LinkedIn & Social Media

Social media can be an amazing tool to utilize in your job search. While you want to be aware of what you put online (a recent study shows over 60% of employers who responded use social media to screen candidates) you might consider ways to set privacy measures in place on some sites and utilize your presence on others to make professional connections. It is possible to be yourself online and still present yourself professionally! Building your personal brand is just another way to tell your story.

Linkedin - Career Exploration and Networking Online

LinkedIn is a the world's largest professional networking site that allows you to explore possible career paths, identify and connect with alumni and other potential networking contacts, research companies, and join professional interest groups.

Create and update your LinkedIn profile

First impressions are important and your LinkedIn profile is often the first link that will appear in a Google search for your name. Make sure your online presence matches the quality of your resume. Uploading your most current resume to your LinkedIn profile is a great place to start. For assistance in creating your online profile, follow these tips from Linkedin or come into the CDO for Drop-in Advising to polish up your resume and Linkedin profile.

At minimum, your LinkedIn profile should include:

•Appropriate professional looking headshot (Keep an eye out for LINKEDIN PROFILE PHOTO OPS from the CDO!)
•Summary of who you are and why you’re on LinkedIn
•Listing of your experience with detailed descriptions - not all experience has to be a paid job!
•Pomona College in your education section with your major course of study (if declared)
•Key skills and expertise

Learn more about LinkedIn and building your professional network by watching these videos from the LinkedIn Learning Center:

• Get Started with LinkedIn
• Build Your Professional Brand
• Find Your Career Passion
• Grow Your Professional Network
• Turn Relationships into Opportunities
• Nail the Interview

Linkedin Groups

Joining Linkedin Groups allows you to:

•Identify key issues and discussions in groups and fields of interest
•Follow influential people in your groups by checking the Top Influencers board
•Connect with people who have similar interests and experience
•Explore career fields and paths; connect with alumni

Pomona College Linkedin Groups you may want to join:

Pomona College Career Connections

The Pomona College Career Connections group is managed by the Pomona Career Development Office.  This group is intended as a networking forum for the broader Pomona college community – to include students, alumni, faculty, parents, and other friends of the college. 
Our hope is that you can connect here and explore careers, share information, network, and support one another in your career direction and paths. We encourage you to utilize the discussion feature to ask a question of other group members, connect for networking, provide advice, or give a lead on an internship or job opportunity.  This group also supports career exploration programs such as Shadow a Sagehen and other networking and mentoring connections.

Pomona College Alumni

The Pomona College Alumni group on LinkedIn supports the establishment of professional relationships among Pomona College alumni for the purposes of networking, recruiting, job searching, socializing and sharing business opportunities.

Check out this guide, Networking: Creating a Professional Social Media Network [pdf] , for tips.