How to Stay Sane on LinkedIn, and How to Make the Most Out of It
With the end of the semester now in sight, the reality of exams is looming, assignments are piling up, and the constant struggle of attempting to balance academics and social life has set in. It feels as if we have barely had time to catch our breath since the start of the semester, and for many of us, the pressure is only intensifying.
For second and third-year students, internships and placements are hot topics. With application season in full swing for many, it certainly feels like a tough, constant competition to stand out from the sea of applicants. As a second-year law student, it feels like an uphill battle attempting to catch recruiters’ attention in the crowd of thousands of other hopeful candidates.
In my struggle for tips on making my applications stand out, I turned to Google, which introduced me to LinkedIn.
So, what is LinkedIn? Founded by Reid Hoffman in May 2003 and acquired by Microsoft in 2016, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network on the Internet- 7 people are hired every minute on the platform. LinkedIn users have rapidly increased; as of July 30th, 2024, LinkedIn reported over 1 billion members.
Therefore, the increase in LinkedIn usage can bring a level of stress to many of us, as we find ourselves constantly comparing our achievements to those of our peers. The collective sense of pressure is undeniable, especially when combined with LinkedIn’s ‘Who’s viewed your profile’ feature, making it feel like people are monitoring your every move. It is thus easy to feel as though you are falling behind when comparison is rife. So, how can we navigate LinkedIn whilst staying sane and still making the most out of what it offers?
Top Tips:
1. Create a profile! There is no harm in taking the time to fill out a profile with your current experience and start to familiarise yourself with the platform. Remember to be brief and concise so your profile is easy to follow.
2. Shift your mindset. I have fallen victim to viewing LinkedIn as a platform that fosters competition between peers trying to catch the attention of recruiters. However, it is important to remind yourself that everyone is on their own career journey, and you can simply use the platform to stay connected to people you meet in the professional sphere.
3. Connect, connect, connect! Use the platform to connect with professionals you have met. For example, when I attend events, I note down the names of the individuals and connect with them afterwards. The worst that’ll happen is they won’t connect back with you, but it’s always worth a shot! You never know what it could lead to if you drop them a message to thank them for their time at the event, etc.
4. Share your achievements. If you have achieved something, update your LinkedIn profile, why not post it? It gives you a space to share things you are proud of accomplishing and can help push your profile out to more people; you can even see how many impressions your post gets.
5. Use keywords. This will help you to be more searchable by employers on the platform.
6. Utilise the content on LinkedIn. The platform itself provides useful content to help you learn, grow, and find your feet on the platform.
While LinkedIn is a valuable tool, it is important to avoid getting lost in the vast content. As students, we are just starting our careers; we aren’t expected to have years of work experience! I have tried to treat LinkedIn as a small investment in my future rather than the final goal. I am sending luck to those completing applications, and hopefully, we might be a bit better placed to maintain our sanity while navigating LinkedIn!
Words by Ellie Hardcastle
