Career Checklist for Students: 4 Ways to Get a Jump on Campus Recruiting

Editor’s Note: This is the last in a three-part “Career Checklist for Students” series by Christina Allen, Director of Product Management for Higher Education, to help students make the most of LinkedIn now that they're back in school.

As soon as you return to campus, the college recruiting season fires up. This year, be prepared. LinkedIn has many tools to help you research jobs, companies and career paths of students like you.

  1. Who hires people like me? Do you want to work in marketing or engineering? Which companies hired graduates from your school last year? What about companies in San Francisco? Use LinkedIn Alumni to see which companies  hire people from your school (and more than 20k schools worldwide).
  2. Who can help me get a foot in the door? Once you’ve drilled down to the locations, jobs and companies that interest you, reach out to the alumni in your network who work there now. Many alumni are happy to respond to questions about a company’s culture, opportunities - and even to make connections.
  3. Learn more about companies: Visit LinkedIn Company Pages to research companies, and check out jobs and internships. Follow the companies that interest you to get regular updates from the company. Also, don't forget to check out LinkedIn's recently released list of Top 100 Most inDemand Employers among Students and Recent Grads.
  4. Give yourself the best shot: When you find jobs that interest you, check out the required skills and use them to plan your coursework this year.  Position yourself to be the most qualified candidate when you meet recruiters.

Jobs come and go. LinkedIn is for your lifetime.

Your education and internships are the building blocks of your career. At each milestone, LinkedIn can help provide the insights you need to make informed decisions about what's best for you.