How to Use LinkedIn
Develop a brand to influence your future success.
LinkedIn is the world's largest professional social network site on the internet. Given the breadth of the site with more than 100 million users in the US and 750 million users around the world, LinkedIn is the most efficient place to build your professiona network. we encourage all Notre Dame students are encouraged to maintain a presence on LinkedIn because:
- Building a network is the most important skill you will need to advance your career.
- Creating a profile is an easy way to have a professional presence.
- Potential employers want to know about you. A LinkedIn profile is one of the most efficient ways for them to learn about you.
- LinkedIn helps you learn about employers.
- Recruiters
- After you graduate, there are no more career fairs or on-campus interviews. You will need to rely even more heavily on your professional network. Starting now will make networking much easier 10 years from now.
3 tips to get started
Here are a few suggestions students have found
- Use your personal email address (gmail, yahoo). After you graduate, you may not have access to your NetID@nd.edu account, and you don't want to get locked out of LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn is for professional use to build your network. Be careful what you post. Engaging in gossip and politically-divisive conversations can have unintended, adverse effects in the future.
- Take the time to look how others use LinkedIn.
- Don't be afraid to send a personal connection message to recruiters, people you admire, etc.
Personalize your URL
Did you know you can remove the random numbers and letters in your personal LinkedIn URL? By customizing your URL you will be able to use a clean and simple URL on your resume. Here's how to do it:
- Click on your "Me" icon on the navigation toolbar at the top of the page and select View My Profile.
- On the right side of the screen click on the pencil icon for Public profile & URL.
- Replace the existing URL with a simple ending, such as: firstname-lastname
View the instructions with screenshots
Background Photo
Your background photo is the banner image that is one of the first thing your network sees on your page. Select a picture that:
- Builds a connection. Consider using a Notre Dame-themed image to make an instant connection with alums.
- Draw attention. Engage the viewer to want to learn more about you.
- Enhance professionalism. A well-chosen background photo can add depth to your profile, making it more visually appealing and professional.
- Showcase your skills. If you have graphic design skills, this is a great place to show off your talents.
Access ND-themed background images
Profile Photo
First impressions based on online profiles take just 1/10th of a second. Just as your background image is important, your profile photo (or "headshot") is even more important. Your 21 times more likely to be viewed and users with headshots receive 36% more connection requests.
We want to make sure you have a professional presence. Stop by the 5th floor of Duncan Student Center for your free digital headshot using our photo booth.>