Recently, LinkedIn introduced their LinkedIn University pages, birthed from a parent who saw the need to connect students with faculty, other students, and career professionals. According to Christine Allen, Director of Product Management at LinkedIn:
Through my relationships at LinkedIn, I knew that hidden in millions of member profiles were powerful insights about the career outcomes of educations from universities around the world. If harnessed, these insights could provide incredible value for students – helping them explore possible futures and build a support network to help them succeed on campus and beyond.
Universities stepped up to the plate.
What an ingenious idea. Imagine making all these connections in high school and college and once you graduate you have a network of job possibilities. Over 200 universities have embraced this new offering and have set up pages you can connect to. Here are just a few:
And it’s not just for college students. In September, they began making LinkedIn accessible to high school students. This will give them an opportunity to “explore schools worldwide, greatly expand their understanding of the careers available, and get a head start on building a network of family and friends to help guide them at every milestone.”
LinkedIn offers students opportunities to connect.
Once they have signed up for LinkedIn, students can take advantage of the University pages by doing the following:
- Join the conversation by engaging with the campus community.
- Connect with current students and alumni.
- Research specific majors and their career potential, along with the careers of alumni.
- Research universities worldwide and explore those opportunities.
- Begin building a network.
- Investigate internship opportunities.
Your student should take advantage of this amazing opportunity. Not only is it an excellent tool to connect with professionals, it’s a great place to connect with college staff and other students.