The HRL Blog February 18, 2022
Hi everyone!
It’s Naveetha Ronicut and Cynthuja Harichankar and we’re the First Year Reps on Human Resources Laurier! This month we are taking a closer look at LinkedIn and the do’s and don'ts of using this platform. We ourselves are new to using LinkedIn, so we wanted to share with you what we have learnt thus far!
As first year students ourselves, we are very familiar with the pressures and stress associated with networking and making connections. Although the process of networking may seem daunting and nerve-racking, we cannot stress enough the importance of developing those connections, as it can help build and foster professional success! While LinkedIn is a platform that makes this networking process significantly easier, the pressure to make the “perfect” profile is one that many students face and is one that we both are unfortunately very familiar with.
While it is perfectly reasonable to want a good and well-developed profile, it is important to note that there is no such thing as the “perfect” profile. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t put together a near perfect one! If this is something you are interested in, we are going to be hosting a LIVE workshop, on February 28th at 8:00pm, to discover some riveting tips and tricks on how you can craft your own eye-catching and impactful LinkedIn profile! Whether you’re looking to learn how to use the different resources within LinkedIn or seeking some tips on how to make your profile stand out, join us on February 28th for our interactive workshop to learn some unique ways in which you can ensure you are using LinkedIn to the best of your ability!
Here are 3 tips on how to enhance your profile – consider this a sneak-peek into what we’ll be covering at our workshop!
Your headshot will be the first thing that someone sees, even before they click on your profile and so having a good first impression is very important. A professional headshot would mean having a background that is not distracting, wearing appropriate clothing, and having a friendly facial expression.
The summary section of your profile is important and surely should not be left blank. This is your chance to tell your story, and showcase your personality. A basic structure to use would be to introduce yourself, share a few key skills and experiences, talk about your passions and interests, and end off with a call to action, such as inviting readers to connect with you.
An analogy that I saw recently was that people don’t exchange business cards without getting to know each other, and having a conversation. This is exactly why it is important to send personalized requests, where you can explain why you're connecting with them. This could be as simple as “Hi Naveetha! I see that you go to Wilfrid Laurier University. I am a business major as well, and would love to learn more about your work with Human Resources Laurier.”
There you have it - a little sneak-peek into some of the tips and tricks we’ll be covering at the workshop! Make sure you attend our workshop on February 28th, at 8:00PM via Zoom to learn some more interesting and valuable tips for LinkedIn success! The zoom link can be found in our Instagram bio @hrlaurier! Until next month - thank you all so much for being here!
Naveetha Ronicut & Cynthuja Harichankar
First Year Representatives, HRL