Howard Sparks
Professor Lemberg
Communication Theory
How do College Students use Linkedin to obtain an internship?
30 November 2017
In the world that we live in today, college professors emphasize to their students the importance of internships, and give heavy recommendation to the social media network “Linkedin.” Linkedin is a network which allows professionals to research background on incoming employees, look at resumes, and “connect” with people based on qualifications, skills, and so forth. In the age of the importance of gaining an internship, again pushed for time and time again by professors at colleges and universities all over the world, it leads to the question: How do college students used linkedin to obtain an internship?
It can be hypothesized from this question that if college students use Linkedin, it will make it easier for them to obtain an internship because more professionals will see their work and qualifications. Linkedin allows users to put their resume into an online database, letting the world see their work history, experience, knowledge (in some cases) and skill as well in one centralized social network. Anyone can see this information, whether that be a friend, a family member, a business professional, or even somebody halfway across the world that a person has never met. However, linkedin prides themselves in having a unique approach as a social network, being the social network that connects the professional aspect of the world, rather than the social aspect, as most companies like facebook, twitter, instagram, etc. are doing. Professionals are looking to seek out college individuals, and more and more businesses are turning to linkedin, which is why it has grown exponentially. Every industry is looking for college students, because they are the future. Linkedin makes it easier for these professionals to connect with unknown college students, so it can be hypothesized (again) that if college students use Linkedin, it will make it easier for them to obtain an internship because more professionals will see their work and qualifications.
It can also be hypothesized that if college students present themselves professionally and respectfully on linkedin, it is more likely professionals will seek them out for an internship because they would work better in a mature environment, as opposed to an immature college student. Going along with professionals seeking out college students because they are the next generation of employees, they are also seeking out hard working, mature mannered college students to help provide to their experienced workplace environments. It is assumed most businesses would take a mature college student with little to no work experience in the field they were looking to intern in, rather than somebody who has had internship experience in the field, but presents him/herself in a negative, immature manner. Professionals in their respective fields are looking for mature college students, so it can be hypothesized that if college students present themselves professionally and respectfully on linkedin, it is more likely professionals will seek them out for an internship because they would work better in a professional environment, as opposed to an immature college student.
Referring to the article “Building student networks with Linkedin: The potential for connections, internships, and jobs,” they tested 119 students over the course of two semesters, and found about 70 percent of undergraduate and 15 percent of graduate students did not have a linkedin account (Peterson and Dover, 2014). They created a study which required their undergrad students use a linkedin account, and would give short questionnaires about the service throughout the course of the semester. The first questionnaire was seen as a “benchmark” to gauge where the students were at with the service to start. This was to see 1) if they were already using the program, and 2) to see how much their profile would grow over the course of the semester. It asked basic questions about the social media network, such as how many connections the student had, how many groups they were associated with, how many recommendations they had done/received, and so on- just very basic questions. Students were asked 5 objectives at the start of the semester to complete by the end of the course, including 1. Complete an all star level linkedin profile, 2. Build a minimum of 20 new connections (with at least 10 of them being professional), 3. Join at least five Linkedin groups, 4. Post a question in these groups at least 5 times, and 5. Write one letter of recommendation and receive one letter of recommendation (Peterson and Dover, 2014). Students began connecting not just with professionals, but with one another in the course to help establish an alumni base for post graduation, many students discussed how Facebook did not hold as much utility as Linkedin at this stage in their lives. One student even said “I don’t care what someone just ate, that they then posted a picture of it online… I want to meet people that might hire me” (Peterson and Dover 17). What Peterson and Dover went on to discover, is that once these guidelines were established and put to use, and the class was all but over, students were more engaged and wanted to use linkedin. They began acting more professional, especially when posting on the network, because they wanted to obtain an internship and the network engaged them further. They continued to connect with more people as result of this study. They found value in said social media tool, and because it was completely free and there is no software required to download for it, they have enhanced their professional development (Peterson and Dover, 2014). Students tended to become more engaged as a result of the network. Before finding about linkedin, most were not as serious about chasing an internship, but after using the network for the course of a semester as a requirement for a class, they became much more engaged with not just the idea of getting an internship, but connecting with a vast array of professionals in the field of study that interested them.
According to the article “Pro Networking is Land of Linkedin” by Michele Chandler, Linkedin is so popular in the United States, and its thanks to college students. She simply stated it with “LinkedIn has built itself into the leading online network for professionals and college students seeking to advance their careers” (Chandler, 2014). Chandler went on to discuss how Linkedin has become the gold standard among professional networking, whether that be among those already at the professional level, or those at the collegiate level seeking internship opportunities with these corporations. It was then brought up that 94% of companies using social networks for recruiting of internships or job opportunities use linkedin, and their target audience is college students (Chandler, 2014). Much of the networking on Linkedin is used through employees at these companies, recruiting students from schools which they are alumni of. A large portion of the networking done is alumni, based on being able to see the education students have received in their biographies on the network, it helps a lot, and alumni are targeting these students because they tend to have trust and faith with the schools. Lynne Sarikas, MBA Career Center director at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Boston's Northeastern University, claims that "Their database is extensive with both education and work history data," she said. "The power of that information is significant" (Sarikas, 2014). With alumni constantly targeting students from their respective schools, it's easy to buy in on. Sarikas went on to discuss how employers feel when they cannot find somebody on the network, stating bluntly "Employers are concerned if a candidate is not on LinkedIn."
There are three theories that I believe would apply to this research question, the first one being the Accommodation Theory. The Accommodation Theory is defined as "When people interact they adjust their speech, their vocal patterns and their gestures, to accommodate to others." In the case of college students presenting themselves in a positive manner via Linkedin, they must adjust some of the vocabulary they use to give themselves a positive appearance in the eyes of employers. Employers looking for these students are more keen on taking students posting about topics/posting articles about things within their concentration of study and giving insight to their thought process on it. They look for the in depth analysis and thought processes of these students and try and base some of their search methods on these students posts. Things they are not looking for via a Linkedin profile would be something such as pictures of a student they are looking into and their friends drinking at a college party. They aren’t looking for posts with profanity in them, because that presents an immature model of the student they are looking into via the social network. They also are not looking for posts with political views in them. Among college students in the United States, 82 percent of them take a strong political stance (Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2008). Most businesses are not looking for political posts. So for those students who constantly are on facebook and posting about their political preferences, they may want to refrain from those posts on their professional social network (in this case Linkedin). And finally, companies are not fans of controversial posts as well. This can be with things such as politics, or other things such as Religion, Current Events, etc. The Accommodation Theory can be applied to this situation by changing the tone on some of the things you post on to Linkedin. If somebody posts, they need to realize who their audience is and who they are broadcasting these posts to. If they are connected with businesses and future employers, they may want to use light manner when posting about topics such as these, or refrain from posting them in general.
Another theory that could be applied to finding out how college students use linkedin to obtain an internship would be the Symbolic Convergence theory. The Symbolic Convergence theory is defined as “people sharing common ideas and these collections of individuals are transformed into a cohesive group.” This theory would apply to the research question because Linkedin is a large network of individuals. These individuals will create groups based on common interests, which in most situations are fields of the individual's career. These groups of college students and professional employers coming together makes a strong network, and good relationships within the industry. Another networking group within the industry, as discussed in Michele Chandler’s article “Pro Networking is Land of Linkedin,” is the alumni to student group. Many of the higher ups and employees at respective companies are using linkedin to connect with the next generation of students at their respective schools. They will go onto the network, search the name of the school in which they hailed from, and filter the results based on things such as major, qualifications, skills, interests and desires, and so forth. The groupings and connections made through the app are extremely fascinating from a view of the student. In the article, Lynne Sarikas, MBA Career Center director at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Boston's Northeastern University, stated "Their database is extensive with both education and work history data," and also "The power of that information is significant” (Sarikas, 2014). These alumni can filter what they want from a student at their respective university, and find who and what they want with just a few clicks on a social network. Groups of students and former alums are created after this, and to see ideas from the older and new wave generations is extremely beneficial to both parties.
A third theory that I would apply to this is the Social Learning Theory. The Social Learning Theory is defined as “people learn from one another, via observation, imitation, and modeling. It is a bridge between behaviorist and cognitive learning theories because it encompasses attention, memory, and motivation.” It is often applied to social media because many people learn not only how to post, but the quality of what they post based on who they are connecting with. For example, a person may be interested in and have a major in Television and Media studies. If this person were to connect with anybody on linkedin in the professional world, it would be those who are in the business of television and media. The student would then observe the posting habits of those they are connecting with, to one) help them understand, in a sense, what it is like to be in the industry and some of the things they may go through, and two) to help them seem like a good fit for the individual they are connecting with to help them see that they would be a worthy intern. If they post things that are controversial, or very biased, the employers looking at the profiles of these individuals may find them to not fit the description of the job, and also may find them to be immature or very close minded about some of the topics they are posting about. Learning what those who are in the business a student is looking into post on social media is key to finding success and making connections. In some cases it almost may be them posing themselves as someone they are not, but in others, the student is not only learning something about the industry, but making themselves seen and heard to employers looking for interns.
If I were to conduct a study based on how students use linkedin, I think it would be best if I conducted a survey to find out the ways college students use the social network. The survey would limit the use of demographic-based questions, only because it is already known the general age demographic of the students being surveyed (18-24). The only demographic based questions I would plan on using would revolve around gender, to find out which gender tends to be more driven on linkedin, and I would also ask about ethnicity of the individual, again to gauge who I am surveying. After this, I would give about nine more questions regarding how students tend to use linkedin and how they present themselves.
LinkedIn Sample Survey
1. Do you have a Linkedin account
Yes
No
2. How often do you log on and check your Linkedin account?
Every day
A few days a week
Once a week
Once every few weeks
Once a month
Once every few months
Once a year or over
Never
3. How often do you post to your Linkedin page?
Every day
A few days a week
Once a week
Once every few weeks
Once a month
Once every few months
Once a year
Never
4. What is your major
________________________________
5. Why do you use Linkedin?
To help grow my knowledge within my field of study
To connect with alumni network of my school
To help network myself to businesses looking for college interns
To make friends and connect with them
Other (Please Specify)
________________________________
6. What do you most frequently post on Linkedin
Status Updates about your personal life
Links to scholarly articles
Posts about things within your major
Other (please specify)
_______________________________
7. What other social media sites do you use? (Circle all that apply)
Snapchat
Other (please specify)
8. What is your gender?
Male
Female
Other (Please specify)
___________________________________
9.. What is your race?
Black
Hispanic
Native American
Asian
Caucasian/White
Other (Please specify)
______________________________________
A few more questions would be put on to this survey, but these are a few brief questions to help gauge and understand not only the demographic of those using Linkedin in college, but how these students are using it, how often they use it, and overall what they do with it. I think it best to use a survey because it gives a brief overview of things like how many students use linkedin, how often students use linkedin, why they use linkedin, and how they use linkedin/what they post on to the social media site. It can also help easily obtain the demographics that are needed, such as gender and ethnicity, and a key demographic as well, being what the student’s major is. Knowing the student’s major is important because it can help determine which students with a certain major are taking advantage of linkedin more. Gauging what field uses linkedin more can truly help determine how and why these students use linkedin for finding and seeking internships in the long run.
In conclusion, there is a lot that can be learned about how college students use linkedin to obtain an internship. Many authors of scholarly articles, such as Michele Chandler, Robert Peterson, and Howard Dover, helped shed some light on this, explaining the benefits of college students using linkedin and being active on it to not only help themselves find internship and career opportunities, but to also help connect with the vast alumni networks that the student’s respective schools have to offer. Many theories also can be applied to the research question “How do college students use Linkedin to obtain an Internship”, and they include the Accommodation Theory (people adjusting how they interact with others in order to accommodate them), the Symbolic Convergence Theory (people sharing common ideas and these collections of individuals are transformed into a cohesive group), and the Social Learning Theory (people learn from one another, via observation, imitation, and modeling. It is a bridge between behaviorist and cognitive learning theories because it encompasses attention, memory, and motivation). If there was a way I could test and observe how College Students use Linkedin to obtain an internship, I would use a survey to get the information I needed, because it is the most effective way, in this scenario, to help determine an answer to my research question. In the future, I think best if it is tested, and this sample survey, with a few more questions, is handed out to truly help gauge whether or not students are actively using linkedin to network themselves, as well as a representative of the college and alumni base that they belong to.
Works Cited
“New Research on College Students' Political Views.” Association of American Colleges & Universities, 29 Dec. 2014, www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/new-research-college-students-political-views.
“3 Mistakes You're Making on LinkedIn (and How to Fix Them).” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 15 Apr. 2014, college.usatoday.com/2014/03/24/3-mistakes-youre-making-on-linkedin-and-how-to-fix-them/.
Peterson, Robert M, and Howard F Dover. “Building Student Networks with Linkedin: The Potential for Connections, Internships, and Jobs.” Marketing Education Review, 1 Apr. 2014, pp. 15–20. EBSCO, web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=7&sid=ef1adede-0fca-4efa-b007-feb586f256dd%40sessionmgr4008.
Dodaro, Melanie. “5 Types Of LinkedIn Posts You Should Avoid.” Top Dog Social Media, 16 Aug. 2017, topdogsocialmedia.com/5-things-avoid-posting-linkedin/.
Chandler, Michele. “Pro Networking Is Land of LinkedIn.” Regional Business New, 20 Oct. 2014, web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=15&sid=65ad8cf0-b408-497f-8368-b5e2a14bf4ef%40sessionmgr102&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=98943205&db=bwh.
“Social Learning Theory Bandura Social Learning Theory.” Learning Theories, 14 Sept. 2016, www.learning-theories.com/social-learning-theory-bandura.html.
Deaton, Shannon. “Social Learning Theory in the Age of Social Media: Implications for Educational Practitioners.” EBSCO, 2015, web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=6&sid=931dba38-f990-450b-aa6b-1cad5cbe11a1%40sessionmgr4008&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=EJ1098574&db=eric