LinkedIn and Handshake Profiles

Make sure your About section includes:

• Strong opening line – This could be an accomplishment, award you’ve received, or a line about your interest or passion in your industry or other cause. Use this first line to catch the attention of your reader.
• What you do – Describe what you are currently doing. This could be a part-time job, club involvement, or other leadership roles you may hold. Describe this as though your audience does not know about the organization or group you are associated with.
• Why you do it – Talk about why you are getting your particular degree or hold your current position in the organization. This is the perfect place to communicate your passion to your reader.
• How you do it – This is a great place to post your achievements and specialties. This could be specific software you have learned in a class or any other hard skills you have and use in this role.
• Call to action – Let your audience know that you want to be reached and the best way to do this. You can include your email here or let them know you frequently check your LinkedIn messages.

Tips when writing your About section:

• Write in first person. Even though you want to avoid first person on your resume, by writing in first person in your summary, you are able to have a more personable tone and show more personality. Feel free to use “I” and other personal pronouns.
• Tailor your section to your industry and use keywords but avoid buzzwords. Just like your resume, use as many keywords as possible. You can find these keywords by looking at job descriptions you are interested in. However, avoid using buzzwords like “ninja,” “experienced,” or “creative problem solver.”
• Keep this short and to the point. Rather than how much space you can use up, consider the human attention span of your audience. Be sure to craft a captivating first line to draw in your readers’ attention and use 4 – 6 sentences to include the rest of your information.
• Show your character. Remember that this section should not be a simple reiteration of your resume or what your reader can see in your Experience section. It is okay to include more personal things here like interests or hobbies, but nothing too personal!

As you begin communicating with employers, be sure to:

• Adjust your career interests. If you have changed your mind on your major, the industry you would like to work in, or the type of job you are looking for, be sure to change these on your profile, in your headline, and in your About section. You can navigate to make these changes by visiting your profile and clicking the “Open to” button below your profile photo. Here, you can adjust the titles, industry, and locations you are interested in finding work. 
• Check and respond to messages. Log in regularly to check your messages! Sometimes, recruiters will reach out to YOU. If a recruiter reaches out to you, take a minute to read the message, look over their own profile to learn more about their organization, and reply! Even if you are not interested in their message or position, be sure to reply with a “No, thank you” or “I am not interested, but thank you for reaching out”. Work to do this within 48 hours of receiving the message.

There are many ways you can network and create professional connections that can help you in your job searches. Here are just a few ways you can grow your network in LinkedIn:

• Add new connections. This could be a classmate, professor, family friend, or other acquaintance. If you see someone you know on LinkedIn – connect with them!
• Connect with Business Career Services staff. Let the staff know you’re looking for a job or internship. They are connected to employers and can plug you into that network. See the list of Business Career Services staff.
• Endorse a connection for a skill. You can do this on a connection’s profile by clicking the blue plus sign next to the skills listed towards the bottom of their profile page.
• Search for new connections in the ASU alumni network and WCOB alumni network. When you visit the page linked above, you can filter ASU and WCOB alumni according to geographic location, company, industry, and more.
• Interact with posts and notifications. Log in to your account regularly to check your notifications. Interact with posts from connections by liking, sharing, or commenting on them.

Follow companies that frequently hire WCOB graduates! Connect with recruiters at those companies. See the lists of companies who have hired our graduates, sorted by major/program:

Undergraduate Majors

• Accounting
• Computer Information Systems
• Economics
• Finance & Banking
• Hospitality & Tourism Management
• International Business
• Management
• Marketing
• Risk Mangagement & Insurance
• Supply Chain Management

Graduate Programs

• MBA
• MS Accounting
• MS Applied Data Analytics

When you are ready to begin searching for jobs in LinkedIn, consider these tips:

• Take some time to see what is out there. Give yourself some time to see what job titles, companies, and opportunities are available in your industry.
• Use different search terms and titles. After researching what is in your industry, use different search terms and titles as you search. You can also use the titles you found in the lists linked above to diversify your search.
• Save your search filters and create a job search alert. When you find a set of criteria you would like to be updated on, save that search. LinkedIn will send you notifications, emails or even text messages when something new within your criteria is posted. Fine-tune your filters and flip the job alert slider to ON!

Review these top 6 LinkedIn profile basics and utilize these major-specific guides to maximize your LinkedIn presence. Then, submit your LinkedIn URL to have a career coach review your LinkedIn profile in 3-4 business days. Limited to 1 review per semester.

• Accounting
• Computer Information Systems
• Economics
• Finance and Banking
• International Business
• Marketing
• Management
• Risk Management & Insurance
• Supply Chain Management
• Master of Business Administration
• Master of Science, Accounting
• Master of Science, Applied Data Analytics
• Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management

Handshake allows you to specify the types of opportunities you’re seeking so that job and internship recommendations are more targeted. Keeping this information updated ensures you’re seeing relevant postings. Consider reviewing and updating:

• Job and internship types (full‑time, part‑time, internship, co‑op)
• Industries or functional areas of interest
• Preferred locations (on‑site, hybrid, or remote)

Employers on Handshake are actively recruiting App State students. When searching for job or internship opportunities:

• Search using multiple keywords and job titles related to your field
• Filter by major, location, role type, and employer preferences
• Save jobs you’re interested in and track upcoming deadlines
• Apply directly through Handshake when available, following employer instructions carefully

Our career fairs and numerous employer events can be found in Handshake. Participating in these events will help you make connections with employers who are actively recruiting WCOB students. We encourage you to register for our career fairs, employer info sessions, workshops, and networking events within Handshake.

Connect with Business Career Services within Handshake by scheduling an appointment. Our career coaches can help with a variety of topics, such as:

• Resume and cover letters
• Job and internship search strategies
• LinkedIn and Handshake profile tune-ups
• Interview prep