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resentative of how you would look as a profession-al; Hiatt recommends a headshot of you alone in which you are wearing professional dress.

You can get a professional LinkedIn photo taken at Hiatt.

Summary

The summary should outline key skills or compe-tencies that are relevant to career fields that inter-est you. This might include professional interests, personal strengths and accomplishments, colle-giate activities, community service, leadership, or experiences.

Example:Strong background in writing and editing; including ex-perience as an editor of the literary magazine, a reporter for The Justice (campus newspaper), and an intern for the Boston Globe newspaper. Capable writer and pro-ducer; effective at developing content for print, audio, video and social media. Demonstrated leader and co-operator; active in student government and Waltham Group with an interest in a career in non-profit adminis-tration, advertising and public relations.

Specialties

This section allows you to include key words so that potential contacts will be able to see your abilities. These can be skills, languages, or tech-nologies.

The following example is from the LinkedIn Grad Guide:Proficient in Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, LexisNexis, iNews,digital photography, Internet, and Web 2.0 marketing and communication, blogging, event planning, andFacebook.

Education

Include Brandeis, the degree you are seeking or have earned, and major(s), and minor(s). High-light academic honors, relevant courses and ac-ademic projects. Be sure to include activities and

information that will help you connect to others that had similar campus involvements and inter-ests.

Experience

In this section it is appropriate to include employ-ment, internships, volunteer experiences, andinvolvement with clubs or activities, regardless of whether they were paid positions. LinkedIn pro-vides the following headings to help you catego-rize your experiences.

These sections and applications are worth considering:• Organizations• Volunteer Experience & Causes• Projects• Certifications• Courses• Honors and Awards• Languages• Creative Portfolio Display

It is possible to upload your resume into LinkedIn to complete the experience section. Please re-member to review your profile, post uploading, for formatting and accuracy. If you choose to upload your resume as a .pdf, consider removing your contact information from the resume, if you wish only to be contacted via LinkedIn.

“Experience” Is a Moving Target

Remember that your experiences are constantly changing and evolving. Because your profile on LinkedIn will be live 24/7, be sure it’s up to date. Also, as your experiences change, you may wish to re-categorize information to best show off your relevant experiences.

View Sample LinkedIn Pages

Linked in

guide to

the

for Brandeisstudents & alumni

• Page 1

You can use LinkedIn in a variety of ways. This guide will show you how to use LinkedIn to:

1. Build a professional online presence 2. Connect with alumni and other networking contacts 3. Research companies and industries 4.JoinandengagewithBrandeisUniversity’sLinkedIngroups

WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS OVER LINKEDIN?

LinkedInistheworld’slargestprofessionalonlinenetworkwithapresenceinover200countrieswithover200millionmembers.Thesiteaimstouniteprofessionalstomakethemmoreinformed,productive,andsuccessful.Itdiffersfromothersocialnetworkingsitesandalumnidatabasesinthatitisstrictlypro-fessionalinnature.Inaddition,LinkedInisalive,up-to-the-minute,dynamicinformation-sharingportal.

ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE

The Hiatt Career Center received many requests to create a Brandeis-specific LinkedIn guide.In response to these requests, and in recognition of LinkedIn’s benefits, Hiatt prepared this guideto help students and alumni like you navigate the many functionalities of LinkedIn to maxi-mizeyourexperienceandpresenceon thesite.Hiattencouragesyou touse thisguide, filledwithBrandeis-specific examples, advice and group information, to further your networking endeavors.

AsaBrandeisstudentorgraduate,optimizingyouruseofLinkedInisacriticalwaytomakeconnections,networkwithfellowBrandeisiansandotherindividuals,learnaboutdifferentcareeroptionsandfindjobs.

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introduction

A Note About LinkedIn Premium

This guide will provide information on how to use thebasic,freeversionofLinkedIn.Thereareupgradesavailableatacost,butformostusersandinstances,thebasicversionisaneffectivenetworking tool.

LinkedIn Premium

Compiled by the Hiatt Career Center Networking Committee & designed by Lenny Schnier ’13

CONTACT THE HIATT CAREER CENTER

For more information about LinkedIn, or toschedule an appointment with a Hiatt career counselortoreviewyourLinkedInprofileordis-cussnetworkingstrategies,pleasecontactus:

Brandeis UniversityUsdan15-MS204415 South StreetWaltham,MA02454

www.brandeis.edu/hiatt781-736-3618hiattcenter@brandeis.edu

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table of contentsBUILD A PROFESSIONAL ONLINE PRESENCE.......................................3a.ProfileOverviewb.KeyProfileSectionsc. Recommendations & Endorsementsd.ProfileSettings

CONNECT WITH OTHERS...........................................................................6a. Finding Contactsb.ReachingOuttoContactsc. Communication Strategiesd. Responding to Invitations

RESEARCH COMPANIES & INDUSTRIES.................................................9a. Company Researchb.TipsforJob&InternshipSeekers

JOIN & ENGAGE WITH BRANDEIS LINKEDIN GROUPS.......................11a. Joining the Groupb.TipsforInformationSeekersc. Tips for Information Providersd. Communication Preferencese.AdditionalBrandeisUniversityNetworkingOpportunities

RESOURCES..............................................................................................13

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build a professional online presence

Your Email Address is Safe with LinkedIn

LinkedIn will ask you to provide an email through which you and your contacts will correspond; however,thisinformationisnotsharedpublicly.But,awordtothewise:yourprofileshouldavoidspecificcontactinfoandotherthingsyouarenotcomfortablehavingyourcontactssee.Alsosteerclearofinformationthatisirrelevant,untruthful,or misleading.

experience,andskills.

It differs from your resume in that it does not have a length limitation, andmay have sections andfeatures not traditionally used on a resume. For example,aLinkedInprofileoftenincludesahead-line, photo (strongly recommended), interests,summary,andacontactslist.

ALinkedInprofile isanorganized,dynamicandcontinuously customizable way to present yourexperience to other professinal LinkedIn users and beyond and enhance the networking pro-cess.LinkedInletsyoucontrolyourprofile’scon-tentandstructure,andoffersavarietyofinterest-ingsectionsand features toensureyourprofilebest represents your professional and academ-ic experiences and interests. Since employers,friends,andcolleaguesmaybesearchingforyouonline,it’snicetoknowthatyoucanfullycontrolthis piece of your online presence to ensure that you represent yourself in a professional manner.

BeforeyoucanbegintocontactothersonLinkedIn you must create your own profile. Log in atwww.linkedin.com to create an account and fol-lowtheprofilepromptstobegin.

Yourprofileissimilartoyourresumeinthatit iscarefullyandprofessionallywritten, including in-formationthatisrelevanttoyourcareerobjectivesandjob/internshipsearch.Initsmostbasicform,itwillhavesectionsthatlistyoureducation,work

Explorekeysectionsavailable forLinkedInpro-files below to help you create and individualizeyourownprofile:

Get Started with LinkedIn

Professional Headline

Underneathyournamewillbeashort“headline.”These words will define you on LinkedIn. Thiscanbeashortjobtitleorabriefsummaryofyourprofessional identity. Hiatt recommends a short phrasethathighlightsyourcareerobjectivesand/oryourskills,interestsandexperience.

Examples:•Designer, writer, photographer•Economics student at Brandeis University•Junior in English seeking a summer internship•Recent grad with experience in marketing, web de-sign, and event planning

Photo

Thoughnotrequired,aphotomakesyourprofilemore visually compelling and might remind some-onethattheyhavealreadymetyou.Also,itcanbehelpfulforcontactstorememberwhoyouare,particularly if others share your name. Should you chooseto includeaphoto, remember that itwillbethefirstimagestudents,alumniandotherpo-tential networking contacts have of you. The pho-

KEY PROFILE SETTINGS

PROFILE OVERVIEW

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1 build a professional online presence

Summary

Experience

Skills & Expertise

In this section it is appropriate to include employ-ment,internships,volunteerexperiences,andactiveinvolvementwithclubsoractivities,regard-less of whether they were paid positions.

LinkedIn provides the following headings to help you categorize your experiences:•Organizations•Volunteer Experience & Causes•Projects•Certifications•Courses•Honors and Awards•Languages•Creative Portfolio Display

Education

IncludeBrandeis,thedegreeyouareseekingorhaveearned,anddeclaredmajor(s)andminor(s).Ifyouareacurrentstudent,includeyourexpect-ed graduation year. Highlight academic honors,relevant courses and major academic projects,

such as a thesis. Be sure to include activities and information that will help you connect to others with similar interests and campus involvement.

This section allows you to include key words so that potential contacts will be able to see yourabilities.Thesecanbeskills,languages,ortech-nologies.

Example:Proficient in Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, LexisNexis, iNews,digital photography, Internet, and Web 2.0 marketing and communication, blogging, event planning, andFacebook.

The summary should outline key skills or compe-tenciesthatarerelevanttocareerfieldsthatinter-estyou.Thismightincludeprofessionalinterests,personal strengths and accomplishments, colle-giateactivities,communityservice,leadership,orother experiences.

Example:Strong background in writing and editing; including ex-perience as an editor of the literary magazine, a reporter for The Justice (campus newspaper), and an intern for the Boston Globe newspaper. Capable writer and pro-ducer; effective at developing content for print, audio, video, and social media. Demonstrated leader and co-operator; active in student government and Waltham Group with an interest in a career in non-profit adminis-tration, advertising and public relations.

You can get a professional LinkedIn photo taken at Hiatt. Stopbyduringdrop-inhoursor make an appointment.

to should represent you as a professional; Hiatt recommends a headshot of you alone wearing professional dress.

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Custom URL

A custom, public profile URL is a short, clean,readable link thatyoucan include inyouremail

“Experience” Is a Moving Target

Rememberthatyourexperiencesareconstantlychangingandevolving.BecauseyourprofileonLinkedInwillbelive24/7,besureit’suptodate.Also,asyourexperienceschange,youmaywishto re-categorize information to most effectively show off your relevant experiences.

RESUME UPLOAD

LinkedIn’sresumeuploadfeaturecouldsaveyousometimeasyoubuildyourprofile.Youmayup-load your resume into LinkedIn to complete the Experiencesection.Afteruploadingit,pleasere-membertoreviewyourprofileforformattingandaccuracy. If you choose to upload your resume asa .pdf,consider removingyourcontact infor-mation from the resumefirst if youprefer tobecontacted only via LinkedIn.

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A recommendation is a short reference written bysomeonewhoknowsyourwork—likeafacultymember, supervisor or colleague—that appearsonyourprofileinconjunctionwithaspecificposi-tion. You can formally request a recommendation fromaconnectionviaLinkedIn(seebelow).

An endorsement isanaffirmationofyourskillsbyamemberofyournetwork.Youmaylistupto50skillsinyourprofile;themostendorsedskillswillshowupfirst.Someendorsementsmaycomefrom connections who cannot necessarily vouch foryourskills.Whileineditmode,youcanshowor hide endorsements in Manage Endorsements.

Requesting a LinkedIn Recommendation

Provide Suggestions for What You’d Like High-lighted: Thisappliesforbothgeneralrecommen-dationsandthosethatarespecificallywrittenforaparticularposition.Youdon’thavetogiveyourcontact a word-for-word rundown of what the rec-ommendationshouldsay,butyoumightlistsomequalities or skills that you would like mentioned. You’llbeabletopreviewtherecommendationbe-foreitgoeslive;youdon’thavetopublishit.

Thank Your Contact and Return the Favor: When you receive a recommendation, don’t forget tothank the person and consider writing a recom-mendation in return if appropriate.

Both recommendations and endorsements can helpyouroundoutyouronlinebrand,astheyval-idate the skills and attributes that you have putforward. To date, recommendations are morehighly valued than endorsements; the difference inweightissimilartoasubstantivepositivecom-mentversusa“like”onFacebook.

Want advice on how to write a LinkedIn recom-mendation?Thesitebelowwillgiveyousamplerecommendations, tips for what to include, andinstructionstosubmitrecommendations.

When you request a recommendation through LinkedIn,keepinmindthefollowing:

Ask Politely: When you request a recommenda-tion,trytoconveythattherecipientshouldn’tfeellike he or she is under any obligation.You canusephrasessuchas,“ifit’snottoomuchtrouble,”“whenyouhaveachance,”or“ifyouareable,”tocommunicate that you are respectful of the other person’stimeandpreferences.

View Sample Recommendations

RECOMMENDATIONS & ENDORSEMENTS

signature, on your resume/cover letter and oth-er professional documents. A custom URL directs potentialemployersandothersspecificallytoyou,and not to someone who may share the same name.

CustomURLsareavailableonafirstcome,firstservedbasis.

To customize your URL:1. In Privacy & Settings,clickEdit your public profile.2. In the Your public profile URLboxontheright,

click the Customize your public profile URL link.3.TypethelastpartofyourURLinthetextbox.YourcustomURLmustcontain5to30lettersornumbers;donotusespaces,symbols,orspe-cial characters. Be sure to keep this address professional in nature.

4. Click Set Custom URL.

In addition to creating a customURL, youmayalsocontroltheinformationthatisvisbletocon-nectionsandnon-connectionsinyourprofileset-tings.Considercarefullywhattomakepublic;youwanthelpfulcontactstobeabletofindandcon-tactyou,butyoudonotwanttocompromiseyourprivacy in the process. For example, considermakingyourname,headline,summary,organiza-tions’names(currentandpastpositions)and“in-terestedin”publicsothatemployersandalumnican easily identify you and your career interests. Did you know that Hiatt can review your LinkedIn profile?Call us to learn more at 781-736-3618.

PROFILE SETTINGS

help and engage with one another; this is a safe place to start your networking. Check out Section 4 of this guide for more information on connecting with Brandeis alumni in the group.

Underthe“Network”tab>“FindAlumni,”youcanquickly see where Brandeis alumni live and in what industries and companies they work. Easy-to-use filtersnarrowdownyoursearchresultswith justa few clicks. Click on a location to automatically limit alums to that geographic area or an industry tofurtherrefineyourlist.Ifyoudon’timmediate-lyseethecriteriayouareseeking,usethe“SeeMore”orsearchfunction tosuityourneedsandpinpoint your search.

Advanced SearchYourbestnetworkingcontactmightnotbesome-oneyoualreadyknoworaffiliatedwithBrandeis.UseLinkedIn’sadvanced search to identify addi-tional contacts to help you with your career goals. You can search by keyword, school, company,title,andevenzipcode.Youcanalsouseaddi-tional filters—like industries, relationship to you,groupmembership, andmore—to further refineyoursearchresults,seewhatyouhave incom-mon,anddeterminehowbesttoreachout.

connecting with others 2

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connect with others

Connecting With Brandeis AlumniYou’re part of a diverse, active and supportivecommunity.LinkedIncanhelpyoufindBrandeisalumni in your field, company, school, or job ofchoice.Youwon’tbeabletosay“Idon’thaveanycontacts”anymore!

Hiatt moderates the Brandeis University Career Connections networking group on LinkedIn. Mem-bers of this group have actively volunteered to

Start With Who You KnowFriends, co-workers, family members, supervi-sors,facultyorprofessionalsyoumeetatcareerfairs and other events can be great networkingcontacts. Add individuals you know and respect professionally as LinkedIn connections. When searchingforaspecificindividual,simplytypehis/herfirstandlastnameintothesearchbaratthetop of any page. Click on the names in the results toviewtheprofilesandverifythatthisisactuallythe person you seek.

TofindpeopleyoualreadyknowonLinkedIn,youcanalsoclick“AddConnections”underthe“Net-work” tab. By entering your email address(es),LinkedIncancheckifyouraddressbookcontainsany registered LinkedIn users and can then facili-tate the invitation process.

Great! You’ve found some potential networkingconnections.Nowit’stimetoreachouttothemina personalized way.

REACHING OUT TO CONTACTS

FINDING CONTACTS

2“Connecting” means much more than just adding someone to a list. LinkedIn is one way to engage with others in a meaningful way.

A Note About Privacy Controls & Messaging

LinkedIn allows users to set their own unique pri-vacy settings. This means that not everyone will grant you access to view their profiles, photos,oreventheirfullnames.Youmightbeprohibitedfromsendingdirectmessagesoryoumightfirstrequire an introduction from a mutual contact to gain access to some LinkedIn users.

A Word of Caution

Beselectiveandthoughtfulaboutaddingconnec-tions. Although LinkedIn gives you the option to connectwith yourentireaddressbookwithonegenericmass-message,considersendingindivid-ual invitations so you can personalize each mes-sage and up your chances of getting added.

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Dear John,

I hope you have been well! As you know, I will be grad-uating soon and I am trying to connect with individuals who know about inbound marketing. I noticed through LinkedIn that you are connected to Brad Dice at Hub-Spot. Since this company specializes in this area of communications, I would really appreciate the opportu-nity to speak with Brad about his experience in the field.

Would you be willing to facilitate an introduction for me? Thank you for considering my request. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

Best,Hillary Career-Center

Request an Introduction

Interested in connecting with someone who one of your contacts already knows? LinkedIn has a feature that facilitates introductions to a third party.To requestan introduction, simplysendamessage to your contact. Mention that you are applying for a job and/or interested in learningmore about a particular company/industry andthatyounoticeds/hewasconnectedtosomeonethatpiquesyourinterest.Then,askifs/hewouldbewillingtointroduceyoutothatindividualeitherthrough a personal or LinkedIn introduction. Make sureyougivethemtheoptiontosay“no.”

Sample introduction email:

Send Messages

If you are able, initiate your conversation usingthe“SendMessage”buttononthecontact’spro-filetowritetohim/herdirectly.YoucanalsofindtheSendMessagebuttonwhenyouhoveroveragroupmember’snameintheMemberstabofagrouptowhichyoubelong.Sendingamessageisthepreferredwaytoconnectbecauseitallowscontactstorespondtoyourquestionsiftheydon’t

What’s My Relationship?

When connecting with a Brandeis student or alum,select“Classmate”asyourrelationshipandindicatethatyoubothattendedBrandeisUniversity.

Browse Brandeis groups

Depending on users’ privacy controls, youmaynotsee theConnectorSendMessagebuttons.You may only know where someone works and his/herfirstnameand/orlastinitial,soyou’llneedtobecreative.Seekoutacompanystaffdirectoryor alumni directory, or use internet searches tofind contact information. It doesn’t always workout,butitpaystotry.

Getting Creative – Alternate Ways to Connect

Dear Ms. Smith,

I am a junior at Brandeis and found your profile in the Brandeis University Career Connections LinkedIn group. I am intrigued by your career in graphic design and hope to pursue a similar path with my Studio Art degree. Would you be willing to connect with me and possibly offer some advice by email or phone? I would greatly appreciate your time.

Thank you,Your First and Last NameContact info (if you wish to provide this information)

Sample personal note:

Add Connections

Fromthecontact’sprofile,clickthe“Connect”but-tonwhichwillfirstpromptyoutodefineyourre-lationship(Colleague,Classmate,Friend,etc.).Ifnoneoftheseapply,selectthe“Idon’tknowthisperson”optionandyouwillberequiredtoprovideanemailaddressforverification.Afteryouhaveselectedyour relationship,Hiattstrongly recom-mends that you delete the generic connect mes-sage and instead write a personalized note in the spaceprovided(seesamplebelow).

know you well enough to accept your formal invi-tation.Ifyoudon’tseethe“SendMessage”buttononacontact’sprofileandyoudon’tshareagroup,customizethemessageonthe“Connect”page.

Accept

Clickthisbuttontoaddthecontactasoneofyourfirst-degree connections. Other LinkedIn mem-berswillbeabletoseethatyouareconnected.

Because networking is a two-way street, otherLinkedInmembersmayinviteyoutoconnectwiththem, too. LinkedIn strongly recommends thatyou only accept invitations to connect from peo-pleyouknow.Youmayalsobewillingtoacceptinvitations from fellow Brandeis students or alum-ni,co-workers,etc.simplybecauseyoushareacommon interest. Whatever your comfort level maybe,itisimportanttorememberthatyouhaveoptions when you receive an invitation to connect.

Things to Consider Before Responding to an Invitation

•Doyouknowthecontact?

•Doyoufeelcomfortablewiththecontactprofessionallyandpublicly?

•Doyouknowwhythecontactisinvitingyouto connect?

•Doyouneedtolearnmoreaboutthecontact?

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RESPONDING TO INVITATIONS

Reply (don’t accept yet)

Click the dropdown on the right side of the Accept buttontoseethisoptionandreplywithoutaccepting the invitation.

Ignore

Clickingthisbuttonwillmovetheinvitationtoyour“Archived” folderwithoutaccepting it.Theotherpersonwon’tbenotifiedthatyou’veignoredtheirinvitation, so they may try to connect with youagain.Afteryouclick the Ignorebutton,youwillhavetheoptionofclickingIDon’tKnow[Name]topreventthatmemberfromsendingyouanymoreinvitations.

Report as Spam

Clicking this button will report the invitation asspam.

Imaginehowvaluable this informationwillbe toyourjobsearch!

•Employersappreciateanindividualizedandcompany-focusedjobseeker.Getinsiderinfor-mationaboutthecompanytoprepareforinter-views, information sessions, career fairs, andother interactions with company representa-tives.

•Identifyemployeesfromwhomyou’dliketolearnabout career paths and critical skills. Expandyourabilitytogetinformationdirectlyfrompeo-ple in the workplace.

•Researchthecompanyusingtheinformationthat is available right from your LinkedIn ac-count. You can click on a link to follow the com-pany,gainingup-to-the-minutenews.

•YourcompellingLinkedInprofileshouldreflectknowledgeoftheindustryandissues,andcon-tain key words and professional language. Fol-lowing companies closely can help you enrich yourownLinkedInprofilebyprovidinga fullerpictureofyourcareerinterests.Readingaboutthe company gives you insights not only into thatoneparticularemployer,buttheindustryaswell.

Student Job Portal

Inadditiontojobsandinternshipslistingsonindividualcompanypages,LinkedIn’sstudentjobportal–Linkedin.com/studentjobs–bringsasortabledatabaseofinternshipsandentrylevelopportunitiestoyourfingertips.

Extensive sort functions let you customize your searchincludinggeography,industry,andtypeofposition.

Visit the Student Job Portal

LinkedIn allows you to search for more than peo-ple! The “Search Companies” function underthe Interests tab > Companies brings togethera wealth of information about specific employ-ers,providedbythecompaniesthemselvesandLinkedInmemberswhoworkforthem.

Invaluablecareer-relatedinformationavailableonthe LinkedIn company home pages includes:

•News: Up-to-the-minute company information suchasnewprojects,innovations,newsstoriesand products

•Personnel Transitions:Whohasjustbeenhired,whohasjustmovedon

•Jobs and Internships: A selection of or direct linktojobandinternshipopportunitiesavailableat the organization

•Career Info: An overview of what it is like to workattheorganization,oftenwithrealstoriesand career advice from employees

COMPANY RESEARCH

research companies & industries

3

•Follow: Sign up to follow companies to receive news and updates

•Network: A list of your LinkedIn connections to company employees

•Expand: Broaden your research with this se-lected list of organizations that employees have workedatbeforetheircurrentcompany.

TIPS FOR JOB/INTERNSHIP SEEKERS

Areyouunsureaboutyourcareerdirectionandusing LinkedIn to getmore information about aparticularfield?Doyouwanttobroadenyournet-workandfindmoreinsiderexpertstotalkto?

LinkedIn’ssearchbarat thetopofanypageof-fersan“Advanced”optionthatallowsyoutoentercriteria–likefield,geographiclocation,university,levelofexperience,andkeywords–thatresultsinatargetedsearchofLinkedInprofiles.

View professionals’ profiles to learn about therange of career paths that can lead to your target industry or role. You may also discover positions and career paths that are closely related to your interests,expandingtheoptionsyouexplore.

Youcanalsoseewhere individuals inyourfieldhaveworkedinthepasttogetmoreideasaboutcompanies in your industry of interest as well as themanywaystogetintoyourfieldand,ultimate-ly,landyourdreamjob.

Anotherwaytoresearchindustries,careersandotherprofessionaltopicsistofollow“Influencers”and “Channels.”Under the “Interests” tab> “In-fluencers,” you can follow people in leadershippositionswhowriteabouttheirlivesandcareers.Youcaneitherchoosetofollowindividual“Influ-encers” of interest to you or you can subscribetoaffinity-based“Channels”(includingindustries,fields,sectors,hottopics,etc.).Newsfrombothofthese sources will appear in your LinkedIn Today feed,which is theactivity feedonyourLinkedInhomepage.

3 researching companies & industries

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Influencers & Channels

TIPS FOR CAREER EXPLORATION

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The“Discussions”tabisagreatresourceforso-liciting diverse perspectives. If you would like to posearelevantcareerquestiontothefullgroup,Hiatt suggests posting a discussion. In your dis-cussionpost,besuretoprovideabriefsummaryof who you are and why you are seeking this spe-cificinformation.Becausethispostwillbevisibletoallgroupmembers,pleasebesurethatitisfreefromtyposanddoesnotaskforajob/internshipopportunity outright.

TIPS FOR INFORMATION SEEKERS

Post a Discussion

join & engage with brandeis linkedin groups

4

MembersofBrandeis University Career Connec-tionsareBrandeisstudents,alumni,familymem-bersandfriendsofBrandeiswhowant tosharecareer-related information across industries and geographicareas.ModeratedbytheHiattCareerCenter,thisgroupisagreatplacetoaskforca-reer advice, schedule informational interviews,conduct company research of potential employ-ers, get leads for job/internship searches, andserveasacareerresourceforothermembers.

JOINING THE GROUP

1.CreateaLinkedInprofile.2.CompleteHiatt’snetworkingrequirements: a.Read,signandreturnHiatt’ssocial

responsibilityandintegritycontract. b.Watchtheonline workshop and answer

the quiz correctly.3. Requesttojoin the group.4. An administrator will review your request and grantyouaccesswithin1-2businessdays.

Students

1.CreateaLinkedInprofile.2. Requesttojoin the group.3. Email hiattcenter@brandeis.edu to share your

Family Members & Friends

1.CreateaLinkedInprofile.2. Requesttojoin the group.3. An administrator will review your request and grantyouacceswithin1-2businesdays.

Brandeis Alumni

connectionwithBrandeistobegrantedaccessbythe group administrator.

OnceyouareamemberofBrandeis University Career Connections, there are several ways toengage with fellow groupmembers to both ac-quire and share information.

Identify individual groupmembers in your field,industryorgeographicareaofinterestbyclickingonthenumberofgroupmemberslinktotherightofthegroupname.Individualmembersmightbegreat candidates for informational interviews, oryou may simply want to message them directly withmorespecificquestions related to their ca-reer path and expertise. Because you share a group,youareabletosendamessagetofellowgroupmembers.“SendMessage”appearstotherightwhenyouhoveroveramember’sname inthe“Members”tab.Ifyouareable,Hiattsuggests

Send Messages to Members

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COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES

AsanalumniorstudentmemberofBrandeis Uni-versity Career Connections, it is important thatyou select how you want to receive updates from the group. You can manage these preferences within thegrouppageunder the “More...” tab>“YourSettings.”Tomakethemostofyourgroupmembership,Hiattrecommendsthefollowingset-tings:

Contact Email: Select your preferred email to receive communications from the group. Be sure that this email address is current and valid.

Activity: Hiatt does not recommend checking this

sendingamessagebefore inviting themtocon-nect. Remember to customize your messages(seeConnectwithOtherssection).

TIPS FOR INFORMATION PROVIDERS

Networkingisatwo-waystreet;itisjustasbenefi-cial and rewarding to ask for advice as it is to give it in return. If you have joinedBrandeis Univer-sity Career Connections to “giveback” togroupmembersbyofferingcareerexpertise,adviceandleads,thereareseveralwaystodoso. Groupmembers,especiallystudentmembers,willperiodically post discussions to the entire group. Asa“careervolunteer,”Hiattencouragesyoutorespond to relevant discussions. You may even provideyouremailaddressifyouwouldbewillingtoallow thegroupmember to followupdirectlywith you for more information. You can receive updatesabout thesepostsbyemail (seebelowforsettingyourcommunicationspreferences)oryou can proactively check the group for active discussions.

Groupmembersmayalsosendyoudirectmes-sages or invitations to connect. We encourage you to respond to these messages and invitations in a timely manner. To ensure that you can receive thesemessagesfromgroupmembers,pleaseseethe Communications Preferencessectionbelow.

to receive an email for each new discussion post-edinthegroup,asthenumberofindividualemailsyoureceivemaybeunmanageable.Instead,Hiattsuggeststhedigestemailsbelow.

Digest Email: Hiatt recommends checking this boxtoreceiveadigestemailofallactivityinthegroup. You can specify the frequency as daily or weekly.

Announcements: Hiatt recommends checking thisboxtoallowthegroupadministratorstosendyou direct emails.

Member Messages: Hiatt recommends check-ingthisboxtoallowmembersoftheHiattgroupto send you messages via LinkedIn. This does notmeanthatthegroupmemberswillhaveyouremailaddress,butitwillmakeiteasiertostrikeupa conversation via LinkedIn. If you do not check offthisbox,membersofthegroupmaynothavetheabilitytosendyouamessagedirectly.

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Attending events is one of the most common ways to meet new people. Hiatt hosts many events on and off campus to help students and alumni net-workwith each other and employers, including:industrycareerforums,informationsessions,sitevisits,employer/alumniofficehours,andmore!

B Connect: Brandeis AlumnI Directory

The Directory module in B Connect is a search-able Brandeis-only database of Brandeis alum-ni. Alumni can search the Directory for former classmatesandpotentialnetworkingcontactsbyemployer, industry, geographic area, graduationyear,andmore.

Current students do not have access to the alumni directory. Students get access upon graduation.

Additional LinkedIn Networking Groups

LinkedIn is home to hundreds of groups with mem-berswhohavespecificprofessional interestsorexperiences in commonsuchasbeing lawyers,workingwithchildrenorconductingscientificre-search.Seekoutandrequesttojoingroupsrelat-edtoyourspecificindustryofinterest.

As amember you can learn about current top-icsandtrends, researchmembers’careerpathsand identify new contacts, just as youwould inBrandeis University Career Connections. Groups can help you explore your area of interest in depth; expandyourreachforspecificinformationaboutindustryexpectationsandqualificationsaswellasrelated career paths that you may not have imag-ined previously; identify yourself as a young pro-fessional;andhearfromexpertsaboutup-to-the-minute news and perspectives.

Finding and joining groups: Search by key-wordorgroupnameinthesearchbaratthetopofanypage,andthenchoose“Groups”inthelistontheleft.Furtherrefineyoursearchbywhetheryouhaveconnectionsinthegroups,whetherthegroupisopentoeveryone,andwhatlanguageitis in.

Click on a group name to review the group de-scriptionandanyspecificcriteriatojoin,thenclickon“JoinGroup.”Somegroupsare“open”andyouwill have access right away; others have specif-iccriteriatojoin,whichareoftenincludedinthegroupdescription,anditmaytakeafewdaystobegrantedaccess.Onceyouhaveaccess,you

more networking tools & resources

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ADDITIONAL NETWORKING TOOLS(IN-PERSON & ONLINE)

Wisdom Wanted ads are specific requests forcareer advice that Hiatt sends to our alumni and parent volunteer e-mail list quarterly. Students write ads seeking advice on a variety of topics,fromgradschoolapplicationstojobopportunitiesinaspecificfield.Whenalumni/parentvolunteerswanttorespondtoanad,theycontactthestudentdirectlyviaemail.Tosubmitanad,studentsmusthaveaLinkedInprofile,completeHiatt’snetwork-ing requirements,andfillouttheonlineform. To beaddedtotheWisdomWantedvolunteere-maillist,alumniandparentscansubscribeonline.

Wisdom Wanted

Events

canbeginyournetworkingwiththisgroupofpro-fessionals.Remember:don’task fora job– thepurposeistogetcareerinsightsandinformation!Findgroupsyoubelongtointhe“Interests”tab.

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LinkedIn Learning Center

Hiatt’s Networking Website

Additional Brandeis Alumni Networking Groups

In-person & Online Workshops

Usdan15-MS204415 South StreetWaltham,MA02454www.brandeis.edu/hiatt

Office HoursMonday-Friday,9:00AM-5:00PMForappointments,pleasecall781-736-3618

Drop-in Hours(whileclassesareinsession)Monday-Friday,11:00AM-4:00PMTuesday(extendedhours),5:00-7:00PM

HiattChat(whileclassesareinsession)Monday-Thursday,8:00-10:00PM

Visit the Hiatt Career Center

Learn how Hiatt can help you connect with recruit-ersandalums.Also, checkout local calendars,professionalorganizationwebsites,andUniversi-ty events to see if someone of interest is coming to your area.

ADDITIONAL NETWORKING RESOURCES