How to get the most out of LinkedIn

Working within the legal profession can be difficult. With jobs very competitive and experience vital, if you use LinkedIn correctly you could be on to a winning formula. LinkedIn is one of the most popular social media/networks with over 500 million users worldwide. With this in mind and the nature of the App being of a professional, work-based nature, it’s important that we use the app in the right way to really get the best out of ourselves and opportunities that are out there.

The first piece of advice I would give is to make your profile concise. When looking through your profile employers and connections want to see the work/ experience that you have carried out. It is important that each piece of your experience is dated and in the correct order allowing those reading your profile to do so relatively quickly. The more concise your profile is the more like you are to have people read it in full, which could be very important in any future job applications you make.

When you ultimately apply for a post-graduate job the company or employer that you are working for will likely check out your LinkedIn profile. With this is in mind it’s important that everything present and readable on your profile must be correct and accurate. It would be a real shame if you go through the process of applying for a job and being unsuccessful because you get caught out on LinkedIn. To prove your work, experience its always good to get some endorsements on your profile from some of the people you have had the pleasure to work with.

Another thing that can help you get ahead in the LinkedIn world is the people you connect with. With over 500 million people accessible on the app it’s really important that you pick and choose the right people to connect with. For instance, if you are looking to study land law and would like a job in that role in future, it is important that you connect with people who have similar interests and career prospects. However important this maybe it’s also important to have some variety to your connection list. Having variety will allow you to see a wide variety of opinions on matters in the professional world. This you can draw on in future job applications and interviews where appropriate.

Now that you have your connections, it’s important to interact with your connections and create a bond that can last for many years. There are many connections that I have interacted with that ultimately led to work experience or job opportunities. Interacting in comments and posts can really boost people’s academic opinions of you and this could help you in future interviews. You may not think it, but employers will remember who you are and the high-quality interactions that you have had on the app.

The app is a very good way to get opinions and advice in certain areas if you seem to be struggling in your field. LinkedIn is a great app for accessing professional opinions and asking others that have been in your position what they would do. I have in the past asked for advice on certain legal points, to which my connections gave me clear and very useful advice, that ultimately helped me with my problem.

When used right LinkedIn can be one of the best platforms to find and job and ultimately a career through. The app has a dedicated page for finding jobs, a page where employers will seek new workers. A great thing about the app and this page specifically is that it allows you for most jobs to apply via the app making the process faster and more efficient.

To finish LinkedIn premium can allow you to take your profile to the next level. The service allows the user to apply for many different jobs and search as many people that you like allowing for a more well-rounded connection list. As well as this the premium site allows for notifications on new jobs in your area, also allowing the user to determine who has been seeing their profile and whether the work is done on your profile is finding the right people.

Here at The Almost Lawyers, we think that LinkedIn is a vital element of any student’s life and has allowed us to find and secure many different opportunities. We would love to hear any stories you may have about using LinkedIn and we would love if you could share some of your tips below.

Until the next time, we have been The Almost Lawyers, and we thank you for your continued support.