Networking 101: LinkedIn

Networking is hard, especially as a high schooler. The idea of networking is a nebulous concept that is often hard to fully grasp; there is not a step-by-step process to network yourself that will miraculously allow you to find all the internships and job offers of your dreams. However, there is one major first step you can take: creating a LinkedIn account.

Even as a high schooler, LinkedIn can help you find new opportunities (including those coveted internships!) and make new connections that could prove instrumental to your future career. If you’re over the age of 16, make an account; the earlier, the better! Connect with anyone you know or anyone you have something in common with. Slack channels for organizations like Girl Genius Magazine or Opportunities Found are a great way to connect with other students, as channels will often have a dedicated LinkedIn channel to post your profile in! When you connect to someone, the posts that they like and comment on show up in your feed. By connecting with other students, you’ll find any opportunities that they comment/like! Follow student led organizations as well for more opportunities.

While one benefit of LinkedIn is finding opportunities, another is being able to present yourself to employers outside of a resume. When you make your LinkedIn profile, make sure you are staying professional, yet approachable. Add a profile picture of yourself to improve the approachable part. Don’t worry about having a perfect photo; a nice picture of yourself is just fine. Even a selfie can work! When it comes to listing professional experiences, education, skills, and volunteer experiences on your profile, you can move over those portions from your resume. Include a small sentence about your role at the top, and then add on 3-5 bullet points about the skills you gained. Concerning your headline, if you do not have an impressive job title or internship role, student, followed by a few topics you’re interested in, is fine. For example, my LinkedIn headline is “Student | Public Health, Medicine, Data Science”.

Creating a LinkedIn account is only the first step in networking, but it is a very important one. Create a profile that markets you to recruiters and that shows you as a person, not just a resume. Connect with other students to see what opportunities they are sharing and what organizations they are following. If you are over 16 years old, make your LinkedIn profile today to jumpstart your professional career!