Whether you’re still a student or a part-time job hunter, having a LinkedIn profile is always a good idea. Most people know LinkedIn as simply a job searching application.

The truth is LinkedIn has a lot to offer aside from jobs! It also has features that you can find on popular social media platforms. That’s why it’s never too early to create one!

But you may ask, how do I create one? Worry not! Because in this article, we’ll provide 9 easy steps you can follow to build your LinkedIn profile. Read on!

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is the “world’s largest professional networking platform.” It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman, an entrepreneur and product and business strategist.

Through LinkedIn, you can create a profile. This will serve as your digital résumé! Then, you can connect with professional friends or follow business professionals you look up to—even Reid Hoffman himself!

Wanting some interactive features? LinkedIn also lets you create posts to share your professional experiences. You can also share, react, and comment on someone else’s post!

But of course, one of LinkedIn’s major features is job applications. You can search for any kind of job that fits your skills and experience. LinkedIn Easy Apply also lets you send your résumé conveniently within the platform! Lastly, you can set notifications for job postings.

You can also explore and develop new skills through LinkedIn Learn! LinkedIn Learn lets you get access to courses and instructional videos on a variety of topics. If you want to maximize your learning, you may opt to avail a monthly or annual subscription. LinkedIn pricing is $29.99 per month or $19.99 for a yearly subscription.

Of course, all these basic features are for free. But you can also pay for a premium account with a LinkedIn pricing of $29.99 per month. This will make you access exclusive features like seeing who viewed your profile and a lot more!

How To Create your LinkedIn Profile

Here’s an easy 9-step guide in creating your LinkedIn profile!

Step 1: LinkedIn Sign In

Before taking the first step, make sure that you are within LinkedIn’s minimum age requirement. And that’s 16 years old!

Good to go? You can sign in using the LinkedIn website at https://linkedin.com or by downloading their mobile app. Click the “Join now” option at the top right corner.

You’ll need to provide your email address and a password. Click “Agree & Join.” Then, you’ll have to fill-up the necessary basic information such as your name, country of residence, and industry. Lastly, you should verify your email address by clicking the “verify” button on the email sent by LinkedIn. And voilà! You already have a LinkedIn account!

Step 2: Choose a Professional Profile Photo

After the LinkedIn sign in step, you can now start organizing your profile! Of course, the first thing you want to do is add a photo. In choosing a photo, you may want to look for one wherein you look professional. Remember, you’re in a professional social network setting!

As much as possible, don’t leave your profile photo empty. In most cases, this may signify that the account is inactive. Of course, you don’t want your profile to be ignored. You may also add a professional-looking banner if you wish to!

Step 3: Add your Location

You may think that adding your location is not really important. But that’s false! Adding your location can make you more searchable to employers and other LinkedIn users. This is also helpful to get notified whenever a job or internship is opening in your area!

To add your location, click the “Edit” icon at the top right corner of your profile. Scroll down until you see “Country/Region” and “Location.”

Step 4: Add your Industry and a Professional Headline

Under the location, you can also add your industry! Again, this is another piece of important information for employers. This also helps in aligning LinkedIn job suggestions with your background.

A headline is also a great addition to a LinkedIn profile! Your headline is shown under your name, similar to a bio in other social media profiles.

You may opt to put your educational level or college major as your headline. But of course, you can always be creative with your headline. Just remember that you have a limit of 120 characters!

Step 5: Write a Professional Summary

After fixing your profile intro, you can now proceed to writing your summary! You have a limit of 2,000 characters in this. So make sure to include the highlights of your educational or professional experience.

You can start by introducing and describing your field of work or area of expertise. Then you can enumerate your relevant qualifications and accomplishments. You can also include your hobbies, interests, and personal values!

Step 6: Add your Educational Background

Of course, you’ll want to add your educational background! This is especially important for students and fresh graduates who don’t have a lot of experience yet.

To do this, just click the “Add section” button under your profile intro and find “Education” under “Background.”

Step 7: List Down your Relevant Experiences

This is arguably the most important section in your LinkedIn profile: your work experience! But don’t worry if you don’t have that much experience just yet. Here, you can also include relevant experiences during your high school or college years.

You can include your internships and organizational positions! You can also add details and descriptions like your accomplishments in each of your experiences.

Step 8: Add At Least 5 Skills

You can also add a section to display your skills! This will help employers know if your skill set matches the job description. When you add your skills, your connections can also “vote” as a way of endorsing you!

Step 9: Connect with Other LinkedIn Users

Through LinkedIn, you can start expanding your network. You can also follow big names in different industries! Along the way, you’ll surely meet some people who can also be your friends outside the professional world.

You can add connections by simply clicking the “Connect” button in a person’s profile.

Your LinkedIn Profile is Now Ready

And that’s it! You have your LinkedIn profile! Remember that LinkedIn has a lot more features to offer. So, after creating your profile, take time to explore the platform.

Make sure to update your profile whenever needed! Surely, you’ll learn a lot of tips and tricks in making your profile more professional and effective along the way.

For now, just take a moment to explore opportunities and gain experiences. This will definitely help in building your LinkedIn profile!

What are you waiting for? Grab your laptop or mobile device and head over to https://linkedin.com. Again, it’s never too early to build your LinkedIn profile!