5
RECOMMENDATIONS: ARE YOU AS GOOD AS YOU SAY YOU ARE?
I believe that this is the most influential feature on LinkedIn because it illustrates your value from those who have worked with you. However, it is not always easy to get a recommendation. Before you go in and ask for one, give a recommendation first to someone else. You are far more likely to get one in return this way. Be diverse; don’t have eight recommendations from people who worked in the exact same position as you. Seek a variety of sources from fellow team members, to supervisors and even clients. This gives the credibility you need to show you did an all-around awesome job.
If you were part of any special clubs or groups, such as a DECA conference social media team, be sure to share this on your LinkedIn profile as well! Taking on this kind of responsibility as a high school or college student shows your dedicated, professional and able to juggle multiple duties at once—all great qualities for a future employee!
6
CONNECTIONS: WHO DO YOU KNOW AND WHO KNOWS YOU?
LinkedIn wants you to connect to people who are truly real-life connections. Use this as a follow-up after a meeting or search for people you haven’t met using similar interests or backgrounds. Although it can be difficult to stay in touch with business connections, LinkedIn is a great way to interact: share articles they would appreciate, send them a message of encouragement or congratulate them on a new career change. LinkedIn is a powerful tool to create and maintain a professional image online. Reach out to your coworkers, colleagues and classmates, play around with the different features, give a colleague a recommendation, write an inspiring summary and make the most out of LinkedIn. I’d love to hear ways you are taking advantage of LinkedIn, and connect with you personally on my own LinkedIn account at www.linkedin.com/in/morganthmpsn.
? QUICK QUESTIONS Imagine you are an employer. What qualities and characteristics would you want to see on a possible employee’s LinkedIn profile? Why are these characteristics so important to showcase on an online résumé? What activities, projects or events have you been a part of in your DECA chapter? How can you use these experiences to boost your own LinkedIn profile to help with your college and career search? 20
DECA direct
MARCH–APRIL 2015