As social-media-obsessed college students, we’ve probably at least heard of LinkedIn—the online platform centered on professional networking. But many of us aren’t sure what this site really does. What are the benefits of crafting a Linkedin account, and when should we start? And most importantly, does Linkedin really directly link us to elusive job opportunities, like everyone says it does?
The answer to the latter question is yes. This isn’t to say that you should depend on Linkedin to seize job openings, but as a business-centered platform, Linkedin can show you the door to opportunities, or at least connect you with the people who can. The site hinges on the concept of fostering “connections”, both direct—that is the people that you know and love—and indirect, found through other contacts. In turn, connecting with people unveils lists of other in-the-know people, making the process virtually limitless.
As prowling job-hunters, we could search for specific companies and choose to “follow” them—an in-status that links us to critical information like employment statistics, job titles, employer names, and even current openings. Whether you're looking to see if you know anyone at your top-choice firm, reading up on a firm before a big interview, or trying to affirm your interest in a given organization, the "companies" tab is an invaluable resource.
Also relevant for us job-scouring students are LinkedIn groups, outlets for cultivating new contacts, participating in discussion, and gleaning valuable inside scoop. The number of academic and corporate alumni groups currently totals a whopping 128,000. Along with company and industry-specific groups, keep your eye out for any and all Tufts-related groups—including but not limited to The Tufts Alumni Association, Tufts Engineering Alumni, Tufts University Graduate Community, Tufts International Relations Program, and The Tufts University Institute for Global Leadership Networking.
Now here’s where my own Linked-in saga comes in. Though it seems like I’m quite the expert right now, I hardly knew a thing about this online platform until this past summer. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have made one at all if it weren’t for my forward-thinking boss, who insisted I couldn’t leave without my own account to help with the job hunt. And so, hovering over my boss’s computer, I watched my then-blank Linked-in account materialize before my eyes. Eager to get me into the networking game, Linkedin alerted me to relevant contacts I should “connect” with, encompassing friends, family, acquaintances, and other familiar faces. I then searched for and “connected” with the entire Curtis Brown staff, a few of the authors I’d worked with, and, other prominent figures in the publishing industry who, along with being ever-so-impressive themselves, might open some professional doors down the line.
After my introduction to Linkedin this summer, I hadn’t revisited my page again until just last week. I’d receive email notifications alerting me to people I should reach out to, but bogged down by the stress of college-life, I decided to push all Linked-in matters aside for later. It wasn’t until I was in Shimrit’s office one day last week, chatting about ways to 
network and snatch jobs, that I learned how useful Linkedin could be even before recruitment hits by storm.
Among its limitless supply of professionals and resources, Linkedin allows us to connect to the Tufts Alumni Association group---an impressive motley of alumni from a mix of fields and professions. I searched the group for big-name publishers and saw that, to my surprise, many Tufts-veterans had in fact made headway in today’s most elite publishing firms. And so, with an encouraging nudge from Shimrit, I resolved to initiate contact with a few of these alumni, new sources of perspective, advice, guidance, and information about the field.
Yes it’s important to be prudent with how and how-often we initiate contact with these digitally minded alums. But because they’ve willingly inserted themselves into this networking world, they may in fact be happy to spare a few minutes for us undergrads. And in any case, we might as well try.
Given the increasingly digital nature of networking and job-hunting, having a Linkedin account is certainly a plus. But of course, when you make one—and how and how-often choose to utilize it—is entirely up to you. The most important thing you can do is just learn about the expansive resources and opportunities this media site has to offer. And years later, while telling the tale of how you snatched your first job, who knows? Maybe you’ll be talking about Linkedin.
