The Strategic Collegiate

Is LinkedIn really necessary? Most employers and recruiters agree: yes! LinkedIn is the new CV, and it provides not only a personalized insight for potential employers, it also helps you make connections and have jobs come to you . I will cover the three parts of using LinkedIn, focusing on how you as a college student, who may have very limited work experience, can maximize your potential.  Getting Started Making Connections Attracting Job Opportunities Getting Started The first step is obviously to sign up and create your account. The first mistake some people make is not filling their profile out to 100% - LinkedIn's algorithm rewards you for completing your profile by making you more visible. I recommend making sure your profile is public as well. Make sure to complete the following checklist: Professional profile picture with your face taking up 75-80% of the circle Banner picture Headline About me Employment/education history and experience - fill out like your resume Skills,...

C ollege admissions essays can be difficult to write, as you have to stand out for the right reasons, usually have limited experience as a high school student, and feel pressured to know your entire life trajectory. College admissions essay prompts are getting more and more individualized, meaning each essay has to be more unique. The common application posts its prompts every year at https://www.commonapp.org/apply/essay-prompts and this year's include the following:   " 1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? ...

  S o you've been accepted to a college and made the decision to attend. Now what? Registering for your first semester will be different in some ways than in future semesters, but some things are true no matter what. Keep reading for tips to help you pick the right classes and get on the right track!      During your summer orientation, you'll go through some variation of this: You attend presentations, go on group tours and do ice breakers in small groups, then you'll be broken up by department then by major, given a little advice, then put in a room full of computers to register, with maybe one administrator in the room for technical difficulties. At this point, you have in front of you a list of recommended classes and a course search to pick between teachers and times. You're also, as a freshman, in the very last group of people to register and therefore some classes will have filled up, though there should be plenty of slots for core classes.     If yo...