Career Tips & Advice

Using LinkedIn as a Nursing Student to get Ahead

Concorde Staff

Concorde Staff

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Updated January 13, 2016. The information contained in this blog is current and accurate as of this date.
using LinkedIn as Nursing Student

At Concorde, as with all our graduates, we want to make sure that our students pursuing a nursing degree program online or on-campus are successful in their job hunts. Building a professional presence on LinkedIn offers a great way to attract the attention of prospective employers.

After you become a registered nurse, you want to ensure that you have multiple opportunities, and LinkedIn can help.

For nurses, or students involved in other health care careers, it's important to understand how to make the most of LinkedIn. Use these helpful tips to leverage the power of LinkedIn.

START BY GETTING YOUR PROFILE RIGHT

The first step to succeeding with LinkedIn is to begin by getting your profile right. This includes creating an attention-grabbing headline and adding a quality photo. To create a stellar headline, make sure it:

  • Showcases your value proposition
  • Speaks to your audience
  • Uses key words
  • Shows creativity
  • Makes you stand out from the competition

Choose a photo that shows you at work. Simply adding a photo increases your chance of having your profile viewed.

Make sure you list your work experience on your profile, but don't forget to include consistent volunteering. The skills you've acquired should be highlighted by your work experience.

Other tips for creating a great profile include:

  • Don't forget to create a summary that shows personality and tells your story
  • Add your skills so you can be publicly endorsed
  • Include your education information to increase profile views
  • Show off organizations, projects, and honors
NETWORK IN APPLICABLE GROUPS

If you've just received your nursing degree, LinkedIn can help you start your career successfully.

It offers the ability to network with other industry professionals via LinkedIn groups, which can help you reconnect with friends, make new contacts, and even find a job. Some of the best LinkedIn groups for new nurses include:

American Nurses Association - Comprised of students and professionals, this group offers you the chance to learn more about nursing while enjoying the chance to ask questions and get advice on topics related to working as a nurse. Job listings are also provided.
Nursing Jobs - This group has thousands of nurses and offers a great way to find unadvertised nursing positions across the country.

The R.N. Network - Offering plenty of information to help you get your career going, you'll enjoy salary information, nursing specialty research, networking opportunities, unadvertised job openings, and nursing articles.

LEVERAGE YOUR CONNECTIONS

As you begin building connections on LinkedIn, it's important to leverage those connections to meet your goals when you become a registered nurse.

Once you connect with someone on LinkedIn, the value doesn't end. First level connections bring with them many second level connections, and first level connections can be key to introducing you to new connections that can help you to grow your network.

Your connections also can back up your skills and give you recommendations that can show off your skills to others. If you've connected with someone who's aware of your nursing skills, go ahead to ask for a recommendation that you can use on your profile. You can also endorse the skills of others you know to encourage them to endorse your nursing skills.

Don't forget to connect with your school's LinkedIn page, which can open the door to connecting with other students and potential employers.

As you go on to discuss jobs via LinkedIn, always be sure to keep HIPAA and professionalism in mind, putting your best foot forward as you interact with other professionals and potential employers.

Photo credit: Evan Lorne/Shutterstock.com

Take The Next Step Towards a Brighter Future

We have a Concorde representative ready to talk about what matters most to you. Get answers about start dates, curriculum, financial aid, scholarships and more!

  1. Program length may be subject to change dependent on transfer credits and course load. Please refer to current course catalog for more information. Concorde does not guarantee admittance, graduation, subsequent employment or salary amount.

  2. Professional certification is not a requirement for graduation, may not be a requirement for employment nor does it guarantee employment.

  3. Financial aid is available to those who qualify but may not be available for all programs. Concorde does not guarantee financial aid or scholarship awards or amounts.

  4. Clinical hour requirements and delivery may vary by campus location and may be subject to change. Concorde does not guarantee clinical site assignments based upon student preference or geographic convenience; nor do clinical experiences guarantee graduation, post-clinical employment or salary outcomes.

  5. Registration and certification requirements for taking and passing these examinations are not controlled by Concorde, but by outside agencies, and are subject to change by the agency without notice. Therefore, Concorde cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take these exams, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

  6. Externships are a non-paid in-person learning experience, whose length and location may be subject to change. Concorde does not guarantee externship placement, graduation, post-externship employment or salary outcomes.