LinkedIn

 

LinkedIn

Last Updated: 17-09-2025

LinkedIn is currently the most popular worldwide career-oriented social network. It is all about making professional connections (e.g. potential employers, colleagues, peers, alumni, mentors), maintaining your network, staying up-to-date on the labour market and receiving possible job offers. With more than 850 million users worldwide, it is the leading platform for building your professional brand and staying informed.

 

GENERAL LINKEDIN TIPS

Think of LinkedIn as your online business card, offering a more comprehensive view of your professional identity than a CV alone. Recruiters usually review your CV first and then visit your LinkedIn profile for further insights, making it an extension of your CV. Here are some general tips to optimise your LinkedIn profile:

  • Information-Rich Profile: Ensure LinkedIn contains more detailed information than your CV.
  • Detailed Responsibilities: Write out all your responsibilities and tasks in detail to provide a complete picture of your role and achievements.
  • Relevant Keywords: Add industry-specific keywords to your profile to improve visibility in recruiter searches.
  • Personal and Authentic: Make your profile personal and authentic to stand out and reflect your true self.

LinkedIn also provides tips and prompts as you edit. Use these guided suggestions to complete missing sections and strengthen weak areas.

 

PROFILE

To optimise your LinkedIn profile, include the following recommended sections:

  • Photo and banner. A professional yet approachable photo (appropriate for the Netherlands context) and a banner representing your interests or field.
  • Name and Tagline. Make sure your headline shows your current role or ambition (e.g. Master student Mechanical Engineering at TU/e). Add top skills if relevant.
  • About me. A clear, short summary of who you are, your key skills, ambitions, and a personal touch.
  • Education. Include program name, institution, notable courses, projects, results, and thesis topics.
  • Experience. Mention roles, organisations, durations, and describe tasks, responsibilities, and outcomes. Tip: use STAR (Situation–Task–Action–Result) to highlight impact.
  • Languages. List languages with proficiency levels.
  • Skills. Add around 10 core skills that reflect your real capacities. Endorsements add credibility.

Additional sections

  • Voluntary work — Unpaid extracurriculars that involve community service, nonprofit work, or any voluntary contribution.
  • Certifications — Add any additional certifications or courses you’ve obtained beyond your studies.
  • Courses — Mainly to log relevant modules you’ve taken; recruiters often skip this section, so keep it concise.
  • Honours & awards — Honours programmes or awards received alongside your studies.
  • Projects — Personal initiatives not covered under Education/Experience; for example, a student team or a large committee project.
  • Publications & recommendations — Add authored work and request short recommendations that highlight impact.

PROFILE SETTINGS

LinkedIn provides multiple settings to control how your profile appears to others and how you interact with the platform. Adjusting these ensures you remain professional and in control of your digital presence:

  • Profile Updates: Turn update notifications off while editing (so your network does not see every small change) and turn them back on 24 hours before you want new updates to be visible.
  • Visibility: Choose whether you want to view profiles publicly (recommended for networking so people see your name and headline) or in private mode (useful for discreet research).
  • Public Profile Settings: Control what non-LinkedIn users and search engines can see. You can hide specific sections like connections, education, or experience.
  • Account Preferences: Ensure your name, location, and industry are current. You can also change language preferences here.
  • Limit Distractions: Manage notifications to prioritise job alerts, connection requests, and direct messages while muting less relevant updates.

Reviewing and adjusting your settings regularly ensures your profile is visible to the right people and reflects your professional goals.

 

NETWORKING ON LINKEDIN

A complete profile is only the first step. LinkedIn is most powerful when used for active networking and professional engagement:

  • Connecting with Others: Always personalise your invitation message when adding someone new. Mention a shared background, interest, or event.
  • Groups & Associations: Join groups related to your study field, industry, or interests. Engage by commenting on discussions and sharing resources.
  • Companies & Employees: Follow organisations you’re interested in. See who works there, what backgrounds they have, and what skills they highlight.
  • Engage with Content: Like, comment, or share posts by others to increase your visibility. Posting your own milestones or reflections shows initiative.
  • Jobs & Alerts: Use job search and set job alerts tailored to your skills. Adapt your profile to highlight relevant experiences.
  • Hashtags: Follow hashtags relevant to your industry to stay informed and join trending conversations.
  • Give and Receive: Congratulate peers on milestones, endorse their skills, and be open to giving advice — it makes networking reciprocal.

Networking is about building relationships, not just collecting contacts. A well-nurtured network provides career inspiration, hidden job opportunities, and lasting professional support.

FINDING & CONNECTING WITH ALUMNI

The Alumni tool is one of LinkedIn’s most powerful features for career development. By searching for alumni from your university, you can gain insights into potential career paths and build meaningful connections.

  • How to Use: Visit your university’s LinkedIn page, select the Alumni tab, and filter by keywords, companies, industries, job functions, or locations.
  • Why It Matters: Alumni are more likely to respond due to your shared background. They can provide career inspiration, skill benchmarks, insider advice, and even job referrals.

When reaching out, keep your message polite and personal. Mention your shared background and explain your interest in learning from their experience.

TIPS & TRICKS

  • Boolean Search: Use operators like AND, OR, NOT, quotation marks for exact phrases, and * for variations.
  • Posting & Engagement: Share milestones, projects, or reflections. Recognition builds visibility. However, don’t feel too much pressure to post. It is not a requirement and is mainly useful once you have a larger network and want to actively look for opportunities.
  • Other Social Media: Check company pages on Instagram or X to get a sense of their culture.
  • Final Tips: Stay professional, give & receive recognition, and maintain consistency.

If you wish to get more specific information or get practice and feedback, feel free to subscribe for the LinkedIn and Networking workshop by Career Academy  or if you wish to get personal feedback, stop by the Career Desk.