Managing Your LinkedIn Profile as an Intern

Your LinkedIn profile is more than just your digital presence on the popular career networking portal. Here are some guidelines on how to make full use of your profile on LinkedIn as an intern so that you can get closer to your dream job as a young graduate.

1.

Decide what you want to achieve on LinkedIn

2.

Exhibit desired skill sets

Before you come up with a battle plan, you need to know what is it that you’re hoping to gain through LinkedIn. Are you looking to join a particular sector? Or are you aiming to clinch a certain type of job role? Check out profiles of individuals and companies in your interest areas to find out what skills are in demand and what the tone of your LinkedIn profile should be.

What are you trying to market yourself as? What roles do you want to be shortlisted for? Answer these questions first before coming up with the content for your LinkedIn bio. Just like how an applicant tracking system (ATS) works for job applications submitted, recruiters spot keywords on LinkedIn profiles to meet their hiring needs. Identify your current skill sets so that you can highlight them in your LinkedIn bio, much the same way as you would on your resume.

When you’re on LinkedIn, you can browse around and take a leaf from industry professionals in your chosen field with well-crafted profiles. If not, the descriptions of your dream internship roles serve as good fodder.

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Show what drives you along with what you can do. For instance, if a posting for a user experience (UX) designer calls for skills in collaboration, visual communication, user empathy, coding and interaction design, you can use “I am a team player driven to deliver the best user experience with beautiful and functional designs” as a headline in your profile.

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3.

Highlight what makes you an asset Translate your skills into value Show recruiters what’s next

4. 5.

Illustrate your experience with concrete examples and details in a succinct manner. For example, mention the exact number of sponsors you brought onboard for your final-year project so as to demonstrate your negotiation and partnership management skills.

Show how you stand out for the sector and job role you’re applying for. For instance, if you’re looking at a commercial research role for a specific locale or demographic group, state your familiarity with trends within a particular market segment. Always take that extra step to prove the value of your knowledge in a professional setting and demonstrate how you contributed to the company you did your internship at. For example, don’t leave out that you used search engine optimisation (SEO) in a digital marketing plan, which resulted in a 10 per cent growth in revenue.

Go beyond merely listing your mastery of skills, software and languages. Show how you applied the knowledge in a professional setting, such as how you used your command of a second or third language to gain insights into a regional market. Other than statements about yourself, don’t leave out the most important information at the end – a point of contact for potential employers, recruiters, clients, or anyone who wants to engage with you. Don’t forget to include a link to your portfolio, both digital and online!