Linked in Presentation (1) (1) (3)

Skills SessionNiamh O'Connor

What is LinkedIn?

Founded: 2002

Wikipedia description: LinkedIn is a business and employment-oriented social networking service... used mainly for proffessional networking, including employers posting jobs and job seekers posting their CVS.

Users: More than 467 million users worldwide based in 200 countries and territories around the globe”.

“Think of LinkedIn as your resume that never sleeps. But a lot more. It's your professional brand in the world. It’s the result you actually want up top when someone Googles you.” Omar Garriot

Why should we be using LinkedIn?-Keep your CV up to date more easily.

-More than 9 in 10 companies use LinkedIn to recruit new hires.

-Look for jobs and connect with individuals all over the world, this enables finding employment both at home and abroad.

-80% of job openings are never advertised. So how do you increase your odds of finding out about them?

-If you have a job, you could be discovered as a passive candidate and head-hunted for a better paid job.

-Read the newsfeed for your specific industry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWp6AN00D_c

Getting Started: the basics

It is extremely straight forward to set up your linkedIn profile and registration will guide you in how to fill out the relevant sections.

Even after you're fully registered and have a fleshed out profile, linkedIn reminds you how to keep your profile relevant and up to date.

1. Use an appropriate head-shot

LinkedIn members that have a profile photo get viewed 14x more than those who do not have a photo.

LinkedIn isn’t Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat. Upload a high-quality photo of you alone, professionally dressed. 

Activity 1

Don't have a professional high-quality photo of you alone, professionally dressed and facing forward?... no fear! We shall be taking head shots at the end of the session!

2.Write an informative profile headline.

Your headline is a short, memorable professional slogan. For example, “Honors student seeking marketing position” or “Junior Business Associate”.If you are not seeking employment opportunities, you can just put your current position as your headline.

(Mini) Activity 2:

Time: 2 minutes

Task: What is your professional headline (for those seeking opportunities)? Are you looking for employment opportunities/internship/experience/paid work/unpaid? Be specific and clear.Tip: Avoid buzzwords like “strategic,” “creative,” and “responsible.” They’re on the list of the most overused (and meaningless) on LinkedIn profiles. (find list of words hated by employers)

3. Develop a professional Summary

Your Summary statement is like the first few paragraphs of your best-written cover letter — concise and confident about your qualifications and goals. Include relevant work and extracurriculars.

Describe what motivates you, what you’ve done and are skilled at, and what makes you unique. Be clear and confident.

4. Education

Include all your schools, universities, courses, and study abroad or summer programs. Don’t be shy — LinkedIn is an appropriate place to show of test scores, and honors or awards.

EG: Example 1:Brenda and James winning the presentation challenge and CMI qualification.

Add examples of your work

Add official logo

Example 2: If people choose to complete the CMI certificate they can put it on their profile also.

5. Fill in your experience section and note the skills you developed

List the jobs you’ve held and a brief description of what you were responsible for and what you accomplished. What really matters is that you’re not leaving out critical details about your work history. If you’ve held more than one job somewhere (including a promotion), list all of them with dates so that people can see you progressed and took on more responsibility.

If your company has a linkedIn profile add them to your profile. Profiles with company logos look better.

LinkedIn & your Challenges ExperienceChallenges Templates: CW have created standard templates that will allow you to highlight all the valuable skills you have developed on placement and can be entered under the sections ‘experience’ and 'volunteer’ on your profile. (I will forward the relevant sections to you via college)

ExperienceCompany name: Challenges WorldwideTitle: Business Support Associate (voluntary)Location: Kampala, UgandaTime period: September 2016-Decemeber 2016Description: Challenges Worldwide exist to unlock the potential of markets, making them more inclusive and efficient. Since starting operations in 1999 we have built up a stable of services which we deliver directly and through partners. On my Challenges Worldwide ICS placement I collaboratively worked with my [nationality] counterpart in a SME (Small/Medium Enterprise) over a period of three months to build the capacity of a local business with high growth potential. From this placement I gained the following experience; 

-Received training in Professional Consultancy from Challenges Worldwide, accredited by the Chartered Management

Institute(include your qualification if you take the

assessment)- Financial management of a business with an

annual turn over of [A]- Management of a business with a staff of [B]

- Flexibility and adaptability in a multicultural setting

- Interpersonal skills and awareness of others’ needs

-Facilitation of a business’ development by [area of development e.g.

Marketing strategy]

Activity 2:STAR examples

Time: 10 minutesTask: Get into work counterpart pairs and think about your biggest challenge that you overcame. Now use the STAR technique to describe and articulate the skills you developed as a result of this experience. Tips: Use the Graduate Attributes sheet to help with articulating the different skills acquired.

6. Share your work

You can also add actual examples of your writing, design work, or other accomplishments on your profile.

Share rich media or documents. What better way to sell your skills than to show employers exactly what you can produce?

Add projects to your experience to elaborate on specific achievements. This allows you to recognise your team mates as well.

EG:

7. Get endorsed for skills

List your specific skills and areas of expertise.

Your LinkedIn profile isn’t the place to be random or obscure, so you use keywords and phrases.

Choose wisely––other members of LinkedIn can endorse you for these specialties, so avoid choosing something people don't have any clue you're capable of doing!

8. Build a strong network and show your interests

Follow and connect with people and groups which highlight your career interests. Groups you join appear at the bottom of your profile. Joining shows you want to engage in professional communities and learn the lingo. Start with your university/college/school to get started

-> Follow hundreds of Influencers, like Richard Branson or BillGates, who dispense advice for success.

->Follow many different ‘channels’ to get news and perspectives on industries you’re interested in

9.Collect diverse recommendations

The best profiles have at least one recommendation for each position a person has held. Recruiters are most impressed by recommendations from people who have directly managed you.

-Get Ollie, Sharon or Noeline to post their recommendation for you onto your LinkedIn profile

10.Who's Viewed Your Profile?On the FREE account you have 2 options. Either Public or Private.

Public: You can see who has been on your profile but then other members will be notified when you have visited their profile.Private: You can visit other people’s profiles anonymously but you won’t be able to see who has been visiting your profile.

If you want to creep but do not want to get caught. Instructions are as follows .(Although I think it’s a good way to gain more connections and create interest round your profile by staying public)

11 .Others bits and pieces

-Claim your unique LinkedIn URL eg: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/niamhoconnor1993

-To keep recruiters and your network informed about what you are up to update your status regularly.

-You can publish blog posts and publish your own work

-Keep the job search setting on open so that linkedIn can suggest jobs of interest to you/Recruiters know you’re free for work.

Thanks Everyone! I hope to connect with you all

on LinkedIn soon!!!

Please make a queue for your head-shot photos :)

Resources

-'10 LinkedIn Tips for Students & New Grads'; Omar Garriott, 2015. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10 tips students new grads linkedin omar garriott

-'Linked in One Sheets, building a great student profile'; LinkedIn, 2013.

-https://www.linkedin.com/

-Social and Entrepreneurial Action (SEA) Handbook; pp11-24, Challenges Worldwide, 2016. (Lewis Meechan)

-University of Glasgow Attributes. http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_183776_en.pdf