April 26, 2019, by Noor Syuhada
LinkedIn Employer Talk: Tips & Tricks for Students
“If you are on social media, and you are not learning, not laughing, not being inspired or not networking, then you are using it wrong.”
On April 3, Careers Advisory Service (CAS) has conducted a LinkedIn employer talk, which presented by Kent Tan, the Assistant Manager of Human Resource (Human Capital) from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Malaysia. Previously, students who participated in Nottingham Advantage Award (NAA) module had been assigned a task to build a LinkedIn profile and later be assessed by representative from PwC, together with CAS to pick winners, where the prize-giving ceremony was held after the talk.
Kent has also shared his insights based on the students’ LinkedIn profile and he emphasized that every profile is different and unique to each person. Here’s what can make a profile stands out and the things to avoid:
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Ability to showcase what was learnt through internship, extracurricular activities and even part-time experience as that’s what makes you different.
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Good grammar, spelling and consistent ‘voice’ used in one’s writing
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A professional looking photo — it doesn’t have to be done by a professional photographer, but something that conveys professionalism and not ‘having-a-good-time-partying’ photo.
‘LinkedIn has become a tool for recruiters to re-imagine the possible in engaging with various talents other than the traditional career fairs or office visits. As we journey further in today’s digital world, social media is proving to be the way forward. I feel that it’s a fantastic initiative for CAS to offer this NAA LinkedIn module, which helps students to build their presence, gain insights from employers, increase employability and stay connected!’
He left some great advice for students too, take note everyone!
‘Make sure to have some work or internship experience if not extracurricular activities as it increases your employability. It shows that you have widened your exposure beyond your lecture halls, which helps you build confidence and gives you the opportunity to learn new skills. An important point about part-time work or internship experience is that they provide you with learning opportunities to grow your business acumen and build relationships by working together with people of diverse backgrounds.’
To the winners, CONGRATULATIONS! We are so proud to be part of your LinkedIn journey and let’s hear out what some of them say!
Tan Jia Hui, Civil Engineering
I have heard about LinkedIn many times from my friends but never took the initiative to get to know more about it. I thought I would only set up an account after I have graduated because for now, I don’t have enough experience to fill in.
I created my account during the first class of the module. From there, I began to explore more about LinkedIn by checking the profiles of people I know. I got to know a lot more about my friends’ professional experiences as well as their interest just by looking through their profiles.
The module clarifies the importance of different job searching platforms in a simple and concise way. I was able to understand the importance of a LinkedIn profile by understanding the recruiters point of view and current trends. I think that the module is a very useful one especially for final year students.
I was motivated to complete and polish my LinkedIn profile because of the competition. It also prompts me to think ahead of the skills I may need by observing the skill sets companies look for in their employees. I also began building networks with my university’s Alumni. I plan to continue adding and improving my LinkedIn profile on a regular basis. I also plan to look for jobs through the platform.
Khoo Miinyi, Chemical & Environmental Engineering
It was two years ago when our university had a talk to introduce LinkedIn to the students. My first thought was the LinkedIn platform is very useful and important as it gives convenience to the HR of the company to headhunt for talents suitable for them. However, I didn’t create one during that time because I am not graduating very soon as I was still in year 2 at that period.
I find this module super useful as it gives me the initiative to sign up for a LinkedIn account. Creating my own LinkedIn profile was much easier as I know exactly what the recruiters want to see and read after attending the classes.
I would be following more companies and groups so that I can gain more insights and obtain the latest news into the companies and industries that I am interested in. This would prepare me and help me stay updated on the current world trends.
Many thanks to Kent Tan for the informative sharing and congratulations again to the students. We hope that you never give up to reach your full potential and grab for great opportunities that lie in front of you!
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