When most people think about social media, platforms like Facebook and Instagram probably come to mind. I’m here to tell you it should be LinkedIn instead. Most social media revolves around sharing both pictures of yourself and personal information. While, in some ways, LinkedIn is the same, the offer of endless career opportunities makes it superior — especially for Ducks.
Like most college students, I had professors who presented the many opportunities that LinkedIn provides. However, it wasn’t until I explored the platform on my own that I realized how valuable it can be. 
The first thing to do on LinkedIn is make sure that your profile represents you well and highlights your interests. Having non-career related interests featured on your profile can make it easier to connect with alumni and professionals. It’s also important to add UO on your education history and join any UO groups that are relevant to your career interest.
The second thing to do is connect with literally everyone you’ve ever met. Building your network helps you find opportunities — and, in my experience, no one has ever said no to a connection. This alone elevates LinkedIn above other social media, because it allows everyone to widen their network and connect with new people in a professional setting. 
However, once you gain several connections, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the increase of content on your home page. People constantly post their successes or the successes of others, along with posting work-related material. As an unemployed student, I sometimes feel bad about not having the same success. But at the same time, this feeling is what motivates me to reach out to professionals and try to further my own progress rather than wallow in sadness. 
Usually, social media evokes feelings of jealousy and exclusion that end up warping your own sense of self. Instead of worrying about how attractive you are or what you’re missing out on, LinkedIn helps you learn how others have found professional success. 
The most valuable feature of LinkedIn is the job search function, which allows you to search for jobs and set notifications that alert you when new jobs in your field are posted. It’s a great way to scout out opportunities and connect with UO alumni in your field of interest. 
Companies on LinkedIn will show any Duck alumni who work for them. I encourage you to use that information to connect with those alumni. All it takes is one message to start the conversation that could result in a job. 
One of the most valuable resources UO provides us is the vast alumni network of people who are eager to help their fellow Ducks. In my experience, every Duck alum I have spoken to on LinkedIn has, at the very least, been friendly and offered sound advice on searching for a career. 
By no means will LinkedIn guarantee you any opportunities. But I have been able to increase my connections and understand what I want to do after graduation with much more confidence. UO does try to prepare us for the transition from school into the workforce but there are so many small details about having a career that UO doesn’t teach us. Using LinkedIn to speak with alumni about their experiences will provide you invaluable information that could vastly change the path you want to take.