LinkedIn is the world’s largest social networking platform for business professionals and academicians. For an aspiring business professional, it has now become essential to be on LinkedIn. It has become an integral part of the MBA admission process.
LinkedIn is a platform that lets professionals across fields connect. While some of the Business schools seek your LinkedIn profile link, some might not. However, there is an excellent possibility that your potential business school may examine it during your application review process. Thus, it is essential that your LinkedIn profile is updated and you share a link in the MBA application.
The following are the essential areas that you need to complete in the LinkedIn profile to compete as an MBA candidate:
1. Headline
The headline summarises who you are as a professional. You have 120 characters to summarise who you are, besides your current professional title and company. Do not leave this space blank. Use this space to present a fuller picture of you. Be creative and precise.
2. Summary
Use this space to present a complete picture of yourself; mention your interest, personality, achievements, passion and ambitions. The LinkedIn Summary is the most frequently read part of your profile. While writing a summary, remember to write it in the first person and mix personal and professional. Remember to include your current professional status, your past and also your ambitions for the future. Above all, be unique. Be yourself.
3. Experience
LinkedIn allows you to mention and list out every position that you have held with any institution.
A few tips for writing a good experience summary:
- Sketch out a quick overview of your role
- Add specific actions and outcomes that you accomplished
- Please keep it simple
- Include your technical skills and experiences relevant to your field
4. Education
Academic performance and on-campus participation are essential while applying to a graduate school. If you have an outstanding academic performance, use LinkedIn’s Education section to highlight these. Also, mention the leadership roles on campus, awards and honours that you may have earned.
5. Volunteer Experience
Some of the MBA programs provide little to no space to mention in detail the extracurricular activities that describe your non-professional side. Thus you tend to miss an opportunity to mention these accomplishments. If you are actively involved in any volunteer work, you can mention it in the Volunteer Experience section and add it to your summary.
Once your profile is done and all updated, connect with people. Take the time to add connections from your email accounts and cell phone contacts, and you are good to go. The actual value of LinkedIn expands exponentially. The more people you connect to, the more people can contribute to building your career.
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