Open AccessUsing LinkedIn to Teach Students How to Build Their Professional Network and Enhance their Personal Brand
Author(s) -
Katryna M. Johnson
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
global research in higher education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2576-196X
pISSN - 2576-1951
DOI - 10.22158/grhe.v4n2p83
Subject(s) - internship , social media , visibility , psychology , personally identifiable information , medical education , computer science , world wide web , medicine , physics , computer security , optics
The majority of hiring managers use social media to find, screen, and eliminate job applicants. Students need to understand the short- and long-term effects of what they post on line. Instructors need to teach students to actively promote and curate a positive image in an online environment. Personal branding focuses on portraying oneself, one’s competencies and experiences in a positive light. Since LinkedIn is the most used professional networking platform, it is essential that students not only create a profile but learn to include the essential information that employers are seeking. The author performed a literature review on personal branding, social networking and factors needed to have a successful LinkedIn profile. Based on these findings, a LinkedIn assignment was developed for students to help them build their personal brands and increase their visibility on the web. The author conducted a content analysis of over 150 student reflections on the LinkedIn assignment and found the top three benefits of the LinkedIn assignment to be: building a network, designing a great profile, and finding/receiving job and internship offers. This paper contributes to research by providing a specific assignment that any faculty can use to teach students how to brand themselves on LinkedIn.