There are several different ways to use a computer to find a job after you graduate. As a graduating senior this year, I have used job sites like Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, Jigsaw and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Job Board to look for a job. However, the job site I use most often is LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, you can upload your picture, your resume, past and current positions that you have held, display any recommendations, summarize your work experience and join groups and associations that you would like to be a part of.
LinkedIn was founded in December 2002 and was launched in May 2003. I have been using LinkedIn since October 2007 to connect with people I have done business with as a form of professional networking. I currently have 42 connections on my LinkedIn profile.
The first step in creating a LinkedIn account is to go to www.linkedin.com and provide your first name, last name, e-mail and password.
Figure 1
(Join LinkedIn Today, http://www.linkedin.com, Screenshot w/ Snipping Tool by Matt Hersch, Copyright 2011)
After you enter that information, you need to add additional basic information about yourself. LinkedIn asks for your current status, country, zip code, years of college attended, and field of interest.
Figure 2
(Creating a LinkedIn profile, https://www.linkedin.com/reg/basic-profile?_l=en&flow=1fm5jmw-16k61ld, Screenshot w/ Snipping Tool by Matt Hersch, Copyright 2011)
Once you have added all your basic profile information, you’re going to want to add a summary of experience in your chosen field. Some people like to keep it short and to the point while others prefer to list a more detailed summary of their extensive experience. After you summarize your work experience, you need to list each position you have held with a description of each task you performed while holding that position.
LinkedIn recommends you get recommendations from your colleagues, as you are more likely to show up in search results if you have recommendations on your profile. The site also provides a listing of People You May Know, a feature in which the site provides three other people in your network you may want to add to your connections.
It is also a good idea to join relevant groups and associations and add them to your profile. Group updates send out recent job listings and allow you to ask questions and interact with people in the group. There are several groups that you can join as an alumnus of the University of Florida, where thousands of people can assist you with any questions you have about your particular field.
Figure 3
(Groups and Associations, http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top, Screenshot w/ Snipping Tool by Matt Hersch, Copyright 2011)
The final step is to upload your resume to LinkedIn so that it can be viewed by prospective employers. You never know which connections may help you find a job after graduation, so add as many connections as you can!
. Figure 4
(Matt Hersch's LinkedIn Profile, http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top, Screenshot w/ Snipping Tool by Matt Hersch, Copyright 2011)
