. It also helps you maintain contact with people after you graduate and may help you gain access to people you would otherwise not be able to reach.

Being on LinkedIn while you’re still studying also means you can start collecting online skill endorsements and written recommendations, publish content (see, writing that literature review was worth it!), engage with newsfeeds, find potential mentors, and much more – all before you graduate!

Are you starting to see the power of this networking giant?

I’m sold – how do I get started?
Before you head to the LinkedIn website and hit ‘join now’, here’s a couple of things to do in advance:

• Have a professional sounding email address
• Have a profile picture that represents how you would like to be viewed professionally
• Have a draft of what you want to include in your profile

Once you’re set up and ready to go, you can have your profile reviewed for free using VMock Aspire. This service provides instant, personalised feedback on the strength of your profile, ideas on SEO keyword optimisation, and skill set recommendations. Oh, and they also do resume reviews! For instant access make sure you create your account using your [email protected] email.

Remember, your LinkedIn profile is a continual work in progress that will develop and change as you grow in your career. Try to dedicate a bit of time each week to being on LinkedIn. The time you put in now may pay dividends in future.

Don’t miss the online Graduate Gateway – LinkedIn session on Thursday 24 November. This workshop will assist you to build and maintain positive professional relationships.

Can’t make it next week? Book a spot anyway and we’ll send you a recording of the session afterwards.