The world’s information is available…now!  Connectedness is a fact.

Whether searching or disseminating, information is more available and moves faster than the want can be expressed. This makes for opportunity. Especially in the arena of career development. Networking is the mantra of a fruitful job search. The power of social media has made networking the conduit to powerful connection. As a vital behavior, connectedness must be fulfilled.

One of the more powerful social media tools for career development is LinkedIn. With more than 250 million users in 200 countries and territories, LinkedIn has become the networking giant for the professional occupation crowd.

Vital Leadership asked one of its young adult students to give us a primer on LinkedIn account development—detailed below is a must read prepared by Vanessa Newton who also works as Program Manager for the University Career Center at University of Kansas.

“∆Research has some varied data on how valuable networking is, but about 75% of all people found their current job through networking.

And networking is not just for job hunting.

Networking is great for creating professional connections that can benefit both parties. Even for those still in college, setting up a LinkedIn profile and getting active on LinkedIn is very valuable.

First things first, before you even set up a LinkedIn account, make sure you have a professional email address that you have control over. Some universities will deactivate your email months after you graduate, so setting up a Gmail account that is professional is a good start.

And by professional, I do not mean “sportsluver@gmail.com” or anything else like that. Use your name or some variation of your name. Do not include innuendos or references to drugs, alcohol, or anything illegal. It sounds like common knowledge, but you would be surprised how many people do not think through setting up an email account name.

Second, go ahead and create your profile online. LinkedIn has been working on making profiles more comprehensive so students can have more information on them. You can include projects you have worked on and relevant classes you have taken.

Remember, when you are creating your profile that your profile should be more comprehensive than your resume. Your profile is your opportunity to show everything you have accomplished.

Third, it’s time to start making connections.

And think of it in this way: LinkedIn = professional connections and Facebook/Twitter/Keek/Snapchat/Instagram/have I missed any(?) are for friends and family.

Some examples of professional connections could be a professor you did research for, classmates you worked on projects with, and your boss. It is important to make sure that you are making significant connections. Do not just connect with someone to connect with someone; connect with someone with purpose. When you are making these connections, make sure that you are customizing the message so the person knows who you are.

For example, I went to an event and there was a speaker who was discussing wellness. When I went to connect with him the next day on LinkedIn, I included in the message that I was at the event and heard him speak. This shows that I’m not just some random person wanting to connect with him.

Next, go through and look for university alumni from your school who are in fields that you are interested in or working jobs that you might enjoy. Reach out to them and see if they would be willing to give an informational interview. This is a great way to network with people in your field, as well as learn more about the path that they took to get there. When connecting with alumni, check to see if they have joined any of the alumni groups on LinkedIn from your school.

For example, I think I am in four UNI alumni groups which pretty clearly demonstrates that I love UNI and would most likely be willing to network with UNI students. This will not always be true, but, for the most part, it will be. If you have any mutual connections, it helps if that mutual connection would be willing to “introduce” the two of you.

The important thing to remember about LinkedIn is that it is a professional network, so even though there is a status update, it should only be used professionally. Examples of this would be sharing an interesting work related article, updating your network on your professional status (accepted a job), or sharing an opportunity (if the company you work for is looking for an intern).

Finally, start getting active on LinkedIn. Endorse your classmates and co-workers (even your professors), write recommendations for a classmate who went above and beyond or demonstrated unique skills when working on a project.

Another thing you can do is customize your LinkedIn URL. This makes it easy to link others to your profile. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. Just make sure you identify who you are in the message! “

Vanessa Newton