If your teen doesn’t have a LinkedIn profile by their junior year, they’re behind the eight-ball.

Why Students Need a LinkedIn Profile

A thoughtfully-built LinkedIn profile allows your teen to take control of their own digital footprint and craft the professional narrative they want adult decision-makers (like college admissions officers or employers) to see when they search for them online, which will happen.

How LinkedIn Helps Students

A well-honed LinkedIn profile helps teens and young adults stand apart from their peers. 

College competition is a reality, and while there are aspects of your student’s “permanent record” they can’t change (like maybe some less-than-stellar grades from 9th or 10th grade that will appear on their transcript), a LinkedIn profile can offer admissions officers a view of who your student is that isn’t visible from looking at a transcript, test scores, or even classroom teacher recommendations. 

LinkedIn offers students the opportunity to highlight what motivates them, what they’re passionate about, what they want to do with their future, what jobs or volunteer work they’ve done, what awards they’ve earned, special skills they might have, organizations they belong to, causes they believe in, leadership roles they’ve held outside of school, and much much more.

It’s never too early to start networking, and if you start making connections when you’re young, by the time you’re an adult, you’ll have amassed quite an impressive list of mentors who can help guide you and assist you in your future endeavors. 

LinkedIn is designed to help teens learn how to network AND to start making strong connections. Not only can your teen connect with employers and teachers who can offer skill endorsements and online recommendations, but they can also connect with colleges they’re interested in attending in a professional manner and let admissions know how much they’d like to attend a given school. 

They can connect with professionals in fields they’re interested in and develop online relationships that may lead to future professional opportunities.

They can publish articles on topics of interest to them that showcase their thought leadership, writing skills, and other talents.

The long and short of it is that if your teen isn’t on LinkedIn by the time they’re a junior, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee and get started with what will become your teen’s future professional calling card.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

If you work, you’re likely already on LinkedIn and may have a good sense of how it’s used.  While your experience and input it great, as a parent, try to understand that building a profile for a student (who doesn’t have employment history) is a bit different to craft than your profile might have been.

Get Started Now!

Schedule a free 30 minute consult today with Your Digital Guardian and/or take a look at our services for families and students to get the ball rolling and ensure your teen’s digital footprint is primed for future success.