4 WAYS TO JUMPSTART YOUR CAREER: Link up on LinkedIn

New Post! Jump Start Your Career: Link Up on LinkedIn
Find out how this social networking tool for professionals can help expand your network and make you stand out with future employers.

Now that you’ve done an audit of your network and decided who you want to add, let’s talk about one of the most-used ways to connect with people: LinkedIn.

If you aren’t familiar with this social network for business professionals, now’s the time to get acquainted. It’s a great way to learn more about the leaders in your industry, and to show off your own talents. LinkedIn makes a lot of people nervous, but a few simple steps can make it a productive way to add to your connections.

First, take a look at your own profile and ask yourself a few questions:

• Is it up to date?
• Does it show off your skills and experience? Did you work, intern or volunteer over the summer? Make sure you include it here.
• Have you customized your profile URL?
• Do you have a profile picture? Upload something professional.

Now look at your network. Who are you connected to that can help you advance your career? Can you ask them for an informational interview or an opportunity to job shadow? Invite them for a coffee and talk about their career trajectory? Here’s your opportunity to reach out.

Take a moment to think about who you’d like to be connected to. Is there someone in your field who’s a real leader, who you’d like to get to know better? Invite them to connect. Take a look at who the people in your network are connected to — LinkedIn will make some suggestions, but you can also look at those lists yourself.

This is just the beginning when it comes to ways to make LinkedIn work for you. We’ll touch on other ways to use the tool in future posts. In the meantime, check out our next post in the series, where we’ll talk about how volunteering can give you an edge.

Got any pressing career questions? Ask Arlena is here to help. Email your questions to hello@elevationally.com and Arlena will expertly address your questions in our segment, Ask Arlena!

Take a look at the rest of this series for the other ways to jump start your career. Like what you see? Become an Elevation Ally subscriber and receive exclusive news, insight and tips.