A Complete Guide to Building the Best LinkedIn Profile for Students

In today’s age we’re spending an awful lot of time online. We were already living in the so-called Information Age, and now, businesses across the world have gone 100% virtual. That makes honing your online presence more important than ever when you apply to internships and jobs.

Most college students today are already social media masters. Chances are your Instagram stories get dozens of views, your Tweets are always Retweeted, and your Facebook posts spark plenty of healthy debate. But there’s one platform that typically isn’t in the daily rotation: LinkedIn. And unlike other platforms, which mostly serve to distract you from your actual work, LinkedIn is crucial to your career success. With internships and jobs becoming more competitive than ever, you want to craft the perfect LinkedIn profile for potential employers and recruiters. Here’s what you can find in this guide:

Why Link Up with LinkedIn?

Time and time again, when it comes to building your career and landing your dream role, people tell you to network. Grab a virtual lunch with old classmates, email some family friends, and give your old babysitter a call—you never know who will have that all-important connection! In today’s increasingly digital world, networking is done via LinkedIn—and you can do it from the comfort of wherever you’re quarantining. Every single person on LinkedIn is a professional—and that means they’re all potential connections for you, as you conduct an internship or job search.

Searching for an internship or job is a big deal. It’s time-consuming, and it’s confusing, and it’s competitive (especially now!)—but it’s also incredibly rewarding. The sooner you start building a professional presence online, the better. By setting up a LinkedIn profile you can start connecting with other people, researching fields and companies that interest you, and establishing yourself as a credible professional, with concrete experience and skills.

The more people you connect with, the more likely you’ll know someone connected to your dream role when it pops up (and the more likely someone with connections will reach out to you). If you suddenly find yourself looking for a new role this summer, don’t just ask your neighbor if she needs an assistant and cross your fingers. With a strong LinkedIn presence, you’ll be able to reach out to tens or hundreds of people who work at organizations or in industries that are directly related to your career goals. Furthermore, 95 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to source candidates, so a great opportunity could just fall in your lap—if you play your profile cards right.

LinkedIn is also a great way to proactively shape your online identity. While stalking your ex on the internet is a tale as old as time, recruiters and hiring managers also take to Google to learn a little more about potential hires. You can save them a lot of time and effort by building a LinkedIn profile; it will provide proof of what your resume only tells them, building your credibility as a candidate. Plus, as we’ll discuss in more detail later, you can include a lot of information not on your resume—like direct recommendations from others and work samples.

While employers are using LinkedIn to learn all about you, the flip side of this coin is that LinkedIn is an excellent resource when it comes to researching potential companies (and their employees). Websites can be out of date, but LinkedIn pages usually aren’t. Companies also post press releases, articles written by employees, or breaking news—all of which make for great conversation once you get to the interview stage. Speaking of interviews, you can also use LinkedIn to look up people who may be interviewing you, allowing you to identify common interests or experiences.

Are you convinced yet? Good. Let’s dive into the profile-making details.

Creating a Perfect Profile on LinkedIn

Now, it’s time to walk through creating your own LinkedIn profile, step by step and section by section.

A couple of things to keep in mind as you follow LinkedIn’s student-centric prompts to sign up: First, have a headshot and your resume at the ready, and be sure to join using a professional email address that you check frequently. When LinkedIn asks if you’re a student, current students will want to select, “Yes.” If you’re a current student and you’re working, don’t worry: You’ll be able to update your account once the basics are all set up.

And once LinkedIn asks, “What are you most interested in?” rest assured that you’ll be able to edit all of this and tailor your profile later on. To start, select “Finding a job”—it’s a good jumping-off point.

One more tip for recent grads: If you’re not currently employed, act like you are (and ensure you show up in searches) with this simple trick: Create an entry that replicates LinkedIn’s job format, but describes what you currently do in lieu of having a regular 9–5. For example, a recent grad might write, “Python Developer/Class of 2019”—or something like that. For company name, write whatever you aspire to do.

Once you’ve signed up, all of your information will be under your profile, aka “Me” in the navigation bar at the top of your LinkedIn homepage. You can add new sections by clicking the “Add profile section” button.

1. Photo:

Once you’ve uploaded a photo, you’ll be an official member of LinkedIn. Now, you should be on your LinkedIn homepage.

LinkedIn will prompt you to add a photo when you set up your account. This is the first thing anyone sees. While a professional photo is optimal, there’s no need to overthink this. Just have a family member take a high-res headshot in which you’re wearing a clean shirt and a welcoming smile. You can even ask a friend to take a snapshot over video chat. And when this is all over, you can head to your college’s Career Center; they often offer free photo services.

2.  Headline:

Click on “Me” in the upper right-hand corner of your homepage, and then select “View Profile.”

Once you click into your profile, LinkedIn will offer a Wizard that will walk you through suggested steps, depending on what’s still missing from your profile. Alternately, you can select that pencil icon to the right of “Add profile section” to follow our guide.

First, it’s time to craft yourself a killer headline. Your headline is the first thing people read on your profile, so you want to make an impact. Don’t just say, “Student” or “Recent graduate.” That doesn’t encapsulate who you are and what you do. Sure, you can have your current title and company (or major and school)—and that is indeed LinkedIn’s default. But you can also say what you hope to be, highlight your greatest accomplishments (memberships, certifications, and areas of expertise all work), and promote your latest project. You want to catch people’s attention in as few words as possible. This is also a good place to advertise what you’re looking for next. If you’re seeking an internship, say so; it will ensure that your profile pops up when recruiters search for interns. For example:

3. Contact Info:

Next to your location, click “Contact info” to ensure everyone knows where to reach you. If you put your phone number, you might want to adjust your privacy settings accordingly. This is also where you can put your personal website or online portfolio. A small step that can really help your profile strength!

4. Summary:

Under “Add profile section,” click “About,” and then the “+” sign to put your best self forward.

You want to take your headline and add all the little details that make you tick—and that make people want to get to know you. Your LinkedIn summary is similar to a resume summary or objective, but with ample space and the opportunity to write whatever the heck you want, in your own words. We suggest writing in the first-person, rather than the third, because it’s more personal. You’re writing 2–5 paragraphs in which you grab the viewer’s attention and make them want to connect with you. As a student, you want to balance your needs and the employer’s needs—so focus on what you’re looking for in your next position as well as how you can add value for a company.

A great LinkedIn summary highlights your area of expertise, your relevant soft and hard skills (including your measurable impact), your desired industry/professional opportunities, and your unique qualifications and personality. Essentially, you’re telling your professional story, from past to present to future. With less experience, it can help to lead with a compelling anecdote or your personal mission. If you’re in a more technical field, focus more on industry keywords and your hard skills.

5. Experience:

The next few sections are all under “Add profile section: Background.”

This first one is also the most important because it’s where you detail your work experience (internships, externships, co-ops, and part-time roles absolutely count), along with what you did and accomplished at each position. You can import your resume to kick things off, and then manually tweak each role for keyword optimization and content. And just as with your resume, always start with your current role and work your way back.

If you need it, we have some resume inspiration for current students and recent graduates. A strong resume is the backbone of a strong LinkedIn profile, so you can also peruse other resume examples to ensure your Experience section is spot-on.

6. Education:

For students, listing your education is a given. This is where anything for which you earned a degree goes. Include your high school, too, as it’s a great way to make connections. For current students, include your expected date of graduation, and don’t forget to add summer programs and study abroad experiences.

7. Licenses & Certifications:

If you’ve received any certificates or licenses, put them here. You can even enter your license number, letting any would-be employers know that you’re telling the whole truth.

8. Volunteer Experience:

Even if you didn’t get paid for the work, you still did it, and employers recognize that. List all volunteer gigs, and in your bullet points, highlight your measurable impact and transferrable skills—just as you would for work experience.

9. Skills & Endorsements

Under “Add profile section,” click “Skills,” and then the “+” sign to highlight those hard skills that employers really want.

10. Accomplishments:

Under “Add profile section,” click “Accomplishments,” and then go through each applicable category individually.

For current students or recent graduates, the “Honors & Awards” section is crucial, as those accolades are tangible evidence of your awesomeness. You can also add your coursework, focusing on those classes that are most relevant to your chosen industry and best show off your skill set.

For many students, the “Publications” section is a great way to highlight your published work and link to it, so that recruiters can easily view (and vet) it. “Languages” allows you to show off your multilingual skills—but don’t list a language unless you’re comfortable actually using it. “Organizations” is where you’ll put your extracurricular activities, from sports to clubs, when you’re a current student; later in your career, you can add professional memberships. Just as with your volunteer and work experience, be sure to describe what you did and accomplished for each one. Finally, “Projects” is another useful category: Did you lead a successful project in one of your classes? Are you currently writing your first novel? Mention it here.

Going the Extra Mile

If you’ve filled out all the sections above, you’re in good shape. Be sure to double-check your work to ensure everything is accurate, your grammar is golden, and there’s nary a typo in sight. For current students, your Career Services Center will be happy to help out.

At this point, you’ll also want to go to “Settings and Privacy” to check on what everyone can see. In particular, make sure that recruiters know you’re open by going to “Job Seeking Preferences,” and then changing everything to “Yes.”

If you want to be a LinkedIn superstar, we have a few more tips, tricks, and extras.

That’s All, Folks!

Now, you’re a LinkedIn pro. Just as with your other social media sites, you’ll want to keep your profile updated and check up on things regularly. From here, you can join groups, share updates, and get connected to professionals all across the globe.

Meet the author

Dana Guterman

Dana Guterman is a content strategist, writer, and researcher, specializing in higher education and career development. Her clients span the business, tech, academic, and nonprofit industries. Dana graduated from Brown University, with a BA in East Asian studies, and now lives and works in Portland, Oregon.