university employability - linkedin for students and undergraduates

Your CV that never sleeps By Liz Murphy Marketing Consultant

LinkedIn Training for Students, Undergraduates & Recent Graduates - Employability Week

• I’m a freelance, self employed, Marketing Consultant• I’ve been a director for over 15 years • I have over 25+ years experience in Marketing• For over 7 years I was responsible for 27 staff• I have also studied strategic digital marketing at

Harvard University in Boston USA

Why listen to me? • I’m personally one of the top 1% of LinkedIn users• I use LinkedIn to promote the products of my

clients• I use LinkedIn professionally to advertise myself • I gain contract work via LinkedIn• I understand how LinkedIn works and the digital

world in detail• I have recruited over 100 members of staff in my

career including at director level

It’s a digital employment world now

• Some jobs are only ever advertised digitally • CVs are sent electronically • You have to be in it to win it

Why use LinkedIn? • Where you can be professionally seen• Used to verify you• To maintain contact with colleagues –

professionally• A place to find new professional contacts • Employers and recruitment agencies use it to

search for candidates • It is the best professional tool available • Without it you will be professionally silent

Before we begin………..• You will need a professional email address • And I strongly recommend it is NOT linked to

anything personal – Facebook, Twitter etc.• From this moment you need a saintly

professional persona • If you like to be provocative online, it needs to

be hidden from a potential employer

If you are wild, digitally split yourself in 2

• If an employer finds inappropriate images or written rantings from you it is likely to count against you• Guard against this • Consider a pen name for your out of

work activities

So as the basis LinkedIn is free, let’s begin

I’ll cover;• Your headline• Adding a photograph • Understanding the need for an elevator

pitch • The use of search terms • Accepting & making connections • Being part of groups • LinkedIn email• Profile views

The profile headline • Who are you in one sentence?• This is not necessarily your job title • Each word could be part of a search used

by an employer • So used as many words a possible which

might be searched • Location and sector is also needed• Pick the location you’d like to work• ‘Looking for new opportunities’ is not

recommended

The photograph Which of the following is suitable ?

Why they don’t work

Mr Moody – no amateur model poses

Person too small Which person is it? Just one person in shot

Very casual Hidden behind dark glasses and a holiday shot

Inappropriate LinkedIn profile pictures

Badly crop social pose No sports photos – unless this is what you do & how you dress at work

No showing off – especially on holiday!

No sad attempt at humour

These are good photographs

Cropped this photograph is fine but it’s now low rez and not crisp

Excellent shot for a musician

Great head & shoulders

Superb for a Broadcast Engineer

Your Elevator Pitch

Your summary statement:• What have you accomplished?• What are your strengths?• What do you offer to an employer?• Always be positive

Great example of a summary

If you are just starting out LinkedIn Summary Use even the smallest amount of experience • Internships • Volunteering• Honours & Awards • Use everything you have to

demonstrate your skills • As a minimum say what you’ve learnt

Your experience

Company logoJob title

Duration of job

Details of your role AND achievements

This is an opportunity to be endorsed

Finding Connections

Accepting Connections Should I accept a connection from anyone?

You can search for jobs

Longer term join groups

Receive LinkedIn emails between connections

And…… you can see who has looked at you

Start now with LinkedIn even as an undergrad

• You can begin collecting contacts • Be known as a resource too, it will get

you noticed for the right reasons • Please always be professional and

respectful on LinkedIn

Don’t let a potential employer see this!

• It’s not that I want to stop you having fun • Or discourage funny photographs • But as a potential employer, if I see

drunkenness, you might come to the office unfit to work

• From a PR perspective, I’d also be disappointed that you lacked the sensitivity and digital skills to prevent this

• Remember as an employee you represent the company

• Keep it privately for friends on Facebook • Unconnected to your professional email

Need Some Help? • You can hire me for LinkedIn training presentations,

coaching sessions and 121 profile development• You can hire me for a few days, weeks or months • I have worked for many universities so know the

sector well • Feel free to ring me for a chat

Liz Murphy lizmurphywork@gmail.com 07939 167313 in the UK or find me on LinkedIn