Linkedin Reaches Out to Students

I think that it's a good move that LinkedIn has catered more to students.  There are many Alumni that are working for companies and would like to hiring other MSU grads or students for internships.  I think it is also a good idea that you can add certain course work that you have taken that would pertain to your major or a possible job or internship (such as this course).  I actually have that section on my resume so employers can see what I am experienced with.  Categorizes students and Alumni through a network is a great idea and will be extremely beneficial. 

This post appeals to me because I am in the transitional period from a student to a working professional with graduation approaching this December. I have found that LinkedIn can be used for current professionals that are not necessarily looking for a new job but like to stay current in the job force. LinkedIn can also be used for current professional wanting to make a career switch. I have been using LinkedIn to become connected with not only students but also full time employees. I have found it to be a great way to stay connected with students along with finding potential full time employment.

This blog post appeals to me because for a good two years in college, all I had to put on my resume were a few parttime delivery jobs and some lifeguarding. I was slightly ashamed of using LinkedIn and exhibiting my lackluster resume to the rest of the world. Now that I've bit the bullet and begun using LinkedIn I've actually found it quite enjoyable. I'm still having trouble accessing some of the groups I'd like to frequent and very few of my college friends are on it yet, however I still find it a lot less daunting and less exclusive as I remember it in years past.

I really like that linkedin has opened it up more to students. Working at the job i do where i talk to alumni all the time, theres always the occaisional alumni who tells me to send him my resume because he loves msu and loves hiring msu students as interns or recent grads. I can't help but think that being able to add course work and certain classes taken maybe theres certain alumni out there who took that same class with a certain professer and it was a class that he felt really set him or her up and change their life and if this person had that class maybe the same thing rubbed off on them and they would be a great addition to their company. Also the ability to get in touch with alumni over linkedin helps out just as well i think.

LinkedIn is new media in today, so I think it should be like a big social network. It is a really good news, because students are a big part of social network users, there are also many students use the LinkedIn. After I used LinkedIn, I found that LinkedIn is not difficult to use as I think before I use it. I hope student can get benefit during they use LinkedIn.

I never used linked in until this class now I love it I see it as a network building tool that will help with my future for sure. I think all the possibilities that the website represents makes it something that everyone should have and use especially college students. Networking is everything these days and linked in presents an opportunity for an easy to use tool for a society that is centered around networking.

I found Linkedin to be an interesting social networking tool. I'm embarassed to say I have never actually heard of it until our orientation but I'm so happy I was introduced to it. It gives students a chance to do some networking in college while they still have the opportunity of meeting tons of people within their field of interest. I was also happy to finally find a useful social media tool. It seems to me all the other ones were just time wasters when I was procrastinating doing homework. This is something that could actually be beneficial to my future. 

I had a hard time with Linkedin at first because it was so different from other sites I have signed up for. Although I have don't really know anyone on it yet I am confident I will find some people within the next year or so, maybe I'll even make some connections from all the users within the new media driver's license class. I am a senior so it's unfortunate that I didn't hear about this sooner because I feel like I could have built a stronger profile as I went along, now I may forget things that I've done in the past. I'm hoping that most of the relevant pieces will come from my senior year when classes are the most complex and relevant, also I'm more dedicated and mature than I was when I was 18.

These new Linkedin features are something that I decided to take a look at further. It is very beneficial to be able to add organizations and courses to my profile. Since I haven't really gotten into the professional world too much I don't have much to include. With this new feature I'm able to include classes and organizations that employers may consider to be useful attributes within an employee. It also allows me to showcase group efforts that I have worked on as well. This is an important aspect to advertisers and pretty much anyone in the business world anymore. I'm excited about this new feature I only wish I had more time to develop my profile sooner!

I have been using LinkedIn since its early days and love hearing this news about students. It is good to know that LinkedIn has Students in mind, for that we make up a very large population of social media users. Sharing the classes that we are taking will benefit everyone including employers, employees, students, and perhaps large companies with profiles on LinkedIn. I am most positive this decision will increase LinkedIn's used base if not at least spread awareness about this feature.

By LinkedIn implementing this new feature geared towards students I think it will give a chance for graduating students to have a solid network established when seeking a job. Constantly I hear, especially in my marketing classes, you have to build your network to survive in the Advertising and Marketing fields. This is kind of scary to students who don't know how to create connections and are just starting out. Furthermore, if you're like me and don't have a diverse resume this new feature on LinkedIn is really helpful, as it allows you to comment on different projects you currently are working on or have done. Also, the option to talk about your courses and give insight as to what you're doing is great. In my journalism class for instance, I had to create my own news story where I went out and interviewed someone and turned it into a story. For this project I had to seek out an interesting subject, contact them, build a story, film them, edit the video, and then upload the video to YouTube for my class to see. Without this feature on LinkedIn I wouldn't be able to let companies know without first getting an interview. I think this change will give students an edge for marketing themselves now.

When I first came to college I didn’t even know that LinkedIn existed. It was not until I participated in an informational interview at Chrysler that an employee asked me if I was on the site. After asking other professionals if they new about this site, they said I should absolutely be a part of it. When I joined the site during the summer between my freshman and sophomore year, I didn’t know how to use it for my needs as a student because I couldn’t input certain sections I had on my resume, such as GPA, organizations and skills. I love that LinkedIn has begun to incorporate these elements to be geared toward college students and even high school students. I believe it is important for any individual looking for a job to have an online resource that they can share with employers, especially when they don’t have a resume in hand at all times. 

As long as LinkedIn does not incorporate elements of Facebook and Google+, such as photo sharing and relationship statuses, it can remain professional. It must only allow information to be uploaded that would be placed on a resume. That said, I do believe it is okay to connect with friends on LinkedIn, however, because friends and peers can provide valuable connections to other professionals and recommendations of character. 

 

I think it's great that Linkedin has implemented new field options for students. As mentioned article, this addition benefits all parties involved. Indeed it benefits #NMDL class for obvious reasons, and it really aids companies or organizations looking for fresh talent. However, students like myself benefit more than anyone! I love that Linkedin gives the option to list organizations and courses you're involved in. By doing so, my networking possibilities are endless. It's so hard to form good relationships with a variety of the students in my courses, unless group projects are involved. Even so, I am only networking with a small group of students. Linkedin now allows me to connect with a student in my course that I otherwise may have never spoken to. 

I am very new to LinkedIn - in fact, I purposely avoided it because I never felt that I had enough "serious" work to list on my profile.  I really appreciate the fact that they are now encouraging students to join, by adding the coursework options and "involvement" sections.  It's nice to be able to tell people about the different organizations I have been involved with on campus, and potentially connect with them through mutual interests!  I feel much more comfortable using this site, and predict that many students feel the same way.

I didn’t know about linkedin before I took this course. I realized that Linkedin is good for looking a job. It is good news to reach out of students. This move will make increasing of users. The linkedin shows more detail about a person profile and give enough information about a person’s experience, internship, and current job. It might reduce time to look particular person and good way to pick a person who might fit into the company. After few years later, it might be a good social media tool for everyone. 

Linkedin has personally helped me create a strong professional network.  I am one of those students who was originally intimidated by Linkedin before building my profile a few years ago.  Feeling as if it were designed only for the "established" professional made the barrier of entry scary, to say the least.  An individual by the name of John Hill was the first to introduce me (and the rest of my Professional Development class) to the importance of Linkedin.  Ironically, he has now moved on from being the Director of Alumni Career Services at MSU to become a Higher Education Evangelist for Linkedin.  Connecting with others on Linkedin has created opportunities in such a short period of time, that I have the same loyalty to it that others have for Facebook.  It is the best way to Market and Showcase ones skills in the professional world.

This is a great addition to the LinkedIn website for students. Because LinkedIn has become such a powerful tool in networking and marketing yourself as a professional, learning the ins-and-outs of the website while still in college will help students because they will understand the importance of making connections before they graduate. Starting the networking habits early will teach students how to properly conduct themselves in a work setting, as well as on an online community. LinkedIn is a completely different social network than the other sites we use, so we must learn how to present ourselves on this site. Learning about it through classes and organizations will help this and allow students to really understand the power of LinkedIn. 

Let me start by saying that my professional past is far from usual.  After three years at MSU, I had the opportunity to leave school and perform as a singer aboard cruise ships, travelling all over the world, with Celebrity Cruise Lines.  Of course I couldn't pass this up.  Fast forward 4 years, and I'm back at MSU finishing up my Communication degree as a 27-year-old.  Needless to say, as I have embarked on a new media project myself, my background and employment history doesn't lend itself very well to a resumee.  Although the skills I learned (managing a large cast of singers and dancers and working with people form over 60 different countries) will help me in my future, the position of "Vocal Captain" doesn't quite have a familiar ring that I feel employers and professional contacts would look for.

So I find myself at what I feel is something of a disadvantage.  However, with the recent changes to LinkedIn (I was a member last year, quit, and rejoined yesterday...haha), my situation doesn't seem quite as elementary (or university) by comparison.  Though it will always be difficult to quantify experience on a resumee or on any profile, the expansion of LinkedIn makes me feel a little more included, within the walls of what used to seem an exclusive club.

 

I think this is a great opportunity for students. Personally I would of never considered using LinkedIN before because I knew it was geared as a professional site, but with the recent updates I think LinkedIN is a great place for students. No other social media site posts jobs, or have a entire section to search for jobs. Since I am graduating in May I think this is very important. I can use social media to search for jobs or internship opportunities in the areas that I want to move without even leaving home.

What a great opportunity for students, established professionals, and companies alike- not to mention the opportunity for user growth (=revenue growth) that LinkedIn is giving itself.  I find it to be a great strategy that LinkedIn has separated itself from students for so long.  It has given the site ample time to become known as "The" professional networking site.  It has established it's brand. 

Now that LinkedIn has established its brand, it is time for the site to keep up with the ever-changing business world.  Young minds are innovative minds.  (Not to say that the distinguished minds are not...)  The business world needs to foster students, get them acclimated, and listen to their out-of-the-box, creative ideas-  ideas from young minds which have not yet been molded by a corporate world. 

Take Christopher Yu, for example.  As a senior at Johns Hopkins, he assisted in developing a way to give children medication in a way that they could not spit it out. (article by Gina Kolata)

Or more along the marketing path, look at Emily Yudofsky, a Junior at Yale.  According to a New York Times article by Stuart Elliott, Ms. Yudofsy "...set up her neuromarketing company, Applied Resonance Research, last year as a limited liability coporation.  She wants to specialize in research that involves public service advertising, the campaigns for nonprofit organizations and causes that ad agencies typically create ona pro bono basis."

Moral of the story: Students are a valuable asset to the professional network - foster thier innovation, work with them, and hire them!

What a great idea!  While applying for internships and jobs, it's hard for an organization to get a feel for the types of classes and organizational activities you participated in at school.  For instance, I study Retail in addition to Advertising.  I had an internship in Chicago this summer, and a lot of my Retail coursework was very applicable to what I was doing on the job.  At the firm I was working at, we were required to take a variety of classes that taught us about information systems they used as well as basic retail math.  I was signed up for a lot of classes that were unnecessary because of the coursework I had taken at Michigan State.  My entire department this summer is on Linkedin, and had this feature been available then, my manager would have been able to schedule my time more efficiently.  Instead, I had to sit through classes that were unnecessary that ate up a huge chunk of my time that could have been spent on developing my final project.

It's really a good news to hear that LinkedIn reaches out to students. I personally believe that students are actually the one who need to join LinkedIn. It is because that unlike people who already have proffesional experiences, students have comparetively weaker network. And since LinkedIn is a wonderful place for people doing online "networking", it is a great opportunity for students to get involved in and start to build their proffessional network. Some of my friends even get an interview opportunity via LinkedIn, so I think it is really important for students to build their LinkedIn profile as soon as possible.

In Taiwan, LinkedIn is not popular even in business. It is really a good news that LinkedIn now is available for students' network. Many companies might open jobs to fresh graduates. With LinkedIn, there are benefits both for students and for companies. After building my profile on LinkedIn, I found out that Taiwanese students have one main weakness. Most of students in Taiwan are full time students. Therefore, we have few experience to show on profile. Enrich one's profile is the first step in business world. On social media, one's profile reflect that person, because that's the only way others get to know you. Once LinkedIn open to students, enriching one's experience in diverse fields seems more important than before.

The way that linkedin has been reaching out to the students has been increasing. The fact that linkedin now promotes students to list their coursework along with the student organizations that they are involved in allows a way for a student to display their interests and talents. Students have so many options for classes while they are in college and each student chooses a different path. This path of chosen classes allows for a more “personal” relationship with that student without even knowing them. Linkedin is used as a recruiting tool for many companies and now knowing what classes that candidate is interested in allows them to select the candidate that best fits their company’s interests. If a student takes a class that is tailored toward informational technology and the position at the company is an IT job that student will look more appealing to the company.

 

Listing the student organizations on your linkedin profile allows a student to show their interests. Even if they are not business related listing that information allows for a more personal relationship. Joining clubs on campus shows company that you like to get involved with your interests and learn. Being able to be diversified is a huge asset in business and joining multiple organizations and showcasing them can help a student become more competitive for an interview.

 

As long as LinkedIn monitors the uses of the site and keeps it at the professional level people understand it to be, the changes will prove to be effective.  I think it’s great that the site is now offering a place to add school courses and organizational memberships as it will allow students and a younger demographic to feel more connected on the site. Coming from someone with not much professional experience it will allow me to build up my page and give greater insight into my educational background which could lead to possible internships and networking connections. Moreover, I can see what my classmates and people I have connected with are taking course-work wise, which would be helpful for classes like ADV 420. I would hope that the new advances for LinkedIn would not change the overall perception of the site- a professional place to network and make career advances and connections.

As an advertiser, stretching LinkedIn out to more people is wonderful. Advertisers are always looking for the best way to communicate their ideas with the largest market. Getting more and more people involved in LinkedIn gives advertisers a wider range of people to reach. Because people on the social media site are there for a similar reason, it gives advertisers a basis of what they can advertise to such a large market. I had never really heard of LinkedIn until this summer during my study abroad program. From a student’s perspective I think it is great that they have started targeting the younger generation to use it. We are the up and coming of the professional world and getting a head start and knowledge into the business never hurts.

I believe that offering a LinkedIn membership for younger students will greatly benefit the platform and help it grow in a positive manner. If these students use it for it's intended purposes and don't go about using it solely as an average social media site I believe this will be a great change. If people begin using the site earlier it can be of huge benefit to them to have more years under their belt networking and socializing on this website. Although it can and might have some diluting effects, I think they can manage to keep a watchful eye on how users are using the site and make changes as necessary. It is incredible how easy it is to send resumes to future employees, simply by the click of a few buttons and you are that much closer to landing the job you hope to one day have. So I definitely believe LinkedIn should embrace the younger audience and get them networking and keep them updated with their interests and specific field information that may help them forge career paths while making friends.

LinkedIn is definitely something all students to get into using because if you want to promote yourself as a professional in a specified career area LinkedIn is a great to to help you do that.  I know for me personally it not only has it let me become part of things that I'm interested in, but it has also made me more aware of things going on in marketing and advertising that I haven't been clued in on.  It is a very helpful and professional resource when it comes to this type of thing, but it also is a great network to be a part of for personal and social use.

LinkedIn is a great resource for new comers on the job scene as well as employers who are established. It is a great way to expand your professional contacts and just NETWORK! I have not tried out the new features that LinkedIn have added but I feel that this will allow the younger users to connect more easily with people that they know or even have shared a class or organization in common. Also, I feel that too much "evolution" it will begin to dilute LinkedIn tremendously. It may began to face some of the controversial issues that Facebook has, such as privacy. 

LinkedIn is no doubt the future of landing a job. With the efficiency of sending out a link to a resume to any employer without mailing or emailing is a system that will stick for a while. In a world where connections is a huge part in getting a job, I love how LinkedIn lets you connect with professionals and expand your network. Every network connection matters because one day that connection could get you the job you needed. 

I enjoy LinkedIn and I personally like the idea of college courses using the site for school related things. LinkedIn is already a great site for resources and networking with people on a more private base rather than Facbook and Twitter (those sites as we know are extremely public). Having classes use LinkedIn is nice for those things. You get to engage in learning and valuable information while possibly opening doors for career oppurtunites. It gets more people to become involved organizational memberships.

Linkedin since it's start has been seen has a network for professionals but I have always noticed that excluding certain individuals may keep people from getting farther within their career if you must first have a career to begin with. Having it open to students now will give people a chance to review the track record of those individuals during their time of study. I don't think this will dilute the viewership, this will eventual help Linkedin to grow larger and gain more participants.

I think Linkedin is heading in the right direction by targeting the student demographic with some of their new features. Interacting with classmates through Linkedin will surely bring more students to the site just for that aspect. It will be a private place where students can talk about their classes. I can see a lot of classes taking advantage of the feature as well, by adding class content to the site and forcing more people to join the site. These features will really boost Linkedin's already huge network

Ive always thought that LinkedIn's future would be empecable. However, I didnt know that it wpould sky rocket that fast. The new resources and applications that LinkedIn will begin to offer is nothing but good for young professional because it makes them more profitable in the job market. Especially those without work experience. As a grad student I would love to upload some my coursework for employers to brwose through.

I like that LinkedIn is a very professional website that is used throughout the business world. It is very important to network and being able to have a professional site that is widely known and now reaching out toward college students and allowing us to share our coursework on our profile and sections is great. I love the idea and am excited to see how it evolves further relations with college students and employers.

Overall, I feel somewhat loyal to a site like linked in specifically because of the fact that it has taken off as a professional site instead of just a fun social networking site. It allows a recent grad like me to get connected to businesses, business people and owners on a more professional level instead of on a site that typically hosts high schoolers, drunk pics, and a number of different unprofessional features.

LinkedIn is making a smart move by including more interactive features for college students. In my opinion, LinkedIn is more beneficial to college students instead of established professionals because it is the college students that need to make the connections to get a job after graduation... established professionals are just that... already established professionals, so they require LinkedIn's services less. I am excited that they are prompting people to add coursework and organizational memberships, because these are items that can showcase a students capabilities that aren't necessarily things a new graduate would put on their resume. They have skills in certain areas from their classes, but employers won't know about them if the student can't fit the skills on their resume. This way, an employer can look at a recent graduate's LinkedIn profile and see additional information about them if they are interested in the student. LinkedIn is smart for targeting a younger generation who truly needs and will benefit most from their services. 

Because I've always appreciated the professionalism of LinkedIn as this is where it differs from Facebook, I will always have a certain level of loyalty to the profile site. I, like my classmates, appreciate their interest in creating more of a college networking and profiling section. This can, however, create problems for those college folks who choose to do things that they don't want future or props rice employers to see and may cause an aire of fallacy or insincerity. Now, in terms of the expanded advertising on linkedin, i like it as it does not consist of severely biased, rude or crude advertising but those of a more professional nature. I plan on continuing using the linked in profile medium, and filling inthe new aspects of myself:)

I definitely think Linkedin is making a smart decision by trying to market more towards students and allowing students to communicate according to their class schedules. It will be interesting to see whether or not Linkedin will be able to keep the site a professional site and not lean more towards a social network due to the viewership that Facebook has compared to Linkedin. It is not surprising that Linkedin has had to reach out to students more because they cannot compete with sites like Facebook for social experiences. I thinked Linkedin can definitely be a site that people use if it shows the possibilities of obtaining jobs and other forms of benefits by using the site. It also will be interesting to see if many people will commit to the new sources on the site and if they increase their viewership then maybe it will be easier to get more businesses to promote their advertisements on Linkedin.

The addition of courseworkd and organizational memberships on the LinkedIn web site is a great idea.  This will allow students to easily join the network and begin to make connections that will be beneficial after graduation.  This will open the web site up allowing many more users to join and become part of the LinkedIn family creating for connections and options for students.  I can see where some people may say this will have a negative effect toward LinkedIn but I believe that if LinkedIn keeps a certain level of standard of professionalism these changes and additions will help many users looking to make connections in the business world.

I think this is a great move for LinkedIn because it allows students to actually use the site to their full advantage. Because not all student have a job or career yet, it gives them a chance to show companies and employers what they have to offer. I think LinkedIn will become of an online version of a resume. I think LinkedIn will still stay very professional because LinkedIn is not for everyone like how Facebook, everyone can join. But I think it's great now that LinkedIn decided to open to students.

This is a smart and innovative move by LinkedIn, and I am particularly excited about it because it makes students more marketable and allows us to provide more depth about what we've learned. Tons of students are in the predicament of feeling they don't have enough professional experience or qualities for a certain job. This at least allows them to show certain aspects of themselves that could prove to be useful for a company, whether they're learned in or out of the classroom.

This is possibly one of the greatest moves LinkedIn has come up with. Today, it is so hard to sound professional on a website being a student because you can't describe your background of work since you don't really have that much of a background. Now, we can add the different classes we are taking so that company's and possible future employers can see exactly what aspects of your major you learned in college, giving us students the opportunity to really shine and show just how hard we work. 

I feel like this is an awesome move for LinedIn. This allows students to come in and actually use this site to search, prepare, and provide example work for the employers they are trying to reach. It's starting to look more and more like an online version of a resume, which where it looks like things are headed anyways in this digital age.  This will help students who worked together in classes keep in touch, maximizing the number of opportunities for those with a LinkedIn profile.

Like many before have also said I think this is great for businesses and students on LinkedIn. It's exciting for me because I can now add additional information other than jobs I've held, such as courses like NMDL, I feel like it will make students like myslef a lot more marketable which is great news. I don't think that LinkedIn will have to worry too much about dilution because everyone knows about its professional image, students know it's not Facebook. I will definitely be adding to my LinkedIn profile after hearing about this news. I know plenty of other students who have gained a lot of experience in their fields through courses and organizations and not through a job or internship and this will benefit them greatly. 

This is great for LinkedIn and students alike. I see some big oppertunities for the company, but you've went over the marketing benefits that will soon be taken advantage of already so why reiterate? I think this will most deifnitely draw more students in because I myself don't really feel like there is a connection for me on LinkedIn but perhaps these new features will bridge the gap. I'm definitely excited to check it out and see if this sparks my interest on this site a little more. Intimacy is key in social media and I believe these new features are attempting to nurture that.

I'm looking forward to exploring the new Linkedin ad ons. Currently I've held one job and two internships, though not to shabby it's probably not going to get the attention of potential employers. After putting together my linkedin page I realized how little I'd done compared to other users. However, with the new additions to their website I'll be able to make myself more desirable to employers by talking about all the volunteer work I've done, scholarships I've recieved and classes I've taken. I feel these additions will increase the usership of 20 somethings on Linkedin greatly.

This is definitely something to better LinkedIn. I feel that the opportunities should be available for college students stepping out into the real world. The stance towards professionalism is what I like most about LinkedIn myself. Facebook isn't the place for business and having separate profiles enhances the opportunities for young college students. It's okay that they are having diluted viewership but allowing students to check on the page is just as important. I think LinkedIn is doing it correctly and college students are just young professionals. Good work LINKEDIN

This advancement on LinkedIn is a great opportunity for college students. Althought other commenters brought up good points - especially about where does this take LinkedIn's professionalism in the future? - I think overall it will be beneficial for both parties. As competitive as the professional world is getting, college students constantly need a leg-up on their competition. By engaging them in a professional atmosphere early on in their educational career - and with key individuals in their industry or area of choice - they will be better prepared to find gainful employment prior to or immediately following graduation. It presents them with the opportunity to test their professional skills and tread lightly in what is sometimes deep water.

I remember using an app on Facebook a while ago that allowed you to add specific courses you were taking and see who else was in them. I found that pretty useful then and I, like everyone else, think this is good for LinkedIn. Professors on LinkedIn can be designated as a teacher of the course and students could easily connect with them as well as classmates - or others who have previously taken the class. The information that it allows to students to provide, though, seems like something they could have already included if they wanted to. Anyone with "spotty work history" would be wise to emphasize their coursework and I think most employers understand that not every college student is able to carry a meaningful and enriching job AND go to classes. LinkedIn began as a professional site and I hope it can stay that way for the most part. Facebook used to be just for college students and has spiraled into an anything-and-everything social media platform; let's hope LinkedIn isn't starting down that path. But I guess I'm just a cynic!

The new Linkedin features, tailored to showcase students, is a wonderful advancement. Presently, many students are encouraged to find and complete internships in their field and Linkedin can now be used by companies to better learn about prospective students who apply to their internship program.  Furthermore, students searching for internships and jobs typically will not have much other relevant work experience, so being able to include relevant organizations, grades and classes is an excellent for students to show their leadership potential and academic accomplishments making them great candidates for employers.  Also, encouraging students to create Linkedin profiles while still in school will help them build their profiles, so that upon graduation their Linkedin profiles will be better organized and perfected when it comes time for them to actually search for a full-time job in their field. Overall, the use of Linkedin beginning with college students will increase their user base and therefore the number of companies who utilize Linkedin to find future employees.