Abstract
The majority of hiring managers use social media to find, screen, and eliminate job applicants. Students need to understand the short- and long-term effects of what they post on line. Instructors need to teach students to actively promote and curate a positive image in an online environment. Personal branding focuses on portraying oneself, one’s competencies and experiences in a positive light. Since LinkedIn is the most used professional networking platform, it is essential that students not only create a profile but learn to include the essential information that employers are seeking. The author performed a literature review on personal branding, social networking and factors needed to have a successful LinkedIn profile. Based on these findings, a LinkedIn assignment was developed for students to help them build their personal brands and increase their visibility on the web. The author conducted a content analysis of over 150 student reflections on the LinkedIn assignment and found the top three benefits of the LinkedIn assignment to be: building a network, designing a great profile, and finding/receiving job and internship offers. This paper contributes to research by providing a specific assignment that any faculty can use to teach students how to brand themselves on LinkedIn.
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