Law Schools

Law Students: It Is Time To Get Your LinkedIn Life Right

LinkedIn is the place to be to connect with professionals in your field, search for job opportunities, and develop your personal brand.

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Listen, I know LinkedIn isn’t the sexy social media site. I get that it is way more fun to scroll through Instagram or turn yourself into a puppy on Snapchat. However, neither of those things are going help you get a job or expand your professional network. You are a tech-savvy millennial, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t be using all the internet has to offer you to grow professionally. Bonus perk: LinkedIn is the perfect networking space for introverts because it allows you to network from your bed in your pajamas. Who doesn’t want that?

LinkedIn is the place to be to connect with professionals in your field, search for job opportunities, and develop your personal brand. If you aren’t currently on LinkedIn or if your profile is a hot mess, you’re missing out. Try out these tips to get your profile optimized for success.

1. Update your photo and cover photo

We already established that LinkedIn is different from other forms of social media, and that is especially true with your profile picture and cover photo. While you might have a cute picture with your kid or puppy as your profile picture and a beautiful sunset as your cover photo on Facebook, this simply won’t cut it on LinkedIn.

Now, that is not to say that you must have a stuffy corporate headshot (unless you want to), but rather that you should give some thought to what you want your profile picture to say about you to your professional network.  Don’t be afraid to let your personality show! For your cover photo, consider a group photo from a conference or event. Whatever you do, don’t leave these two important pieces of your profile empty. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and you have the opportunity to showcase two.

2. Publish articles and increase your activity

The next section to pay careful attention to is your “articles and activity” section. This section gives you the opportunity to publish your writing and display the things that you like or on which you comment. Word of caution, be careful what you like and comment on because it is visible to anyone who views your profile.  Make sure that any posts you interact with are subjects you are comfortable sharing with your LinkedIn connections.

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Use this section to like and comment on articles and posts that are relevant to your professional interests. Also, publish a few articles. This can be a low key thing, and you don’t have to spend hours and hours writing a law review-style article. Instead, think of it as a blog post. Write about a recent conference you attended or a reaction to a recent event or article relevant to your field. Keeping your “articles and activity“ section on point and up-to-date allows your connections to know that you are present on LinkedIn. It also gives them the chance to learn what you are about and interact with your profile.

3. Clean up your experience

One important feature on LinkedIn is the “experience” section. This is where you get to highlight your relevant work, life, and volunteer experience. Start by making sure everything is up-to-date and accurate. Think about what areas of your past experience are most relevant to the job you are seeking now and focus on them.

Don’t feel like you need to repeat everything that is on your résumé. You can liven things up here by giving examples or telling stories. For example, you don’t need to stick to merely describing the type of work you did, you can explain what your favorite part of the experience was or what lessons you learned working there.

4. Get recommended

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While you’re at it, don’t forget to give and get a few recommendations. It is never a bad idea to have people saying fabulous things about you in any situation. This is particularly true on LinkedIn, where prospective employers might be viewing your profile when considering you for a job.

While recommendations from former employers and internship supervisors are great, don’t stop there. Ask professors, friends, and colleagues to drop a short note about your incredible professionalism and work ethic. Also, share the love. A good way to inspire others to recommend you is for you to recommend them.

Once you get your profile cleaned up and ready to go, the final step is connecting. After all,  a beautiful profile isn’t worth much if you are the only person who sees it! Start with your friends and colleagues, add in your professors and supervisors, and once you are ready, start connecting with potential mentors or employers. Don’t be afraid to reach out and start conversations. Have fun with it. And don’t worry, I won’t tell Snapchat you are cheating on her.

Kerriann Stout is a millennial law school professor and founder of Vinco (a bar exam coaching company) who is generationally trapped between her students and colleagues. Kerriann has helped hundreds of students survive law school and the bar exam with less stress and more confidence. She lives, works, and writes in the northeast. You can reach her by email at [email protected].

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