Gracie Ai | The Chronicle
Allison Keim | Editor-in-Chief | The Chronicle
Katie Samol | The Chronicle
As Mason High School (MHS) students prepare for their future careers, many are turning to the professional platform LinkedIn. As they build their profiles, students must consider how they present themselves and the digital impression they leave behind. As the platform grows in popularity among Gen Z audiences, students are left to decide whether LinkedIn is simply a networking tool or another form of social media.
XLP Coordinator Joe Schroder has noticed an increase in MHS students joining LinkedIn in the past year. He uses the platform on a day-to-day basis and encourages students to create a profile to connect with adults they meet during job shadow and other career events.
“Anytime students go on a tour or do one of our ‘Breakfast With’ events, we always encourage them to use LinkedIn as a networking tool,” Schroder said. “So when we have business people that are in careers you want to be in, get their name, connect with them on LinkedIn and even DM them with a thank you. That network is important for the future.”
Under Schroeder’s leadership, XLP has held multiple LinkedIn and resume training sessions, including an upcoming connect time on Feb. 26. During these instructional lessons, students receive tips and tricks on how to be professional and stand out to employers. Schroder offers his own thoughts on building a student-level profile.
“There is actually a section on LinkedIn for skills and recommendations,” Schroder said. “You can reach out and get recommendations that are posted on your LinkedIn from people you have met or worked for. That strengthens your profile because you cannot put recommendations on a resume.”
Schroder recognizes LinkedIn as a tool to learn about internship opportunities and build connections that could be useful in their future career fields. As his students move on to college, he points out the importance of being prepared for job and club applications.
“Handshake is the job and internship tool that most colleges use and they use LinkedIn with it,” Schroder said. “[Possible employers] will look at your LinkedIn and resume, so you might as well start building it now.”
Senior Rayyan Aquino created his LinkedIn account his sophomore year of high school, but only started sharpening his presence on the platform this past summer. He compares the social networking platform to social media. Like many users of Instagram and TikTok, Aquino said he spends an hour or two “doomscrolling” on LinkedIn each day.
“[LinkedIn] is kind of going through a Gen Z takeover,” Aquino said. “I know a lot of my friends who have maybe 50,000 to 10,000 followers on LinkedIn are saying that the algorithm is moving more towards young people who have some sense of passion and are leading their content with authenticity.”
Aquino is currently building his own Virtual Studio Technology (VST) plug-in called Virtuoso. He labels his work as a Duolingo for music producers that provides resources to support music creation. Using LinkedIn, he has been able to connect with music industry professionals and set up career conversations.
“[Through LinkedIn] I was able to hop calls with professionals in the industry,” Aquino said. “I have even connected with exited founders who have sold their company in the music tech industry. So there is a huge network that you can reach and I think it is a golden opportunity [for learning].”
The relationships Aquino has acquired through the platform have taught him many valuable business skills. By connecting with both professionals and other students he has built a network of reliable peers to bounce ideas off of and learn from.
“There is a community on LinkedIn called ‘LockedIn’ that is made up of 50 to 60 high schoolers across the globe,” Aquino said. “We are all trying to grow our brands and stories, and that’s where I feel like [LinkedIn] is at its full potential. It is not just a resume or job search tool anymore, it is an active journal and an active resume, where you can just track your progress and lead your own journey.”
Senior Samikhya Mishra says that many students are becoming more aware of what colleges look for in applications, and use LinkedIn as a way to try to appear more attractive to those schools. As a Hack Club leader and future computer science major, Mishra knows several people with similar passions on LinkedIn.
“I think [students] are worried that they’re falling behind,” Mishra said. “If a lot of their friends are looking for internships, they want to do that too. [People] like to go on LinkedIn because they expect it to make internships way easier to find. However, at the same time, it’s becoming more like a social media type thing where you are trying to get as many connections as possible, instead of followers.”
Although Mishra isn’t a very active LinkedIn user, she explains that having a profile has its benefits, especially when digital footprints have become more important than ever. Many companies and schools search applicants online, and what they find can influence their decision.
“The reason I decided to open up a LinkedIn was because if you search my name up, you don’t really see [my personal information],” Mishra said. “I do not want someone’s first impression of me to just be some random person’s Instagram. I would prefer that they see me in a more professional setting, such as LinkedIn.”
