LinkedIn Profile

1

LinkedIn Profile Assignment

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform helping individuals to continue expanding their connections. It provides an opportunity to enhance your job/internship search, strengthen professional relationships, connect with alumni, showcasing all your qualifications and personal attributes that represents you.

For this assignment, students are expected to update their LinkedIn Profile to enhance their online presence, which allows you to build your social capital in expanding one’s network.

Utilizing this platform provides an opportunity to continue highlighting your strengths, interests, skillsets, experiences, and personal brand. It’s important to showcase a personal brand that represents you, your unique qualities that make you stand out, and sharing your career interests, achievements, and career goals throughout your profile. When updating your profile, students are required to complete the headline, summary, education, experiences, and additional sections if applicable (i.e. honors & awards, courses, volunteer, and skills).

Additional LinkedIn Tips: • • • •

•

When uploading a professional photo ensure it’s a recent headshot and for the photo to be centered in the middle.

Make your headline stand out by describing your skills, what makes you unique, and/or current job/internship/leadership positions, etc.

Consider customizing your URL to easily share on your resume and for your connections to find your profile when networking.

Your summary is an opportunity to share with your connections your story! Highlight your career interests, skillsets, identifying what makes you unique and stand out compared to others, gives insights into what motivates you, your career goals, achievements, experiences, etc.

Provide bullet points to describe the experiences listed in painting a picture for the employer to continue learning more about you.

2

LinkedIn Profile Rubric (25 pts)

CRITERIA Headline Goal: Provides a thoughtful description in a professional context to engage readers to learn more about you.

SCORE 4 3 2 Summary Goal: Provide concise, confident description of qualifications, goals, academic and career background

SCORE 6

5

4

EXCELLENT -Creates a unique and creative headline capturing the reader’s attention to continue reading your profile -Has an engaging header showcasing one’s aspirations, areas of expertise, strengths, etc.

-Brief, informative, and uses key words, skills, related career goals/ and/or interests

-Organized, clear, and well-defined summary highlighting relevant academic/career background, skillsets, key words, strengths, and interests.

-Thoughtful and thorough reflection in painting a picture for employers to learn more about your qualifications

AVERAGE - To some degree creates a unique header including partial /minimal information showcasing one’s strengths, interests, career goals, skills, key words, or areas of expertise -Uses “Student at Vanguard University” with limited information highlighting one’s qualifications -Somewhat organized and lacks a welldefined summary and/or provides to some degree a minimal information highlighting relevant academic/career background, skillsets, keywords, strengths, and interests.

-Provides to some degree a minimal reflection in painting a picture for employers to learn more about your qualifications

UNACCEPTABLE -Does not include the header on LinkedIn Profile and/or vaguely states “Student at Vanguard University” -Does not include any/ or vaguely showcases one’s strengths, interests, career goals, skills, key words, or areas of expertise

-Summary is vague and/or does not reflect an organized, clear, and/or well-defined summary -Summary lacks a detailed description and/or vague reflection highlighting relevant academic/career background, skillsets, key words, strengths, and interests.

-Does not provide any and/or has a vague reflection in painting a picture for employers to learn more about your qualifications

3

LinkedIn Profile Rubric Continued

CRITERIA Education Goal: To convey academic qualifications and trainings. (i.e.

Showcase anticipated degree, major and minor (if applicable)

EXCELLENT -Clearly states all of the required information (i.e. name of institution, entire name of degree, minor, concertation, or emphasis (if applicable) -Does not use abbreviations -Includes expected graduation date (Month & Year)

AVERAGE -Clearly states some of the required information but omits a few information (i.e. name of institution, entire name of degree, minor, concentration/emphasis is missing (if applicable); - Uses some abbreviations -Includes a range for their expected graduation date and/or omits the expected graduation date (Month and/or Year)

UNACCEPTABLE -Does not include any of the required information and/or omits the majority of information (i.e. name of institution, entire name of degree, minor, concentration/emphasis (if applicable) -Uses abbreviations - Does not include their expected graduation date (Month & Year)

- Statements provides a thorough, concise, and detailed description highlighting skills, strengths, and accomplishments -Bullet point statements clearly describe tasks and duties of position -All appropriate information is included from the experiences listed (i.e. name of organization, title, location, dates of employment/volunteer)

-Statements provide a partial/ minimal detailed description highlighting skills, strengths, and accomplishments -Bullet point statements show a partial/minimal description of tasks and duties of position - Some information is omitted/ lacks consistency in providing all appropriate information from the experiences listed (i.e. name of organization, title, location, dates of employment and/or volunteer)

-Statements does not include any/and or vaguely lacks a detailed description highlighting skills, strengths, and accomplishments -Bullet point statements do not include any and/or vaguely describe tasks and duties of position -Does not include any and/or vaguely lacks including all appropriate information from the experiences listed (i.e. name of organization, title, location, dates of employment and/or volunteer)

SCORE 6 5 4 Described Experiences Goal: To highlight strengths, unique qualifications and attributes that make you stand out to employers, and to continue marketing yourself

SCORE 6

5

4

4

LinkedIn Profile Rubric Continued

CRITERIA Spelling, grammar, and punctuation Goal: To ensure your LinkedIn Profile demonstrates attention to detail as individuals are viewing your profile

SCORE 3

2

1

EXCELLENT -Error free spelling -Error free punctuation -Grammar is appropriate

AVERAGE -Contains minor grammar, punctuation, and/or spelling errors

UNACCEPTABLE - Contains multiple spelling, grammar and/or punctuation errors