Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday that I was a stressed college senior attempting to balance classes, an internship and a post-grad job search without losing my sanity. (Seniors: It worked out just fine for me, and you’ll survive, too!)
As graduation nears, public relations students are asking to connect via LinkedIn and reaching out regarding potential job opportunities. These recent activities reminded me that LinkedIn serves as an incredibly powerful tool for job seekers, but forgetting proper etiquette can hurt your chances of forming relationships and finding your first post-grad gig.
So without further adieu, I’d like to share LinkedIn dos and don’ts geared toward career-hungry college seniors:
Do: Share a personal message when asking to connect, especially if you do not know the contact well.
I cannot stress this enough. Unless you’ve known the professional for years or work together on a regular basis, you should always include a personal message when connecting via LinkedIn.
See? LinkedIn's default message isn't personal. It's your job to jazz it up.
LinkedIn’s personal message feature lets you build relationships and start the conversation, so use it to your advantage.
- Let’s face it: Professionals aren’t super humans, and they don’t remember every single face and name they meet. If you haven’t chatted with the professional for several months, do the PR pro a favor by reminding him/her how you met.
- If you’ve never met the professional before, explain why you want to connect with him/her.
Many professionals will not accept your connection if you don’t give them a reason to do so. It only takes a few extra minutes to write a personal message, so do it. A little effort goes a long way, my friends. (Did I mention you should always proofread?)
Don’t: Cut straight to the chase.
I can’t believe I’m stating the obvious, but I’m afraid I must.
If you’re a graduating senior, we know you’re looking for a job. But if you approach a professional and ask him/her about job opportunities and nothing else, you’re going to burn the bridge.
It’s fine to mention that you’re job searching and looking for opportunities, but remember that our field is about relationships. Take time to build connections before asking professionals to help you find a job.
I’m willing to help anyone who takes time to connect and build a relationship with me, and I know my colleagues feel the same way. So reach out. Learn about the professional’s current responsibilities. Ask for job search advice. Seek on-the-job tips from him/her.
Don’t: Connect your Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.
Unless 70 percent of your tweets focus on industry-specific links, sending tweets to your LinkedIn feed isn’t a savvy idea. If you tweet several times per day, you’re flooding your contacts’ LinkedIn feeds with information that may not be relevant.
As a student, do you really want your LinkedIn network to have direct access to what you’re eating for dinner that night? Do you want your drunken Thursday night tweets showing up on their LinkedIn feeds at 7 a.m. Friday morning? (Drunk tweets and private accounts are another blog post for another day…)
Do give yourself the option to share relevant tweets with your LinkedIn network by adding the “#in” hashtag to your tweets. If you’re not sure how to enable this feature, check out Twitter’s tutorial.
Do: Fill out your entire profile.
I know recruiters who do more than half of their scouting through LinkedIn. Use this to your advantage by making it easy for them to find you.
Fill out your title. Add your industry. Write a short, concise summary using strategic keywords. Choose your skills and expertise tags.
Professionals: What advice would you offer to graduating seniors? Can you share some best practices?
This post was inspired by Faye’s LinkedIn etiquette post. Check it out and learn how to be on your best LinkedIn behavior.
& she rambles. 
Don’t: Try to fix your recommendations.
There are two (probably more) obvious signs that you’re attempting to “fix” your recommendations.
1. Most or all of your recommendations are from fellow students, classmates or family members.
“Sally rocked our class presentation. She finished her part of the project in a timely manner. I’d hire her for any position she wants. – Group Project Team Member”
Recommendations mean the most when they’re given by a colleague, mentor, professional or professor who has had a real opportunity to review and assess your work. Before requesting or accepting a recommendation, ask yourself if a potential employer would be impressed by *who* wrote it – not necessarily what he or she said.
2. Most or all of your recommendations were given in return for a recommendation.
I get it. I scratch your back, you scratch mine. It’s basis symbiosis.
Keep in mind that LinkedIn dates every recommendation, so it’s really easy to see when a recommendation was written. That makes it obvious when recommendations were given as a mutual favor. Recommendations mean more when they’re genuine, not when they’re based on someone returning the gesture.
Great post, Rebecca. Way to help the students.
-B
That’s excellent advice, Brandi! Thank you for sharing.
Rebecca, thanks for linking to my post, you had some great tips that I didn’t have. Yes, please DON’T connect your LinkedIn and Twitter accounts, especially if you tweet a lot.
I also like the above tip about recommendations. Along that same line, please DON’T ask for a recommendation unless you’ve actually worked with, supervised, or worked for someone. Occasionally I get asked to write a recommendation for someone whom I’ve really never worked closely with.
Great post Rebecca!
You’re welcome, Faye! You inspired me to share some of my own LinkedIn tips.
That’s a great point. It seems like LinkedIn recommendations deserve their own set of tips, too!
Reblogged this on fitnessmusictravelpr and commented:
Very well compiled article on the do’s and don’ts when it comes to successfully using LinkedIn as a connection tool for soon to be graduates.
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