Follow our four steps to get started: 

1. Think of LinkedIn as an online CV 

Use the headline to think about what your value proposition is. Summarise who you are and your career goals, and then add your education and work history to build a picture of your knowledge, skills and experience. Don’t forget to add a professional photograph to help your profile stand out. 

2. Build your network 

First of all connect with friends and other students from your course. Add in your lecturers and, if you have a part-time job or volunteer, your manager and colleagues. Join the University of Nottingham group and research alumni, you may even want to send them a message and request to connect! If you speak to an employer at a careers fair or event, follow up afterwards with a message too. 

3. Explore your interests 

Search groups for the sectors you are interested in working in and request to join. Search for and follow companies to gain insight into industry trends and company updates as well as university alumni to understand their career pathways. You’ll gain great insight into industry trends and company updates.

4. Find job opportunities and prepare for job applications 

Try LinkedIn’s job search tool to find advertised vacancies, and set up alerts so you don’t miss out on any opportunities. You’ll also see posts from individuals to say their company is hiring, or see vacancies listed in company posts, so use a range of channels to help your search. Use your sector and company research to personalise your answers when submitting applications or answering interview questions.  

Your activity on LinkedIn can grab the attention of potential employers, so don’t be afraid to keep your profile up to date with all your latest activities! Tagging others involved can help your posts to reach a wider audience. From my experience, adding photographs of the event, or links to the subject you’re talking about enhances engagement.