1
Agenda
• Introduction to the YAB
• LinkedIn profile basics
• Networking
– Tippie alumni
– Company-specific
• Job search basics
• Questions
LinkedIn: The largest business relationship building
platform
• 364 Million unique users
• 40% of the U.S. population
•Approximately 7.5 Million company pages
•48% of recruiters post jobs exclusively on LinkedIn
•Accounts for more visits to corporate websites than all
other social platforms combined
2
Young Alumni Board
The Young Alumni Board (YAB) is a group of recent graduates who meet twice a year to continue
to contribute to the Henry B. Tippie College of Business. The Board is comprised of
approximately 30 members from a range of business majors who serve on the Board for a five
year term. Members offer unique perspectives based on their background and experiences both
at the University of Iowa and in the business world.
The primary objectives of the Board are:
•
Supporting the Tippie Undergraduate Program
•
Increasing alumni interest and commitment to
the college
•
Developing a network between alumni,
students, and faculty
3
Complete Profile Checklist
• A complete profile includes the following:
– Industry and postal code (automatic upon signing up for
LinkedIn)
– 5+ skills
– Current position with description Did you know?
Users with complete profiles are 40 times
– Professional profile photo
more likely to receive opportunities
– 50+ connections
through LinkedIn
– Summary
– Two more positions with description
– Education
4
Profile Optimization Basics
Getting Started:
•
Begin by creating a personalized URL.
•
Track your progress (Shoot for “All-Star” strength).
•
Decide if you want to notify your network about
your profile changes.
•
Double check all entries for accuracy, formatting,
consistency, and spelling as you go.
•
–
Not all sections have spell check (e.g., names, titles, headers).
–
Consider drafting content in Word before pasting to LinkedIn.
–
Consider having someone else read through your profile.
Take a look at Christina’s or Roberto’s profiles for guidance.
5
Profile Picture
•
•
•
•
Looks like you
Face takes up more than half of picture
Smile
No distracting background
A profile picture makes your profile 11 times more likely to be viewed.
6
Headline
•
•
•
•
Compelling value-based summary of key skills and positions
Not position/job title
Keywords
More specific, but also more brief than the summary
7
Contact Info
• Enter email and phone number
• Websites: Chose “Other” for customization
• Only include personal websites as applicable, relevant, and
helpful for professional purposes
• May include social media, but be conscious of your online
presence if you do
8
Education
• School name (University of Iowa - Henry B. Tippie
College of Business)
• Dates attended
• Degree
• Field of study (field/major)
9
Summary
• High-level overview of key positions, skills, and
projects
• Should be different from position description
• Include contact information at the end
• Including a list of skills or areas of expertise will help
you be more visible in search results
• 3-5 paragraphs total (general, education, contact
information, specialties)
10
Position Titles
• Make sure this selection links to the company page (selecting from
the drop-down menu does this automatically)
• For most visibility, list at least 2 other positions (with full
descriptions)
• Complete ‘Certifications’ section if applicable/relevant
11
Position Descriptions
• Try to mix text with bullets – format in Word
• Include industry-relevant keywords
• List specific and quantifiable accomplishments
12
Skills
• At least 5 skills
• Better to populate from custom list drop-down (these
are usually more searched)
• Drag/drop to change order they appear– put your
most relevant ones first
Listing at least 5 skills makes your profile 13X more likely to be viewed
13
Posting Basics
•
•
•
•
•
•
Thought leadership
Follow key industry pages
Join key industry groups
Share relevant page updates with your network
Post insights and meaningful content
Use Pulse
14
Connections Basics
• Having at least 50 connections makes you more likely
to get noticed in search results
• Connect with classmates, colleagues, professors
• To network with those you don’t already know
personally, be sure to click on their profile and
connect to include a personal note
15
Alumni Networking
• Clicking on the Tippie LinkedIn page gives you
easy access to alumni
• Search by location, company, industry
• Able to search
16
Company Networking
• Click any company page to view current and
past employees
17
Job Search
• Search by job title, location, company, etc.
• Save multiple searches
18
Resources
• LinkedIn has a wealth of resources:
https://help.linkedin.com/app/home/
• A note on LinkedIn Premium:
– Free 30 day trial is available
– Exhaust the vast resources of a Basic account
before upgrading to a paid premium account
19