photo credit: Mario Sundar
LinkedIn has launched a student job portal to help students as well upcoming and recent grads find entry level jobs and internships at some highly reputable companies around the world. Recent grads as well as students are once again facing some grim times in the job market with no real relief on the horizon. LinkedIn has long been the business professionals platform and has matched thousands of potential employees with employers and small business owners with clients and now it is doing its part to help students and graduates.
LinkedIn Launches Student Job Portal
The student portal is not only limited to LinkedIn users as it is public. However, LinkedIn members will be afforded an opportunity to take advantage of many of the offerings of LinkedIn and the new portal.
1. Job Recommendations. The student job portal for members who have completed their profile including education, interests and while not discussed, I am sure that adding your skills will be beneficial, to receive job recommendations that LinkedIn has matched to your profile. For students to have recommendations sent to them via email while they are completing their studies for the semester is a relief and a time saver.
2. Connections. Connecting we know is incredibly powerful as we are asking for the connection and for students/impending grads being very clear what their intentions are. They are a student that is connecting to establish a network that will help them expand upon their studies and be provided with real work experience.
3. Company Research. LinkedIn company profiles are there to be researched. The new student portal for members is no different as they have partnered with some of the best companies in the world to provide new jobs to allow students to see if the company is a match for them but at the same time promote connections. Connections they can use later on.
4. Exposure. Students and grads from January and those that are graduating in May are seeking the connections and the exposure that LinkedIn can offer. This is almost an opportunity for companies and avid LinkedIn users to re-establish a presence on LinkedIn to help students connect and get placed.
How is the Student Portal Different?
The student portal is a portal that for web geeks is different as it has a bit of a different interface. This interface is targeted to the college student without losing the professionalism of LinkedIn.
The new portal is very different than what we are used to with LinkedIn but yet it is very creative which in seeking a job seekers need to be.
Is this new student job portal valuable or just a means of LinkedIn attracting new members? If so, is that a bad thing for companies?
