Memo: Best Practices for Using LinkedIn

To: Members of Team Connect4, Students in ENGL 301 Course

From: Hansol Yang, Member of Team Connect4

Date: February 22, 2022

Subject: Research on Best Practices for Using LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one of the most useful platforms for professional networking. As a university student willing to find a job, it is important to know how to use LinkedIn. Below are 10 practices for using LinkedIn.

1. The attention-getting headline and summary are helpful. The headline and summary should show the specialized skills, especially how to benefit others. (Balkhi)
2. Caring for the keywords can make your profile more outstanding. Try using the buzzwords that many people are interested in. (Doyle)
3. Recommendations are powerful. By getting positive recommendations, especially from previous work experiences, you can make your LinkedIn profile stand out. (Doyle)
4. Posting content is one good way to represent yourself. The posts can be one way of sharing thoughts and connecting to others who are sharing similar opinions. (Balkhi)
5. Your networks are not who you know. Usually, people expand networks based on their real networks, but they can be expanded to unknown people. (Shin)
6. When sending invitations, personalized invitations will get better results. For example, state the reason for sending invitations. (Wilhelme)
7. Joining LinkedIn groups is one way of expanding networks. Also, to use groups effectively, it is better to participate actively, such as getting in discussions. (Balkhi)
8. You can get helps from the network. For example, you can get insight into the company’s culture or trends in the industry. (Shin)
9. LinkedIn can be a good platform to search and apply for jobs. LinkedIn offers targeted search and suggestions based on search history, so it can effectively narrow the scope of job search. (Doyle)
10. The companies’ profiles are a useful tool. Many companies share useful information on their profiles, and it is also easy to find personnel in the company from company profiles. (Doyle)

Please review the list above and make your profile stand out. I hope this summary of the research on the best practices for using LinkedIn helps use LinkedIn. 

Reference

Balkhi, Syed. “How to Network on LinkedIn Like a Pro.” Business.Com, 2 Feb. 2022, www.business.com/articles/linkedin-networking-tips. Accessed 22 Feb. 2022.

Doyle, Alison. “How to Use LinkedIn Effectively.” The Balance Careers, 14 Apr. 2021, https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-use-linkedin-2062597. Accessed 22 Feb. 2022.

Shin, Laura. “How to Use LinkedIn: 5 Smart Steps to Career Success.” Forbes, 26 Jun. 2014, https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2014/06/26/how-to-use-linkedin-5-smart-steps-to-career-success/?sh=7549aaf46fe5. Accessed 22 Feb. 2022. 

Wilhelme, Kelly. “10 Top Ways to Get More Connections on LinkedIn and Grow Your Network.” Weidert, 8 Jun. 2021, https://www.weidert.com/blog/best-ways-to-gain-more-connections-on-linkedin. Accessed 22 Feb. 2022.