Build Your LinkedIn Profile

 During this summer break, I’m sure most of you Badgers are spending a lot of time relaxing, scrolling through TikTok and Instagram but let me do you one better...LinkedIn! LinkedIn is a professional online platform where you can connect with others, network with potential partners, and allows you to see available open positions and new opportunities!  

 

WHY IS LINKEDIN IMPORTANT? 

LinkedIn is a great tool to use as it allows you to create an online presence that connects you with organizations and companies of interest. Having a LinkedIn profile helps you establish credibility with potential employers! 

CREATING YOUR PROFILE! 

Headline: The headline should be a short and memorable description of who you are professionally 

Photo: Your profile photo should be professional and should be of you and you only! CareerZone has a FREE photobooth where you can take professional headshots for LinkedIn available Tuesday-Thursday, 10am-4pm all summer! 

Summary: The summary should be a concise and confident overview of your goals, qualifications, and experiences which is a great place to utilize your key skill words that are relevant to your industry! 

Education: This section should include any concentration/specializations and honours/awards as well as post-secondary education! 

Experience: This can include paid work, volunteering and should be relevant. Make sure to keep it relevant and include a summary of your position and skills for each experience added. 

Profile: Your overall profile should stay relevant by updating your experiences, status, and sharing interesting professional information on a regular basis (weekly at minimum) to get more employers interacting and connecting with you! 

 

WHY COMPLETE YOUR PROFILE? 

You might think that you would rather watch funny cat videos on TikTok, but by completing your LinkedIn profile completely you are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn! With a complete profile, you will appear in LinkedIn search results. Just like social media, the more time you spend completing your profile, adding experiences, and connecting and interacting with other’s posts, the more likely you are to find more opportunities through LinkedIn! Completing your profile in its entirety is crucial as the search algorithm seeks and displays results in this order: 

• Profile completeness (100% only) 

• Connections in Common (shared) 

• Connections by Degree (1st, 2nd, 3rd)  

• Groups in Common (shared) 

 

Now that you know the tips and tricks to navigating LinkedIn, you can rest from making TikTok's, and start on building your amazing LinkedIn profile! If you need additional resources on building your LinkedIn profile, you can log in to careerzone.brocku.ca with your student credentials and navigate to “Social Media and Branding” under Student Resources!  

 

And of course, if any of you Badgers need additional career guidance or want to come take a LinkedIn headshot with our free photobooth, feel free to visit us here at CareerZone in Market this summer from Tuesday – Thursday, from 10am – 4pm! 

Follow us to stay up to date on all our upcoming events and workshops! 

Instagram: @brocku_career.ed 

Written by: Jenna Meier, Career Navigator 

 

New Grad Job Hunt

As graduations and celebrations end, it is time to step into the working world and look for a job! We know that job searching as a new graduate can be intimidating, but CareerZone is here to help make this process a little bit easier. 

 

Before you even begin searching for a new position you want to begin preparing yourself for the job search itself. Before your job hunt, we suggest investigating in yourself. Consider your skills, interests, and values, and think about jobs you would enjoy based on those features.  

After you have done some personal reflection, we suggest you look at our Degree Exploration Guides (DEG). Our DEGs are a great resource that can assist you with discovering which career path is best suited for you. Take a look at our DEGs on CareerZone and see a series of careers that you can hold with your specific degree.  

Now that you are prepared for your job search, we suggest updating/creating your LinkedIn profile. Did you know that you are 40 times more likely to gain job opportunities through LinkedIn if you have an updated and active account? LinkedIn is a fantastic resource that allows you to connect with others in your field and explore job opportunities. Use LinkedIn to your advantage! Connect with employers or Brock Alumni via LinkedIn and request to meet for an informal interview. This is a great way to learn more about different occupations and fields.  

Once your LinkedIn is up and running you can begin networking! Get your name out there by conversing with people on both LinkedIn and Ten Thousand Coffees. Ten Thousand Coffees is a resource we offer through CareerZone that allows you to connect with Brock Alumni. You can access Ten Thousand Coffees throughout the CareerZone Portal. Under Student resources, select “Explore Career,” then you can select “Ten Thousand Coffees.” Use this CareerZone feature to Network with those in your field!  

With all your professional apps in check, you are ready to search for your new job. Another excellent feature of the DEGs is the “Careers & Job Search Resources.” Look at your degree-specific DEG and check out this section to search for positions in your field. You can also look for positions through the CareerZone job board! 

If you would like any of your professional documents looked over email them to us at career@brocku.ca. If you want a more in-depth conversation about your future career, book a Career Advising appointment through the CareerZone Portal. CareerZone is here to help you, so feel free to visit us in person Mon-Fri 10 am - 4 pm or contact us via email. We also have virtual Q&As and cafes running throughout the summer, so don’t forget to check those out! 

Have a great summer, Badgers! 

Follow us to stay up to date on all our upcoming events and workshops! 

Instagram: @brocku_career.ed 

Written by: Julia Collin-Pereira, Career Navigator