An active LinkedIn profile is one of the best ways for students to showcase their academic achievements, professional experiences, and personal brand. But with so many students applying for internships and full-time opportunities, how can you make your profile stand out?
We asked Bri Cougle, Head of Global Early Careers at Ancestry, who partners with Product and Technology leaders to identify hiring needs, shape early talent strategy, and ensure interns and new graduates are positioned for success from day one.
Here are Bri’s top tips for strengthening your LinkedIn profile and making the most of every networking opportunity during your job or internship search.
“The biggest thing I notice is whether a profile feels complete, professional, and intentional. Before I even look at experience, I pay attention to whether the candidate has:
- A professional photo
- A clear headline that explains who they are and what they’re pursuing
- A well-written summary/About section
- Complete experience and education sections
- Isn’t copied/pasted from AI
- Relevant projects, research, internships, publications, or extracurriculars
- Skills that align with their target roles
For students and recent graduates, I don’t expect years of experience. What stands out is evidence of curiosity, initiative, and applied learning. Class projects, research, leadership roles, hackathons, publications, portfolios, and personal projects can be just as compelling as traditional work experience.
One area that is often overlooked is LinkedIn messaging and outreach. Recruiters receive dozens of messages every day, so generic messages tend to blend. When outreach feels transactional, such as “I applied, here’s my resume; can you get me a job?” it rarely creates a meaningful connection.
What tends to work better is personalized outreach that demonstrates genuine interest. Candidates who reference something specific about the company, role, team, or a recruiter’s background, ask thoughtful questions, and seek to learn rather than immediately ask for a job are often much more memorable. Coffee chats, informational conversations, and authentic curiosity typically lead to stronger relationships than mass messaging.
Some common mistakes I see on student profiles include:
- Incomplete profiles with missing sections
- No profile photo or an unprofessional photo
- Generic headlines like “Student Seeking Opportunities”
- Experience descriptions that only list responsibilities instead of accomplishments or impact
- Typos, formatting issues, or outdated information
- Sending copy-and-paste networking messages to recruiters
Ultimately, a strong LinkedIn profile should help someone quickly understand who you are, what you’re interested in, and what value you bring. Combined with thoughtful, personalized networking, that can significantly increase the likelihood of getting noticed.”
Looking to elevate your LinkedIn profile? Headshots to Handshakes provides the Trojan community with the opportunity to update and sharpen their networking profile. There will be Fall drop-ins every Friday from 9 AM-4 PM.
Discover how you can receive a free USC digital business card to help you make a lasting impression at career fairs, internship expos, networking events, conferences, and more. Build your professional brand and leave every new connection with an easy way to stay in touch!
