Connect, Update, Revise: How to Prepare Your LinkedIn (or Resume) for a Summer Internship
Being a freshman entails a ton of responsibilities, especially since being a career-oriented individual is almost second nature to us Babson College students. Throughout my first year at Babson, I learned that everyone, or most, is either actively searching for career opportunities or working on their own ideas. I did not have my own project to work on, so I surely felt the push of needing to search for opportunities at other companies to obtain experience. The first tool I leveraged is my trusty LinkedIn profile: I knew that if I could master having a professional LinkedIn, more opportunities would come my way. I was excited to apply for internships during the summer, and my hard work actually paid off.
As a first-year student, I thought I did not have much practical experience. However, after reviewing my other resources, I realized I was wrong. The FME business I worked on proved to be strong professional experience and is valued by employees. Some other tips are highlighted below:
- CONNECT-Build your network! Talk to teachers, CCD staff, mentors and anyone else who can vouch for your professional activities:
- Try to utilize your network to expand it further, and truly network anywhere you go. It’s as simple as saying Hello. Don’t be afraid to send someone an invitation to connect.
- Ask for informal interviews with people that work in your desired company/industry to learn more about the steps you can take to end up where you want to be.
- As family, faculty, and friends to connect you with working professionals of interest.
- Lee Goldstein from CCD helped me determine what I could put on my LinkedIn- I did not consider my upcoming Resident Assistant position to be useful on my LinkedIn, but she informed me of how much employers value campus leadership positions!
- UPDATE- Apply, Apply, Apply!:
- Apply to as many opportunities as possible, such as the ones posted on Handshake and LinkedIn, even if you do not meet all the qualifications! Who knows- you could land an interview at your dream company. The chances are marginally higher if you devote yourself to more applications, ask around for opportunities in your network, and open yourself to more learning experiences.
- As a freshman, apply to smaller programs such as 1-day programs to learn about firms in various industries if you are not sure what you want to do. I did one at PwC and loved the firm, but realized I did not want to go into accounting. You can then add experiences as short as this one to your LinkedIn and resume.
- REVISE- Update professional experience or leadership opportunities as soon as they happen:
- Did an internship? Great! Update it in your resume and LinkedIn ASAP, so you don’t forget to later!
- Actively revise your LinkedIn/Resume to reflect your most updated experiences
- Try to use numbers to quantify experiences- it is always more powerful than sole descriptions
Overall, preparation is key- determining your images online as well as in person helps you stand out amongst employers and could help advance professionally.
I personally love updating my LinkedIn because I believe LinkedIn is the future of networking and professional opportunities. Think about all the ways you network- most of our interactions are now online. If you spend time refining your LinkedIn, or even social media pages, it could boost your public image, expand your network, and maybe even land you opportunities! Utilize your resources- you never know what could happen!