In the advancing world of business and employment, LinkedIn has emerged as a professional platform to build a network of connections, gain insights into various opportunities and access career opportunities. SCHS students and staff discussed their tips and tricks to understand the importance of LinkedIn’s purposes and how it can be effectively used.
Prior to LinkedIn, counselor Katy Weeks created her resume on paper to apply for her first job at Chuck E. Cheese. Nowadays, she recommends high schoolers to create their resumes on LinkedIn instead.
“I think it’s good for high school students to know how to market themselves, think about that professional side and continue to develop even if it’s on a computer,” Weeks said.
Freshman Charlotte Yang was initially introduced to the concept of LinkedIn through the 49ers STEM Leadership Institute. It was a way for her to look at others’ accounts and form larger networks.
“I know that for my age, you’re not supposed to have LinkedIn, but we went to the 49ers stadium, and they had an introduction to LinkedIn and how we should use it for future uses,” Yang said. “I guess not everyone in my cohort has it, but it was more specifically my friend group.”
Similar to Yang, junior Nico Fischer also uses LinkedIn as a way to stay on people’s radars. He aims to connect with others who share the same goals and interests.
“A lot of opportunities, especially in the humanities, which is what I’m primarily interested in right now, come from word of mouth and knowing people, and LinkedIn requires you to know a lot of people very quickly,” Fischer said.
Understanding the benefits, senior Aadit Kannan utilizes LinkedIn to strengthen relations with others and present himself professionally. Kannan, however, prefers creating connections with others through phone numbers or in-person contact, so LinkedIn is not his primary form of communication. Additionally, he wants to ensure that his profile displays accurate information about himself.
“When I was first reaching out (for an internship), I needed to make sure that they knew exactly who I am. So when it comes to hiring, it’s very important because it’s easy,” Kannan said.
Along with viewing others’ achievements, Yang emphasized how LinkedIn is a place for her to display different academic related coursework and extracurricular activities she is involved in on her account.
“In my profile, I have my education and I have (the) classes I take. I take college classes, so I include them as well. I include my accomplishments, like awards I won for science fairs or robotics,” Yang said. “Sometimes I post things I’ve accomplished, such as starting a youth Taiwanese non-profit organization.”
While Yang mentioned putting one’s achievements on their account, Kannan suggested highlighting key statistics in one’s profile to capture more attention. One element he recommends adding to increase credibility is recommendations from other individuals.
“One specific thing that’s really important is to have recommendations on LinkedIn because something that’s known right now is that a lot of people aren’t fully honest about what they say,” Kannan said. “Recommendations on LinkedIn itself, which is what my boss and a lot of their employees did, they left me some recommendations on LinkedIn. They can actually corroborate all the work I did there. Getting that human touch on the page really helps.”
While viewing many achievements and recommendations on LinkedIn, Fischer notices that there can be negative effects on students as they compare their activity lists with one another. This problem can be further exacerbated by people not being fully honest on their profiles.
“I feel like a lot of people get wrapped up in comparing themselves to others, and I think that’s especially toxic because obviously everyone has varying levels of inherent privilege,” Fischer said. “For example, a lot of people see someone on LinkedIn who maybe is doing some insane research at a lab at Stanford, but what’s left out of that description is the fact that their parents are professors at Stanford.”
Fischer believes the difference in privilege and prestige in profiles can also contribute to the cutthroat Bay Area culture. Fischer explained how falling into the trap of comparing oneself to others on LinkedIn can be futile. He believes that everyone has their own strengths and it is hard to compare two people’s achievements because LinkedIn profiles are missing so much context.
“A lot of my really close friends always kind of feel inadequate just because of LinkedIn, which is crazy. A lot of these people who feel inadequate have incredible accomplishments,” Fischer said. “It’s like comparing apples to oranges. They’re both really good.”
Contrasting the detrimental effects of comparison, Yang researches others’ activities and achievements in a positive light to better herself. She enjoys looking at what students in prestigious universities accomplish so she can map out her high school activities. This way, Yang can better her chances of getting accepted to those schools.
“You want to start building up your portfolio, maybe for college, maybe for summer applications you might be applying to. It’s (LinkedIn’s) really good for anyone to use,” Yang said.
As Weeks wrote college recommendation letters and reviewed students’ brag sheets, she noticed that students have had great accomplishments and believes they should show them off on LinkedIn.
“There’s high school kids that are doing amazing things. I can’t believe some of the entrepreneurships that students show and how internships turn into paid jobs,” Weeks said. “You guys are all way more motivated than when I was at your age.”
In order to get noticed on LinkedIn, Kannan discussed how drawing people toward one’s profile is crucial. He believes students should have a way to keep their potential employers or clients engaged.
“You want to remember that these people are going to be going through stuff quickly, so you don’t wanna leave (out) a lot of information that’s relevant,” Kannan said. “Highlight key statistics. Numbers are what’s gonna get people’s heads moving.”
Students have found LinkedIn to be a tool to build a professional presence, make meaningful connections and track their accomplishments. Ultimately, this platform can offer a unique opportunity for young individuals to start shaping their future careers while staying true to their strengths and personal journeys.
“This is such a valuable tool to be able to see what opportunities are out there, and I think that was really important for me because I don’t come from a highly academic background,” Fischer said. “My parents are not very academic people, so I think being able to categorize and see the opportunities available to me, that’s what LinkedIn means to me. I think it’s really interesting to be able to see what’s available. It’s almost motivational in a sense.”