Since the advent of social media, much has been discussed about managing young adults’ social media presence. Unfortunately, that conversation tends to focus more on damage control than what it should be: the proactive exercise of self-promotion in the job market.

With over 200 million registered users, LinkedIn is a critical social media tool for those who are in the job market. But just having a LinkedIn profile isn’t going to cut it for launching your career out of college.

Use it strategically, and you’ll find it to be the best networking tool you’ve got.

Assuming you already have basic information in your profile (university attended, degree and graduation date), the following are key steps to enhance your LinkedIn presence and help you stand out.

#1 – Connect for quality…not quantity

Reach out to professors, coaches, classmates, and your parents’ friends/colleagues. People are usually happy to connect, even if you’re only an acquaintance. But be selective; don’t send out random requests just to increase your connection count.

Take the time to draft your own invitation to connect. Although LinkedIn offers a stock message, everyone appreciates a personalized note. Tell the contact why you’d like to connect, such as your interest in their field, or your admiration for what they’ve accomplished. You’ll communicate that you respect the relationship enough to address the contact as an individual. This is especially true if your relationship to the contact is that of acquaintance at best.

An added benefit of sending a personal note forces you to think about why you want that connection. If you can’t think of anything sincere to say, skip it.

#2 – Get recommendations as you achieve accomplishments

Since your professional experience is likely to be limited, recommendations (second to your educational achievements) are what differentiates your LinkedIn profile.  Get them while your accomplishments are fresh in your connections’ minds.

When requesting recommendations, ask people to use words that describe the skills for which you hope to be hired, such as leader, or graphic artist. These words will be searched by potential employers, and you want to make it easy for them to find you.

Everyone in your sphere of relationships is a potential endorser. Athletic directors, drama coaches, band instructors and others will be delighted to endorse you if you give them a reason. If you think it might be difficult for them to come up with stellar feedback, think of ways to change that. 

Again, take the time to write a personal note.  Like the automatic invitation, the recommendation request provided by LinkedIn is intended for a broad audience, making it impersonal by design. Bottom line: Receiving a generic message can be off-putting since it implies laziness, so don’t send one.

Make the endorser’s job as easy as possible, either by providing specific accomplishments you’d like her to highlight, or by offering to write the recommendation yourself (allowing her to edit prior to posting). Not only does this save your endorser time, it will likely expedite her response to your request.

#3 – Take the time to upload an engaging profile photo

Your profile photo doesn’t need to be a professional headshot. If you recently trekked in Peru and you want to show yourself atop Machu Picchu, by all means, use that photo.

Employers are looking for candidates with stories that tell them who they really are. As long as your activity in the photo is considered tasteful, it’s fine to add some creativity.

#4 – Embrace your natural technical ability

In your early twenties, you’re not expected to have much experience in your industry. However, your generation is expected to be intuitive when it comes to social media and other technology.

Add video and other creative multimedia to LinkedIn and another site, such as a blog. This way you not only demonstrate your technical skills, but will also have platforms to showcase your knowledge about a particular field or topic.

Use Aboutme.com or other visual resume sites to tell your story using photos, graphs, or other media. A link from your LinkedIn profile to your Aboutme page will grab the attention of potential employers who may not have seen a resume presented in such a fresh way.

If you already have a Twitter account for your personal life, create a separate one for your job search. Your tweets can be as simple as forwarding articles you’re reading about a particular industry.  No one expects you to be an expert, but showing interest goes a long way in communicating enthusiasm and maturity and helps you stand out.

Tip:  using the same photo for all your professional social media profiles helps create continuity for your brand.

#5 – List volunteer experience, blogs and other activities as if they were paid positions

Another advantage of the social media age is that you can actually prove your skills. If you have an affinity for languages, volunteer at an online organization such as kiva.org, where you can demonstrate your translation skills, and include that activity under your experience.

Or provide a link to your blog where you showcase your communication and multi-media skills, if that’s your professional focus.

#6 – Join groups

There’s an infinite number of specialized groups within LinkedIn. Joining several groups related to your field will allow you access to ideas among industry thought leaders, and gives you a platform to demonstrate your own expertise.

As a member, share papers you wrote for school that are relevant to your target industry and your group’s audience. Don’t forget to copyright your work!

#7 – Update regularly

There’s a good chance you’ll reinvent yourself and change careers a number of times over the years. Along the way, you’ll add new skills and experiences, so be sure to update your profile accordingly.

For now, choose your message based on your current area of interest.  This not only helps convey your service to potential employers, it keeps you focused on your goal.  Best of all, it gives you control over your online presence.

Copyright 2012 Emily Wong