LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the world’s largest online professional network. 

With LinkedIn, you can build and strengthen professional relationships, expand your network, learn more about companies and employers, and begin searching for the right internship, job, or post-grad opportunity for you! 

At UW-Madison, you also have access to LinkedIn Learning where you can develop and practice many different professional skills. LinkedIn Learning has a massive library of free courses and resources for you to choose from.

Explore LinkedIn

Helpful Ways to Use LinkedIn

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Create and Maintain a Great LinkedIn Profile

Your profile is a professional landing page for you to manage your personal brand. A LinkedIn profile is a great way for you to let people know who you are, what you’re interested in, and what your career goals are. It’s important to have a complete profile that is a representation of your professional self. According to Jobscan, 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn to discover and analyze job candidates. 

Remember, your LinkedIn profile is the first impression you make on many potential employers or professional contacts. An up-to-date profile shows that you are actively engaged in your professional life and are serious about your career.

Check out this LinkedIn Learning video and this article for great tips on creating an effective and complete LinkedIn profile.

Connect with UW-Madison Alumni

The LinkedIn Alumni tool allows you to filter through thousands of UW-Madison alumni in all stages of their career. Filter alumni by city, company, job function, major, keywords, and more! By using this tool, you can look at specific profiles of individuals with educational and career backgrounds aligning with yours and discover the paths they took to get there. This is a great way to develop an informed plan for your own career. 

Connecting with UW-Madison alumni is a wonderful way to build your professional network. Don’t be afraid to reach out and make a connection!

Check out this video on how to use the Alumni Tool.

Join LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn groups provide a place for professionals in the same industry or with similar interests to share their insights and experiences, ask for guidance, and build valuable connections. You can also create a new group focused on a specific topic or industry. Once you’re a group member, you can join conversations, find answers, and send messages to other group members. Check out this video on finding and joining LinkedIn Groups.

If you are looking for UW-Madison specific LinkedIn groups, you can start by joining the UW–Madison LinkedIn Group. You can also search LinkedIn for more specific UW-Madison related groups, or check out your school’s or college’s website to see if they have a specific LinkedIn Group you can become a part of.

Discover LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is an online educational platform that helps you discover and develop skills that are attractive to employers and graduate schools through expert-led course videos. UW-Madison provides LinkedIn Learning to all students for free! With more than 5,000 courses and personalized recommendations, you can discover, complete, and track courses related to your field and interests. 

Need more practice with Excel? Want to hone your leadership skills? LinkedIn has a course for you! You can also choose to add your LinkedIn Learning courses and related skills to your LinkedIn profile or resume once you’ve completed them. This can show employers that you are dedicated to learning and improving your skill set!

Log in to LinkedIn Learning.

Use the LinkedIn Help Section

LinkedIn has a robust help section that can guide you on anything from setting up your account to privacy settings to the best way to search and apply for jobs. Visit the LinkedIn Help resources.

If you have specific questions about how to use LinkedIn most effectively for your career search, please reach out to a career office or advisor.