Social networks. There can't be one of us that doesn't use one! But can they actually help in your hunt for graduate jobs?
Facebook, by far the most popular social network amongst students, is starting to be used by stacks of graduate recruiters but few go beyond a token presence. And perhaps more importantly, many students feel pretty uncomfortable about using a personal tool for for professional ends.
Which brings us to LinkedIn, a pure business networking tool. It should be a dream for students trying to stand out from their peers but it's surprising how many are stumped by it. Partly this is because it seems to work best for people who already have a professional network. It may also lack relevance for the biggest graduate employers who have more formal recruitment processes. But for the hundreds of small to medium sized companies often priced out of traditional campus recruitment, it's a different story. We recently stumbled upon this video which gives a really simple introduction into how to use LinkedIn and why it should be in every student's armoury in their hunt for graduate jobs.
Yes it's slightly U.S. focussed and yes it's from LinkedIn who naturally want you to join their network but it makes a pretty powerful point.
Have a watch and see what you think...
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