For few people, the number of friends or followers they have on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc… is a reflection of how famous and/or successful they are. If that is you, that’s fine, just do not extend this thinking to your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is all about quality connections not quantity. It isn’t a chance to try and connect with everyone you have ever crossed paths with in your working life.

If you are a recent graduate and haven’t set up your LinkedIn profile.  Don’t worry, we guide you through each step. Once that is done, you require focusing on building your network and making certain your LinkedIn profile is set up in such as way that it makes it convenient for recruiters to find you.

Beyond the Basic LinkedIn Tips For Recent Graduates

• 1. Develop Good Contacts

When you first develop a LinkedIn profile it is tempting to link with everyone you know in case to establish some kind of presence. Try not to do this, you require establishing a useful network. LinkedIn requires remaining professional so do not connect with friends just for the sake of it, let Facebook do that for you.

Professional contacts onl.

Import your address book using the function known as ‘import contacts’ and connect with those that are relevant.

Only send a connect request if the person really has a reason to accept it.

• 2. Establish Credible Circles

As with contacts, you require being careful not to follow any company on the planet just to keep your job opportunities wide open.

Follow companies you’re genuinely interested in working for.

Join industry and professional bodies and where suitable take part in discussions.

Set up filters so you get news about your industry. Share and comment appropriately.

• 3. Inquire for Suggestions/Endorsements

Recruiters pay attention to suggestions on LinkedIn. They are immediate, highly visible and the recruiter does not require contacting anyone else to get them. You should aim to have between 10-15 recommendations over time. You can inquire current or past employers, clients, customers etc…If you find this a little uncomfortable, consider the following tips:

Write a suggestion for someone else, once you do this you’ll be surprised how many people will reciprocate.

Ask for an endorsement after you’ve done something positive for someone else.

Send people some bullet points of suggested comments they could make, sometimes making it quick and easy gets a result.

• 4. Actively Network

Actively networking on LinkedIn is significant. It comes partly through your connections and circles but you also require remembering a few extra factors.

Do not send generic, impersonal connection requests; take the time to personalize each one. You are much more likely to get a positive response this way

Be selfless, comment on friends status updates, write suggestions and forward on job listings to people who might be interested. All this will earn you similar behavior in return

• 5. Keep Evolving

Remember, much like your resume, your LinkedIn Profile is an evolving document. Make definite that you revisit it regularly, updated your skills, history and qualifications as essential and keep developing your contacts and circles.

LinkedIn can be a very effective job search tool for recent graduates. Remember to keep your social and professional profiles separate and invest the time in getting your LinkedIn profile to work hard for you.