Every week our Consultants go on trips across the UK and meet with graduates. These are ambitious, driven and eager graduates who are keen to impress us at their first interview. When our Consultants return to the office they get straight onto LinkedIn to connect with these promising individuals, feeling confident that they can help them get started with their career. Time and time again, however, Consultants are disappointed to find that graduates aren’t on LinkedIn and they are unable to establish the long-term professional connection that they would like to.
This leads us to question why these graduates aren’t on LinkedIn. Do they not understand the benefits it holds for them? Do they even know what it is? LinkedIn is a completely different social network that focuses on skills and experience. It’s an online CV and, more than that, it can provide any ambitious graduate with the valuable connections and insights they need to kick-start the career they want.
We firmly believe that all graduates should make LinkedIn one of the first stops on their job hunt and here’s why:
1. LinkedIn does wonders for your online presence
As a graduate, you are constantly warned about the privacy of social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter that may well document incriminating statuses and photos of you falling out of night clubs. However, LinkedIn is a platform that displays your professional side and gives you the opportunity to show employers exactly what you want them to see when they are checking up on your social accounts (which the majority now do!).
2. You can follow company movements
While it may be a bit forward to directly contact employers, you can follow the companies of recruiters and employers that you are interested in. The majority of companies post regular updates that may be of interest, including graduate jobs. You will also get a clearer sense of how companies are doing, who their competitors are and if/when they are recruiting.
3. It’s easy to keep up with industry news
You can follow news relevant to your professional interests to keep up to date with trends and developments. This will show employers that you are commercially aware and genuinely have a keen interest in your chosen profession.
4. There are long term benefits
LinkedIn isn’t just beneficial as a job seeking platform it’s also great for growing and maintaining a network of contacts as your career progresses. You never know when these contacts will be useful!
5. You can look for jobs
Many companies now advertise jobs with LinkedIn, whether it be via the main ‘Jobs’ tab or by posting on their company pages. So don’t miss out on tons of great opportunities!
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