If you’re sniffing around our blog, chances are either you or someone you know may one day be interested in working with or at the Bag (and if you aren’t, give me a call as I will try to convince you otherwise!) As the resident talent recruiter at Brown Bag, this post goes out to all the early-career folks who want to be a Bagger someday. Let’s start with the DO’s & DONT’s of using LinkedIn.
DO create a LinkedIn Profile during your final semester of college.
- LinkedIn makes it incredibly easy to display your resume.
- When someone applies to work here, this is the first place I go. Without a profile, I move on to the next.
- When I see a well-done profile, I take pause and read thoroughly. If you take yourself seriously, I probably will too.
DO include details.
- Your Headline and Summary should tell me the what and why behind your career aspirations.
- Part-time, Full-time, Internships—include them all!
- Choose five of your skills that are applicable to the career you are pursuing.
- Don’t be afraid to showcase yourself!
DON’T assume the picture you choose doesn’t matter. It does.
- You must have a picture. It’s a bit like the empty house at the end of the street—the unknown causes speculation that something is off.
- Like any social situation, first impressions matter.
- I can’t say this loud enough: Avoid selfies. You don’t need a professional headshot but do fit the photo from the top of your head to the bottom of your shoulders.
- We love unique personalities, but keep your clothing and background simple and do not distract from the goal of appearing approachable.
- Though our website may lead you to think otherwise, we are not hiring Fido. Please leave out animals.
- Smile! Unless you’re auditioning for a part in Snow White, no one wants to hire a grump.
DO begin building your network.
- Connect with your parents and their friends, extended family members, professors, fellow students and coaches.
- Connections serve as modern day business cards
- Stay in touch with your network.
- Add people to your network who actually know you—this is your network, not a contest.
In conclusion, LinkedIn is your professional brand. Treat it as such and it will have infinite returns.