Mega Project — Problem Identification

Uncovering the Challenges of LinkedIn Optimization for Students

LinkedIn is a powerful professional networking platform that can help individuals build their personal brand, connect with industry professionals, and secure job opportunities.

As of January 2023, LinkedIn has gained immense popularity in Pakistan, with over 1.5 million daily active users and 5.3 million monthly active users. Interestingly, these figures have increased by 5.5% from 5 million in October 2020, indicating a growing trend of using the professional-social website in the country.

LinkedIn has consistently ranked among the top ten most downloaded business apps in Pakistan since July 2020. — Sensor Tower

The inadequate utilization of LinkedIn among students is impeding their career advancement and employability. According to recent statistics, many students are unaware of the potential benefits of LinkedIn and are not utilizing it to enhance their professional network and job prospects. This lack of awareness and utilization is particularly detrimental to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, who may not have access to traditional professional networks.

Having a LinkedIn profile is increasingly important for students, as it can provide a range of benefits for their future careers.

1. According to a survey by Jobvite, 92% of recruiters use social media to find potential candidates, with 87% using LinkedIn specifically.

2. A survey conducted by LinkedIn found that 89% of professionals believe having a LinkedIn profile is important for career success.

3. A National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) study found that 95% of employers use LinkedIn to search for potential candidates.

4. LinkedIn reports over 740 million members on the platform, with over 55 million registered companies.

5. According to a LinkedIn survey, 80% of professionals consider networking to be important for career success.

What factors contribute to the challenges that students face in maintaining a consistent and engaged presence on LinkedIn?

Before providing further details, it’s important to note that my team identified the following challenges after conducting surveys and interviews with university students. The survey was distributed to 50 students, out of which only 10 responded that they don’t have a LinkedIn profile. The remaining students described the challenges they are currently facing.

1. Finding the right topics for content creation

2. Insufficient guidance and training on effectively utilizing LinkedIn for professional purposes.

3. Limited access to professional networks and job opportunities

4. Limited time and resources to build and maintain a LinkedIn profile

5. Absence of a supportive network or mentor who can offer constructive feedback on one’s overall LinkedIn performance.

Steps That Are Already Taken to Address These Challenges

• LinkedIn Robinhood Course — Tasleem Fateh Admed
• LinkedIn LaunchPad — Ishtiaq Marwat
• LinkedIn Optimization Course — Tribal Chief

What’s not covered in these free resources?

After interviewing 42 students, these are the gaps we identified:

• Despite the availability of free resources for LinkedIn optimization, there need to be more comprehensive courses that provide weekly assignments and a community to improve post reach.
• Existing resources also do not offer personalized assessments of LinkedIn profiles to identify areas for improvement.
• As a result, students may not fully utilize LinkedIn's potential to enhance their career prospects.
• There is a need for a LinkedIn optimization course that addresses these gaps and provides students with the tools and strategies to utilize LinkedIn for professional networking and job opportunities effectively.

Key Learnings about LinkedIn in Pakistan

If you’re not on LinkedIn, you don’t exist — Gal Borenstein

Many students are not aware of the power and potential of LinkedIn as a professional networking platform. They may not have been exposed to it in their academic or personal circles or have been taught about it in career development classes or workshops.

We discussed it with the former marketing intern at Nestle. He said:

The biggest challenge on LinkedIn in Pakistan is the need for more awareness and understanding of its potential. — Digital marketing expert from Lahore

Even if students create their LinkedIn profile, they might not be able noticed by those recruiters hiring on LinkedIn. So, we had a chat with the career coach and HR consultant. They said:

The struggle on LinkedIn in Pakistan is getting noticed by the right people, as the platform still needs to be widely adopted by recruiters and employers. — Ali Raza, career coach

One of the biggest challenges on LinkedIn in Pakistan is building a strong personal brand, as most people don’t know how to showcase their skills and achievements effectively. — Hadia Ayyaz Butt, HR consultant

Even if students are aware of LinkedIn, they may not know how to use it effectively. They may not understand how to optimize their profile, build a network, or engage with potential employers.

Further, people from non-technical fields finding hard to learn technological trends happening on a daily basis. We approached an expert on LinkedIn and asked for his point of view. Here’s what he said:

The struggle on LinkedIn in Pakistan is staying up-to-date with the latest trends and techniques, as there is still a lack of quality resources and training available locally. — LinkedIn Expert.

Optilink — Personal Brand Mastery Through LinkedIn

Our solution is slightly different from others in the market. With us, students will have access to:

Weekly Assignments: Weekly assignments based on the major or interest of each individual will help them optimize their LinkedIn profiles and build their personal brand ad portfolio. These assignments will be designed to improve their visibility on the platform and attract potential employers.

Community to Improve Post Reach: A community of like-minded individuals who will provide feedback and support to improve post reach. This will help students build a network and connect with industry professionals.

Personalized Profile Assessment: The course will also offer personalized assessments of LinkedIn profiles to identify areas for improvement. Students will receive feedback on their profiles and recommendations for how to optimize them to achieve their career goals.

Comprehensive Course Curriculum: The course will provide a comprehensive curriculum that covers all aspects of LinkedIn optimization, including profile optimization, building a network, engaging with potential employers, and leveraging LinkedIn for job opportunities.

Target Population and Demographics:

The target population of this course is the local community who are currently enrolled in higher education programs, particularly those in their final year of study.

It is intended to benefit students from all disciplines and backgrounds who are interested in improving their employability and professional network. The course will specifically target students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, who may need access to traditional professional networks.

Action Plan

There will be a total 9 sessions, and in the 10th session, which will be our last session we will invite a Fiverr Expert as well to help those who want to excel in the freelance marketplace.

During the orientation, we will have Sameen Zaki, a career coach with 627K followers on LinkedIn, speak to the students. Following the orientation, there will be an assignment related to creating a LinkedIn profile for those who haven’t already done so.

After the first session, weekly assignments will be given based on each student’s major or interests, and an expert will review them before they are posted on their profiles.

Enrolled students are required to like and comment on each other’s posts to increase visibility and reach.

Our Team Responsibilities

Final Verdict

In conclusion, the research has revealed the challenges and market gaps in terms of LinkedIn optimization for students. Through our course, we aim to provide valuable resources and opportunities such as weekly assignments, community support, and profile assessment, which are currently lacking in the market.

By doing so, we aim to empower students and increase their awareness of the potential of LinkedIn for their career development. With the help of experts and career coaches, we are confident that our course will provide students with the necessary skills and knowledge to optimize their LinkedIn profiles and achieve their professional goals.

As we embark on this journey, I’d like to conclude it with the wise words of Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Strive to make a positive impact on those around you, and success will surely follow.