How to use LinkedIn to further your career

You’ve heard it a million times before: our generation has completely transformed our way of life thanks to the advancement of technology.

In our lifetime, we have gone from going to the store to buy everything to being able to receive anything at our door by a click of a button (and your credit card information) on the web.

We can already submit our applications for jobs online so let’s take it up a notch and use the Internet to network. LinkedIn is a website where you can connect with people, organizations and corporations that seem out of reach.

It gives you a chance to show yourself and make an impression rather easily compared to the non-internet route. Sophia Amoruso, the founder and CEO of Nasty Gal and author of #GIRLBOSS, explains in her book the importance of your online profile.

“I’m friends with Mickey Drexler, the CEO of J. Crew, not because we were introduced…but because I hunted him down, and hunted him down again,” said Amorosu.

You have to make connections and seek people out. It would be nice to just create a profile and watch thousands of offers come in, but whether you are searching for an internship or a job, you need to make contact first. It shows that you are confident and want the job.

You also have to present yourself in a professional way. Taking care of your profile and choosing an appropriate profile picture will land you more jobs because it shows the effort that you would put into the potential job. “A LinkedIn profile can be a first impression, so if it looks like you don’t pay much attention to detail, a recruiter can only assume you’d take the same approach with your job,” said Amoruso.

“Don’t think that the recruiters of your LinkedIn profile will not look at your other online social media. I’ve hired C-level executives on LinkedIn, creative on Facebook, and even an intern on Instagram,” said Amoruso.

In order to be seen as a professional, you must be a professional in all aspects of your online life. Inappropriate pictures on your Instagram could be just as damaging as having an inappropriate outfit at an interview.

The world is viewing you in the way you choose to share your life, and if you want to have absolutely no worries for your online job potentials, consider being the person you want to portray to mentors and idols when it comes to the web.

LinkedIn is a wonderful tool to help you find your way to a better career. Don’t underestimate the power of the Internet because it is one big place for all kinds of opportunity. Signing up for LinkedIn is easy and will guide you step-by-step through your experience, skills, education, and other basics.

It doesn’t matter what stage you are in—whether you are ready to get an internship or job or you are just starting out college—make this something that you create immediately and update often. Amoruso said, “treat your LinkedIn profile like an online resume” to always keep on file.