This week, we will be focusing on your electronic presence during the job search. Many employers utilize social media sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and GlassDoor, as a means of obtaining new employees. This is why it is so important to present a positive image in the digital realm.  

For this week's assignment, you will be required to create a professional LinkedIn account. There are many resources available to you in the My Compass to My Career portal to help you with this process. The Build an ePortfolio and Optimize Social Media Profiles page under the Develop tab explains the importance of this assignment and things to consider when developing your online presence. There are also many LinkedIn tutorials found in the Video Tutorial section.

To begin:

• If you do not have a LinkedIn account already, you will need to sign up for one.

• Once you have an account, you will need to build your profile.

• For this assignment, you must include the following items in your profile.  

o A professional photo

o A headline message that is geared towards your target job  

 LinkedIn grants you 120 characters in which to write a tagline about yourself.

 Refer to your branding message/elevator speech to develop this.

o A work/volunteer and education history that is focused towards your target job

o One group that pertains to the student's selected target job (student must join the group)

o One leader in a field that relates to the selected target job (student must connect with leader)

• Once complete, you will need to submit a copy to the link of your LinkedIn profile.

Don't forget to submit your assignment.