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LinkedIn &

Networking

Yesame Kinfe

ykinfe1@usfca.edu

Career Counselor

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LinkedIn Profiles
Networking
Career Services Center Overview
Q+A

AGENDA

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why?

find a mentor

job opportunities

connect w/ recruiters

follow trends in your industry

learn skills for free

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creating a LinkedIn profile

plus other helpful tools

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examples

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LinkedIn Tips: Stand out

Keep your profile updated
Be active - make/like posts, write comments, share articles, etc.
Establish a “personal brand.”

Share your values, accomplishments, & skills in a cohesive way so your profile tells a story from the headline → banner → “about me” → experience & so on

Add more to your headline than just your title, e.g. International Economics Graduate Student | Aspiring Global Development Specialist

Add info about what your career goal is, what population you want to serve, what interests you; the more keywords the better

Use a presentable photo & banner

Edit the background of your profile pic: https://www.remove.bg/upload

For banners, use a photo or design your own banner on Canva https://www.canva.com/linkedin-banners/templates/

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LinkedIn Tips: Customize your URL

Step 1: On the top right hand corner of your profile page -- click here

Step 2: Edit the URL

Customize your LinkedIn URL to look more professional when you share the link in emails and on resumes

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LinkedIn Tips: Decide who sees what

Edit your public profile to control who sees how much of your profile.

TIP: Be fully visible especially when you are actively job searching

Access: Me → Settings & Privacy → Visibility → Edit Your Public Profile → Edit Visibility

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LinkedIn Tips: Liven up your feed

Follow relevant #hashtags in your field
Follow companies, organizations, schools that you are interested in working at or hearing more from
Follow professional organizations
Join groups based on topics that are relevant to you & your field
Follow or connect with lots of people working in your field -- you can see what posts they’re liking and commenting on (e.g. trends or job posts from their colleagues)

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Open Yourself Up to Opportunities

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Open Yourself Up to Opportunities

Decide whether you want only recruiters to see you’re open to opportunities or if you want everyone on LinkedIn to see you’re job hunting

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earn skills w/ LinkedIn Learning*

*for free!

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Networking

aka forming relationships

GOAL: To establish a relationship & eventually have

someone in your corner for career opportunities / advancement / mentorship / advice.

Tips:

Have a genuine conversation. Be excited to meet someone new and learn about their career path

Clearly state who you are, what you’ve been doing, and what your goals are (TIP: goals can change, just convey confidence)

Ask who they’d recommend you connect and talk with next

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LinkedIn Alumni Search Tool

On LinkedIn, search "University of San Francisco" (and your undergrad institution) to find thousands of alumni by...

what they do
where they live
where they work
their major/degree
& more...

...in order to find who is doing exactly what

you want to do. Then reach out to them!

Tip: People want to help students - take advantage of being a student again!

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What to say?

TIPS

First add a brief note to the connection request →

Then, send a follow up message after they’ve accepted:

Mention any commonalities (USF; same undergrad; frat/sorority, student club; major; mutual connection, etc)

If no shared commonalities, compliment them about something they’ve achieved

Call to Action:

Why you want to connect
How you want to connect (phone, email, in person)
When and for how long you would like to meet

Hi [Person’s Name],

My name is _____ and I’m a student at USF graduating in 202X. I am very interested by the work you’ve done as a(n) ______ at ______. I’d love to learn more about your role and what your path was like after USF. Would you be willing to connect?

Thanks for your time!

Best,

Your Name

Add this note to your connection request ^^^^

MORE: Career Guide

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Informational Interviews

The 1:1 conversation

Learn more about the daily realities of that role, company, industry from their perspective

Ask what fun or interesting projects they’ve been working on at work

Understand what their challenges are and what problems they are solving

Examples of questions to ask (Link)

Clearly share who you are and what your future goals are (w/o asking for anything)

Don’t forget to seek their recommendations for who in their network you should contact next

TIP: Start before graduation!!!

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Keeping Track of Connections

Make a copy of this template to keep track of your own connections and to make sure you’re staying in touch in a timely manner

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Maintaining Connections

Keep them as your professional friend!

Don’t disappear...

Send a thank you note after your talk
Add value

send them articles/resources you think they may be interested in
connect them with people from your network
offer assistance on a project or in research

Congratulate them on career progress
Send happy birthday messages
Share opportunities

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Internal Referrals

Via those connections you’ve been making

Employee referral programs are formal programs employers have instituted

to encourage employees to refer candidates for jobs at the company

Employees who refer successful applicants can earn cash bonuses, prizes, extra time-off from work, and more.

A survey from ERIN reports over 80% of employers rated employee referrals as the best source for generating a return on investment.

For job seekers: gives your application priority consideration. A referral can help yours stand out from the crowd of candidates.

SOURCE: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-are-employee-referral-programs-2062990

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other ways to find connections on LinkedIn

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General People Search Tool

On LinkedIn, search the company of your choice and click on “People” to identify the folks you want to network with based on:

what they do
where they live
where they studied
their major/degree
& more...

Research their career path and then reach out to them!

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Post Search Tool

…for connections

On LinkedIn, search “new [job title] at [company name] and click on “Posts” to identify the folks who are currently active and excited about a new position, thus more likely to respond to a message and connection request.

Tip: Great opportunity to ask about someone’s interview process while it’s still fresh for them.

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Post Search Tool

…for opportunities

On LinkedIn, search “hiring [job title]” and click on “Posts” to identify the folks who are currently hiring for positions.

Use this as an opportunity to connect and discuss the opportunity with them and stand out from the crowd of applicants.

Tip: Taking these extra steps can be impactful compared to only applying through the company website or LinkedIn job search tool.

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General Search

…when you want to see more of what’s going on in your field

On LinkedIn, search a keyword to identify people, posts, companies, groups, jobs, hashtags, and influencers.

Take the time to follow people, join groups, attend events, and connect with people who are active on LinkedIn.

Example: Marketing

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More Networking Methods

Professors & Master’s Program Staff - let them know your interests; they want to see you succeed

Events/Mixers/Workshops - learn something new and connect with speakers & fellow attendees

Join Professional Associations & Organizations - have access to people passionately working in your field, attend conferences, and join for free or at a discount as a student

Social Media - have a professional account and stay up to date w/ industry conversations

Everyone You Meet - you never know who could introduce you to your next opportunity

NetworkUSF - Connecting members of the USF community for purposeful connections and professional development.

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RECAP

Ensure that your LinkedIn profile is “on brand” and clearly communicates what your goals are.

Be active! Join groups, share articles, like posts, etc.

Connect with folks and network. Make sure that people working in spaces you see yourself in someday, know who you are today.

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Our 1:1 Services

Resume & Cover Letter reviews
LinkedIn Advice
Professional Communication
Focus2 Career Assessment
Networking Strategies
Interview Prep & Mock Interviews
Job & Internship Search
Career Exploration Schedule an appointment via Handshake

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Location + Contact

UC 5th Floor

Hours: M-F, 8:30am-5pm

415-422-6216

careerservices@usfca.edu

https://myusf.usfca.edu/csc

Appointment Types:

zoom, phone

Make appts. via Handshake or call 415-422-6216

@USFCAREER

Virtual Drop-In Hours:

Tues/Thurs:

11:45am-12:45pm

VISIT US!