3 LinkedIn tips for incoming graduate students (and a bonus tip)

Every year, several thousand students go on to study postgraduate courses.

Here are 3 tips to take your postgraduate journey from a great start to a stellar end!

TIP # 1

Build your online presence.

In today’s times of social media, the first thing everyone does is Google a person’s name. Hence, you must build a positive online presence that demonstrates your expertise in your field. People who type your name must find your professional social media accounts first.

So, if you already have a LinkedIn account, awesome! If you don’t, now is the time to make one. LinkedIn must be used to not only connect with your peers but also showcase your knowledge. Go to the next tips to know more about this.

If you are into research, you can also make a Google Scholar account and a ResearchGate account. Ensure that you definitely make an ORCID account.

TIP # 2

Post on LinkedIn regularly.

The most common mistake that all the students do is to become active on LinkedIn only when they are about to finish their course and are looking for a job.

This is too late in the day!

You have to become active from day one.

Post regularly on your profile. It can be small writeups on fundamentals, an interesting news or research article, or a great photo showcasing a concept.

Remember to use proper hashtags, but not too many.

AND FOR THE SAKE OF EVERYTHING HOLY, DO NOT USE AI! It takes the fun out of writing what you feel and you end up spewing content that is soulless, verbose, and irrelevant.

TIP #3

Explore career paths.

LinkedIn is not only for connecting with peers. It is also a tool to explore the various career paths of the experienced people in your field.

Check out the profiles of the middle and senior management. Go through their education and certifications.

Research and see if you find anything that you would want to pursue. Join groups to expand your network.

BONUS TIP!

Learn a language – native, foreign, or programming

Learning a language has multiple advantages. Programming languages introduce you to the world of technological advancements and software in your field.

Learning a native language expands your horizons in different parts of your country.

Learning a foreign language puts you on a global scale.

Ensure that you reach at least B1 or B2 level to be able to converse and understand the natives.

Wrapping up

The world is no more what it was when I graduated almost ten years ago. For us, postgraduation was the ultimate goal. We didn’t really think about what kind of job profile we would like, leaving us confused for several years.

However, today, you can narrow down the exact career path you wish to take. So, start early and make the most of LinkedIn to soar the heights of a stalwart career!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *