LinkedIn importance as a student?

[gt3x24x7]

Can some of the older riders and career professionals weigh in on the importance of LinkedIn? I understand how important networking is and "who you know" will get me very far. I've got 8 people on mine so far, including my Financial Accounting professor who is a CPA. Not sure if it is against the rules to discuss on here, but I'd love to be able to expand and grow my LinkedIn network for the next few years while still being a college student. Anyone who works in accounting, finance, banking, economics, and business or any field would be appreciated. You can say you're part of history by helping me.

I'll be transferring next fall to a university and I'm nervous thinking about how the job and internship recruiting process works. Especially about recruiters coming to various campuses and setting up their little booths. Any of you brahs got advice for youngen' troublemakers like me?

Never been to a job fair.

 

[CABilly]

Good move.

Add your classmates, too. I got an opportunity for a job in a highly, depressingly, competitive field on a lead from a classmate through LinkedIn. Your network doesn't have to be all big shots, if you have a friend who is on to something good, maybe they can help you out.

 

[Blankpage]

Guess it depends on a lot of things.
I always thought LinkedIn was as useless as a degree from Trump University.
Although it may he the easiest way to contact someone you've lost touch with.

 

[wazzuFreddo]

My current job came from one of our company's recruiters reaching out to me through LinkedIn. Job was never posted anywhere, they cruised through LinkedIn and contacted who they wanted.

I treat it like a resume.

 

[mlm]

Our recruiters use it for searching candidates and having a good profile is expected. The contacts are a good way to keep track of colleagues, but it's about the same as Facebook "friends" in the sense some people connect with people they don't even know

 

[TheRobSJ]

Our recruiters use it for searching candidates and having a good profile is expected. The contacts are a good way to keep track of colleagues, but it's about the same as Facebook "friends" in the sense some people connect with people they don't even know

Half the people on my LinkedIn, are people I've never met. I just click accept on everyone because I figure why the hell not. But some of them aren't even in my field. Weird why they'd even want to connect to me.

But I wind up doing it too. I have met and connected with some senior managers at American Honda. But I go through the "people you may know" thing and start pinging other managers, VPs, chief engineers, and so on because why the hell not. A recruiter checking out my page might be impressed with who they think I know.

And recruiters come at me constantly on there now.

 

[asdfghwy]

As a student graduating in a week who isn't big on social media in general (I don't even have a facebook), I wish I got started on LinkedIn earlier.... like at least a year ago.

It's not going to hurt to get started as you enter your last two years.

Also, my other advice is get an internship as soon as possible.. even if it's data entry or whatever.

 

[UDRider]

Linked in is primarily for recruiters to do a search for candidates, get your resume and go from there.

Go to career fairs. Be prepared to answer questions about your resume. If company in your field doing it go to social events they sponsor.

 

[Ogier le Danois]

All my professional jobs came through word of mouth. Although the last time I changed careers was 10 years ago.

I believe certain industries heavily utilize LinkedIn.

I've never used it.

As a personal bit of advice. I think 3 things help move a career forward:

1. I'll do that.

2. I'll go there.

3. Do it and go there.

Although my employer has ridged hiring rules and processes, Every single hiring official asks me the same thing during a reference check "Is the employee reliable?" I do 15-20 reference checks per year.

They want to know you will show up, manage your leave appropriately and won't be a headache.

 

[gnahc79]

Can some of the older riders and career professionals weigh in on the importance of LinkedIn? I understand how important networking is and "who you know" will get me very far. I've got 8 people on mine so far, including my Financial Accounting professor who is a CPA. Not sure if it is against the rules to discuss on here, but I'd love to be able to expand and grow my LinkedIn network for the next few years while still being a college student. Anyone who works in accounting, finance, banking, economics, and business or any field would be appreciated. You can say you're part of history by helping me.

I'll be transferring next fall to a university and I'm nervous thinking about how the job and internship recruiting process works. Especially about recruiters coming to various campuses and setting up their little booths. Any of you brahs got advice for youngen' troublemakers like me?

Never been to a job fair.

Don't shove your resume at the recruiter and leave. Make a good and sincere impression.

 

[Reli]

Yes LinkedIn is valuable. You can get more connections by joining several groups on LinkedIn. There are dozens of finance/accounting groups on there. All they do is post articles they found interesting, or make comments, kind of like a forum. But it's an easy way to meet people in your field.

 

[Blankpage]

Everyone knows how LinkedIn works, people accept almost every request from anyone wanting to be a contact just to go for the high contact number.
Every time I check my email there's someone I don't know asking to be a contact and since I don't know them I ignore it. I don't give a rats ass about having 500 contact and I certainly don't need an email alert everytime some dick I don't know gets a promotion or reaches a work anniversary or changes jobs.

 

[brichter]

My current job came from one of our company's recruiters reaching out to me through LinkedIn. Job was never posted anywhere, they cruised through LinkedIn and contacted who they wanted.

I treat it like a resume.

This^^^

Our recruiters use it for searching candidates and having a good profile is expected. The contacts are a good way to keep track of colleagues, but it's about the same as Facebook "friends" in the sense some people connect with people they don't even know

And this^^^

There are several careers that joining LinkedIn and having a good profile will be a valuable asset. Tech is one of them.

 

[Reli]

Everyone knows how LinkedIn works, people accept almost every request from anyone wanting to be a contact just to go for the high contact number.

I don't, I only accept them from people in my field who I've had at least some sort of message exchange with. I don't accept some Chinese girl from "Xingtian Electronics Trade Bureau" who is just looking for spam leads.

and I certainly don't need an email alert everytime some dick I don't know gets a promotion or reaches a work anniversary or changes jobs.

Turn those notifications off?

 

[brichter]

I don't, I only accept them from people in my field who I've had at least some sort of message exchange with. I don't accept some Chinese girl from "Xingtian Electronics Trade Bureau" who is just looking for spam leads.


Turn those notifications off?

This.

Same as FB, there's plenty of spammers looking for victims ^h^h^h "friends".

 

[gt3x24x7]

How about joining organizations and clubs? I'm very hesitant about the "Greek life" and "fraternities" that exist.

 

[NorCalAthlete]

Don't shove your resume at the recruiter and leave. Make a good and sincere impression.

This. For the love of god this. Every job fair I've ever gone to is full of people who have printed out 100+ copies of a super-generic resume and just stand in line to shotgun them at every recruiter who will take them, then they run to the next line to stand in to do it again.

If that's all you're going to do, you might as well just submit the resume online. Take advantage of the face time and print out maybe 5-10 copies of your resume, tailored to the companies at the job fair that you want to talk to. Typically there will be a list of who's attending posted beforehand, so take the time to research and narrow things down, see what positions are open, what projects are in progress / announced / etc. Google the company and see what pops up. Then target your resume to each one. Have an actual conversation with the recruiter and ask questions like "hey, so I saw that you guys just announced XYZ product and have an opening on the ABC team related to it - can you tell me more about EFG problems you've run into so far? I'm really interested in it for blah blah blah reason and would love to be a part of helping it succeed."

 

[mlm]

I don't, I only accept them from people in my field who I've had at least some sort of message exchange with. I don't accept some Chinese girl from "Xingtian Electronics Trade Bureau" who is just looking for spam leads.


Turn those notifications off?

I get a lot of invites from new college grads just fishing for an opportunity. I can appreciate their motivation, but it doesn't seem like a very effective strategy unless you are really dialed into a particular position.

 

[NorCalAthlete]

I've been getting a lot of invites from random real estate or marketing people whom I don't know and who don't bother messaging me either so I just delete them.

 

[CABilly]

I get a lot of recruiting offers for decent jobs through linkedin. If I weren't super satisfied with my current career and position, I'd be all over that site. People with the power to get you in the door do actively use it.

I don't know about the strategy aspect, though. Do you shoot for the most contacts, or tailor it to a smaller, more specific grouping of people?

I know there are professional career coaches who will walk you through resume, cover letter, interviewing, and social media management. I used one and it helped a lot. PM me if you want her info.