5 ways you can utilise LinkedIn for networking and your career development
University of Glasgow Careers, Employability & Opportunity
By Aaron McKenna , Student Professional Development Consultant (Careers Advisor)
When we think of networking, we often envision awkward chats with strangers at in-person events. Just the thought might make you feel a little unsure or uncomfortable.
Virtual networking, on the other hand, might be a bit less intimidating.
LinkedIn provides an unrivalled opportunity for professionals, students and graduates to establish and maintain professional relationships digitally, in turn using the platform for creating opportunities and self-promotion.
So, how can you optimise LinkedIn to forge meaningful connections and further your career development?
Build a strong LinkedIn profile
Your profile serves as your digital CV and personal brand. While having a presence on LinkedIn is a good first step to establish connections and enhance understanding of an industry or sector, building upon your profile will maximise the benefits you receive from LinkedIn.
Here are some essential components to consider:
Profile picture: Use a high-resolution image with good lighting. Ensure it’s professional. Avoid selfies, group photos and AI-generated images.
Headline: Your headline, located below your name, should be a concise elevator pitch. Use this to highlight your professional identity and goals. If your headline simply says “Student at University of Glasgow”, this is unlikely to engage those you wish to connect with. Tailor it!
Example: “Highly motivated 2:1 University of Glasgow Business Management and French Graduate | Aspiring Management Consultant | Leadership and Problem-Solving Enthusiast | Demonstratable experience driving strategic success as chair of French Society”
Summary: This “About me” section allows 2,600 characters. Describe your career objectives, strengths and unique qualities in an engaging way.
Experience, Education and Skills: Detail your work history, academic achievements and key skills. Identify a range of key transferable skills from different experiences. You can also highlight specific projects (like a dissertation) and/or achievements.
“Open to” preferences: Indicating your job preferences helps recruiters reach out to you with the relevant opportunities. When you enable the “Open to Work” banner, you’re prompted to create a post which could encourage connections to support you with your opportunity search. Be sure to assess any offers or invitations you receive to interview for their relevance and reliability.
Leverage LinkedIn for networking
LinkedIn’s core strength is connecting professionals. By strategically using its features, you can expand your network and create meaningful connections.
Search for alumni: Start your research with the alumni search tool to discover how UofG alumni’s careers have developed since graduating. You can find potential mentors or industry insiders with a shared background. Use filters to identify professionals in specific fields or roles. For example, you can search for individuals who studied a particular subject and now work in your desired sector.
Personalise connection requests: Explain why you’re reaching out. Mention if you met at an event, have shared interests or experiences to build rapport. You can only personalise your connection requests when using the desktop version of LinkedIn.
- Browser version: Click “Connect” and select “Add a note”.
- Mobile app version: Click the three dots beside the “Message” button and select “Personalise invite”.
Follow companies: Stay informed about job opportunities and updates by following organisations of interest. The “People” tab on company pages can help you identify employees to connect with.
Recommended by LinkedIn
Elevate your LinkedIn presence
Your activity on LinkedIn reflects your professional persona. To effectively promote yourself, consider the following:
Engage with content: Comment on relevant posts, contribute to discussions and react to updates shared by your network. This helps you stay visible and reinforces your interest in your industry.
Post regularly: Share insightful content related to your field, achievements or professional interests. Highlight your expertise and accomplishments without overdoing self-promotion. For example, post your key takeaways from a conference or webinar.
Publish articles: Writing articles on LinkedIn can position you as a thought leader in your domain. It’s a chance to showcase your knowledge and unique perspectives.
Use LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning offers over 21,000 free courses across technology, business and creative disciplines. These courses enable acquiring new skills, earn professional certificates and improve your subject expertise.
As a UofG student, you can access LinkedIn Learning for free using your university email.
Once you complete courses, add the certificates you gain to your LinkedIn profile to show your commitment to your development.
If you need some direction with your career planning, explore courses that’ll help guide you in creating a career plan and succeeding in job searching, like “Taking Charge of Your Career” and A Career Strategist's Guide to Getting a Job”. There are loads of others.
Looking to build your LinkedIn profile further? Get tips and tricks with “Getting Started with LinkedIn”.
Be proactive and professional
Networking is about building professional relationships. Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Actively reach out to professionals for informational interviews, attend virtual events and join industry-specific LinkedIn groups. Maintain professionalism in all your engagements, including posts and private messages.
By following these tips, you can use LinkedIn as a powerful tool for networking, opening doors to opportunities and fostering your career growth whilst building confidence in the establishing professional connections.
Learn more about networking on our website and attend our interactive Mastering LinkedIn Masterclass.
Other resources
LinkedIn Learning: Access thousands of free online video courses to further your knowledge and skills
Our Masterclasses: Join tailored sessions, either in person or online, to finetune your skills in career planning, job searching and more
Peer Career Support Team website: Check how our team of 18 student Peer Career Supporters can help you and where to find them for advice on everything from job searching to tailoring your applications (and much more)
This is a great article Aaron McKenna - we need to support all jobseekers to better understand how LinkedIn is becoming an ever more essential part of the job search process, especially in the age of self-branding. Just as important though, as you highlight in this brilliant piece, is how LinkedIn is a core tool for self-directed career development. I also find it a really helpful tool to work with rather than a standard CV format, for enabling clients to see their strengths, capabilities and potential.