Is your LinkedIn profile a professional liability? When was the last time it was updated? As unemployment rates are soaring each week due to the COVID-19 pandemic, having a strong LinkedIn presence, knowledge of the platform, and an ability to network online is more essential than ever. Since in person networking events have been halted, our country has drastically shifted to all online networking.

I have spent many years as an executive recruiter using LinkedIn, and currently assist numerous clients with its process. Within seconds, I can determine the seriousness with which a person values their profile.  Effective recruiters become accustomed to scanning résumés and LinkedIn profiles very quickly when evaluating candidates.  Additionally, not having a LinkedIn profile could be a red flag to recruiters and hiring managers in many professions. If you still think LinkedIn is only for “active jobseekers” you are likely missing out on many professional possibilities.

Many colleagues and clients know that I am passionate about LinkedIn. It is clearly my preferred social media account.  It provides me a contemporary stream of college admissions, career management information, and networking opportunities with amazing colleagues throughout the country. Here are a few ways that I support my professionals, college clients, and at times, even high school clients to reach their career goals utilizing LinkedIn:

Professionals – Many professionals have been so consumed with their careers before the COVID-19 crisis that they have neglected their profile.  It is very apparent when your LinkedIn profile has not been updated in years.  It will be missing key elements and will appear lackluster.  I assist clients in modernizing their profiles and communicating their unique abilities in a distinct manner.  I also help clients develop a strategy to meet their specific goals, share online networking best practices, and inform them of features such as the job search capabilities and LinkedIn Learning.

College Students – The tighter employment market will make career launching much more challenging for many college students.  College students will now need to be very precise and adaptable in their job search efforts. There are still companies that are hiring and industries that are growing during the COVID-19 crisis. I have found a majority of my college clients struggle to identify target companies, as well as the number of companies they need to research in order to complete an effective job search. A unique skill that I bring to clients from my executive recruiting experiences, is my ability to source target companies and identify related industries.

High School Students – A common experience that I have with many high school students is that they feel that all CEOs come from Ivy League colleges or they must get admitted to a highly selective college to have a successful career.  Many of my high school clients benefit by seeing career trajectories and education backgrounds with over 500 million profiles on LinkedIn. There are hundreds of career fields represented and searchable in a variety of ways on the platform. Leveraging LinkedIn in some of these ways helps my high school clients and families better understand the college investment from a return on investment perspective.

These are just a few of the ways that I help clients as our online professional presences are more important than ever. LinkedIn is a huge professional networking platform with something for everyone. If you are uncertain how to effectively use or harness the power of LinkedIn, please contact Campus to Career Crossroads today.