LinkedIn and your professional online presence

Universities, internship providers and employers may look you up online. A tidy professional profile and a sensible digital footprint make a good first impression before you have even met.

Is LinkedIn for you yet?

• LinkedIn's User Agreement, as recorded by ConductAtlas from the version dated 3 November 2025, says its services are not for use by anyone under 16.
• If you are 16 or over, a profile can help you connect with people from informational interviews, work experience and school events. If you are younger, focus on building the experiences you will add later.
• Talk to a parent or guardian before creating any professional profile, and never list your home address, school timetable or personal phone number publicly.

Building a strong student profile

• Photo: the University of Cincinnati suggests a clear, friendly headshot with good lighting and no filters. Modest, simple clothing and a plain background work well.
• Headline: a specific line about your interests and goals, for example 'Year 12 student | Interested in biomedical science | Peer tutor and volunteer'. The University of Cincinnati notes a 220-character limit.
• About section: a short summary covering your studies, interests, skills and what you are looking for next. Write it in a natural, first-person voice.
• Experience: add volunteering, school roles, projects and part-time work, described with action verbs and, where possible, outcomes or numbers.
• Skills: the University of Cincinnati suggests listing 5 to 10 relevant technical and soft skills, and customising your profile link (for example linkedin.com/in/firstname-lastname).

Connecting and posting well

• Connect with people you have actually met or spoken to, and add a short note: 'Thank you for speaking with me about your engineering career last week. I would be glad to stay in touch.'
• Share or comment on things related to your interests, such as a project you completed or an article you found useful, with a sentence on why it matters to you.
• Keep everything professional: no arguments, no complaints about teachers or employers, and no content you would not want an admissions officer to read.
• Treat unexpected messages offering jobs, money or 'opportunities' with caution and check them with an adult; the Scams and Fraud module covers recruitment scams.

Your wider digital footprint

• Search your own name in a private browser window and look at the first two pages of results and images. That is roughly what a stranger sees.
• Review privacy settings on personal social accounts so that only friends can see personal posts, and remove or archive anything you would not be comfortable with an employer seeing.
• Use one consistent, professional version of your name across your CV, email address and professional profiles so people can find the right you.
• A simple online portfolio can help if you do design, coding, photography or writing: show three to five of your best pieces with a line explaining your role in each.

A profile checklist

• Clear photo, specific headline and a short About section.
• Education with your school and subjects.
• At least three experiences (volunteering, school roles or projects), each with one result.
• 5 to 10 skills, a custom profile link and correct spelling throughout.
• Privacy check done on your other social media accounts.