Make Your Resume Just a Google Search Away
Getting Started
For most, LinkedIn is the most important place to share your story. Gone are the days when employers would wait for you to mail them your resume and cover letter. You are now just a Google search away from sharing your story. Take time to learn about LinkedIn, build your network by making connections, and make sure your content is unique and focused on what you want to do.
Set Up a Profile in Minutes
- Find or take a professional photo
- Decide on keywords for your headline
- Convert your elevator pitch into your about section
- Complete the experience, education, skills and accomplishments sections with content from your resume
Best Practices
Do
- Join the CICS Alumni Group
- Add GitHub or personal website links
- Customize your LinkedIn URL
- Add a banner photo that helps you stand out (see CICS and UMass photos)
- Add an audio recording of how to pronounce your name
- Add gender pronouns
- Give and receive recommendations (former internship supervisors are ideal)
- Use formatting like bullets under your experiences (paste them in)
- Fill in the summary section with your goal and problems you want to solve
- Take advantage of the extra space to include more relevant experience (no 1pg limit)
- Include courses, especially electives if they have important keywords
- Attach your resume in case someone prefers that format and wants to download/forward it to hiring managers
- Add volunteer experience to share passions and potentially shared interests outside of work
Don’t
- Make your title the same as everyone else
- Use an unprofessional photo – no selfies! (get your free First Friday Photo)
- Add skills that you don’t actually enjoy
- Use too many buzzwords
- Forgot to decide on privacy settings
- Allow skills endorsements to sort skills -- reorder them strategically like you did on your resume
- Stop at <100 connections – use the mobile app to add people quickly
- Bother paying for premium – but the free trial is nice to try
- Wait to turn on your job search “flag,” which lets recruiters know that you're looking
- Hesitate to connect just because you don’t know them well – you’re basically sharing your resume!
Improving Your Profile
Use the LinkedIn About Section to Pitch Your Value and Form New Connections
Start with a unique “hook”
- Think about your audience. Who do you want to read your profile? What would they find interesting?
- Differentiate yourself. Avoid being predictable and telling them you’re a student.
See example from Alumni Career Developer Sagar Arora
Write about your value
- Highlight your experiences, skills, and knowledge. Detail how these can create real-world value.
- Be memorable. Use STAR to illustrate your unique experiences.
See example from Alumni Career Developer Yuvraj Singla
Conclude with a call to action
- Tell your audience what you are seeking. Waiting until the end gives you the chance to impress them so that they are more likely to understand your value and act.
- Give guidance on next steps. How do you prefer to be contacted or how can they learn more?
See example from Career Developer Chinmay Patil
Consider including a list of specialties
- Use keywords to emphasize your favorite skills. Connect these keywords with your title and pitch. This will help you rank higher in search results (SEO).
See example from Career Developer Dhruvil Gala
Finish off with a headline
- Seal the deal with a title. Complete your profile by adding a title that resonates with your summary.
See example from Alumni Career Developer Sreeparna Mukherjee
Networking with LinkedIn
Use alumni insights to explore your network.
Filter on your major, skills, and desired geography to find companies and potential alumni connections. Read profiles and company pages to decide which are most promising. Keep a log of target companies & contacts, including status and notes from research and any interactions.
Request an informational interview
LinkedIn makes it easy to connect and set up informational interviews with alumni who might be willing and able to help. Don’t forget to “Add a note” to send a personal message. Then use Messaging to introduce yourself, note the alumni connection, and make a specific request (e.g., propose a short call). Assume they are busy – aim to set up a call in one exchange by suggesting a time window and requesting their preferred phone #.
Use LinkedIn to prepare for the conversation
Read their profile to find more personal connections. Do you share a connection, skill, or volunteer passion? Go to their company pages. Study content they have posted. See what companies and groups they follow. The more you know, the better questions you can ask and the better rapport you can build. Always remember to send a short, thoughtful thank you note the same day. Include what you learned and any next steps.
