Unlocking Opportunities: How High School Students Can Build an Impressive LinkedIn Profile

Written by Brandon, Brown University

Creating a compelling LinkedIn profile is essential for high school students looking to make a strong impression on college admissions officers and future employers. An effective LinkedIn profile not only showcases your achievements but also highlights your aspirations, skills, and personality. Here’s a comprehensive guide to building an effective LinkedIn profile tailored specifically for high schoolers, optimized for search engines to enhance visibility.

Why high school students should use LinkedIn

While many high school students might think LinkedIn is only for professionals, establishing a presence on this platform early can be incredibly beneficial. Colleges increasingly use LinkedIn to gauge applicants' interests, experiences, and skills. A well-crafted profile can set you apart from other candidates by demonstrating your initiative and professionalism.

Key elements of an effective LinkedIn profile

1. Profile photo and background image

Your profile photo is the first impression you make. Choose a high-quality, professional-looking photo where you are clearly visible. Avoid casual images; instead, opt for a headshot that conveys confidence and approachability.

Additionally, select a background image that reflects your interests or aspirations. This could be related to your intended field of study or a personal passion project.

2. Crafting your headline

Your headline is crucial as it appears prominently below your name. Instead of simply listing “Student,” use this space to convey your career aspirations or areas of interest. For instance:

• “Aspiring Environmental Scientist | Passionate about Sustainability”

• “Future Software Engineer | Coding Enthusiast with Experience in Python”

Incorporating keywords relevant to your goals can help improve your profile's visibility in searches.

3. Writing an engaging summary

The summary section is akin to a personal essay where you can express who you are beyond your resume. Start with an engaging introduction about yourself, including:

• Your current educational status (e.g., “I am a junior at XYZ High School”).

• Your interests and what motivates you.

• Any relevant extracurricular activities or projects.

• Future aspirations (e.g., “I aim to study Environmental Science at university”).

Make sure to keep it concise and engaging, ideally broken into short paragraphs for readability.

4. Detailing your experience

Even if you have limited work experience, it's essential to include any relevant roles:

• Internships: List any internships or volunteer positions you've held.

• Part-time Jobs: Include part-time work and describe your responsibilities.

• Extracurricular Activities: Highlight leadership roles in clubs or sports teams.

For each entry, provide a brief description of your responsibilities and any achievements or skills gained. You can use action verbs like implemented, managed, directed, conducted, organized, reduced, saved, added, delegated, produced, launched, enhanced, refined, upgraded, trained, and built while describing your work to ensure that the impact of your work is better characterised.

Make sure you also highlight your key accomplishments! For example, consider:

• What features did I contribute to the product I was building?

• How fast did I achieve targets?

• Did I receive any awards and titles during my work tenure with the company?

• What was the impact to the company's revenue lines?

5. Education section

List your high school and any relevant courses or honors you've received. If you have specific college majors in mind, mention them in this section as well.

Additionally, include any extracurricular activities or clubs that relate to your intended field of study. This not only showcases your interests but also demonstrates commitment and leadership potential.

6. Showcasing skills

LinkedIn allows you to list relevant skills on your profile. Focus on skills that are relevant to your career goals and that you feel confident in. Examples include:

• Communication

• Teamwork

• Coding languages (e.g., Python, Java)

• Research skills

Endorsements from peers can enhance the credibility of these skills.

7. Recommendations

While recommendations are optional, they can add significant value to your profile. Ask teachers, mentors, or supervisors for recommendations that highlight your strengths and contributions. This provides social proof of your capabilities.

8. Customizing your URL

A customized LinkedIn URL makes it easier for people to find you and looks more professional on applications or resumes. Ideally, it should include your name (e.g., linkedin.com/in/yourname).

9. Engaging with content

Regularly engage with content on LinkedIn by sharing articles related to your interests or commenting on posts from professionals in fields you're interested in. This not only increases your visibility but also demonstrates your engagement with the community.

10. Setting your profile to public

Ensure that your profile settings allow for public visibility so that admissions officers and recruiters can easily view your information. This openness can lead to more connections and opportunities.

11. SEO optimization tips

To enhance the discoverability of your LinkedIn profile:

• Use Relevant Keywords: Incorporate keywords related to your desired field throughout your profile—especially in the headline, summary, and experience sections.

• Complete All Sections: Aim for "All-Star" status by filling out every section of your profile; this not only improves visibility but also presents a more complete picture of who you are.

• Regular Updates: Keep your profile updated with new experiences, skills, and accomplishments as they occur throughout high school.

12. Thought leadership

To leverage the power of LinkedIn, you can also create thought-provoking content that resonates with your target audience and establishes you as a trusted authority in your field.

Here are some key principles to observe:

Identify your audience

The first step in creating successful thought leadership posts on LinkedIn is to identify your target audience. Understanding the needs, challenges, and interests of your audience will help you create content that resonates with them and inspires them to engage with your posts.

Choose relevant topics

When writing thought leadership posts, you need to choose topics that are relevant and interesting to your audience. Focus on topics that are timely, controversial, or thought-provoking and which are likely to engage your audience.

Provide valuable insights

The key to creating powerful thought leadership posts is to provide valuable insights and actionable takeaways to your audience. Be generous with your expertise and knowledge. Use your posts to answer frequently asked questions, provide tips for success, share case studies, and provide valuable resources to your audience.

Use visuals and multimedia

Visuals and multimedia can make your posts more engaging and memorable. Incorporate relevant images, videos, and infographics into your posts to help illustrate your points and provide visual interest.

Conclusion

Building an effective LinkedIn profile as a high school student is about more than just creating an online resume; it's about showcasing who you are, how you think and where you're headed. By following these guidelines, you'll create a professional presence that stands out to college admissions officers and potential employers alike. Start today—your future self will thank you!