Let's Talk LinkedIn & Personal Branding

What's so special about LinkedIn?

For a lot of students and young professionals, LinkedIn is something you create at Freshman orientation and don't look at again until graduation is on the horizon. But LinkedIn is a great platform to promote your skills and experiences to a wider audience who can connect you to a lot of new opportunities.

How is LinkedIn different than a resumé?

Unless you give someone your resumé, they won't have any way to see what your professional accomplishments are. LinkedIn is available 24/7 on multiple devices to anyone in your network or on the platform (depending on your privacy settings). That means recruiters, hiring managers, researchers and other potential connections can see your profile.

How does this tie in to your personal brand?

The beauty of LinkedIn is that you can showcase a lot more there than on a one-page resumé - not just professional accomplishments, but personal interests, projects and perspectives. This allows your network to get a more holistic view of you as a person, not just a worker. But the catch is, you create the narrative. You create your personal brand.

What does this mean for you?

It's time to cultivate your personal brand on LinkedIn! Not only will this help you to quantify your strengths and focus, but it will help other professionals on the site get a better understanding of who you are, what your strengths and passions are, and how you might fit into their teams and organizations.