Why LinkedIn for Social Work?

by Jennifer Luna Jackson, MSSW

     LinkedIn is the most powerful networking site available today, helping social workers discover inside connections to people, organizations, careers, and community partners. It strengthens and extends existing networks of trusted contacts and provides a means to engage with professionals from multiple disciplines. Additionally, it serves as a gateway to meet new contacts among millions of users.

    Most people think LinkedIn is only for job searching. Although LinkedIn is an invaluable tool for career development, it can also serve as a means for finding resources for your clients. This makes LinkedIn a career management network that you can use throughout the span of your career.

Why Social Work and LinkedIn?

    Social workers are natural connectors. LinkedIn is a professional networking tool, strictly used for exchanging knowledge, ideas, events, professional resources, and employment opportunities, as well as for identifying experts. As social workers, we connect clients, organizations, interdisciplinary professionals, and systems. In that connector role, we navigate complex systems for our clients, and we are constantly seeking solutions to human problems that may require significant learning curves to find the answers we are looking for. LinkedIn can serve as an efficient “short cut” to making those connections. Additionally, it serves as an outlet that allows you to demonstrate your experience, increase your credibility, promote your cause, and build connections with experts in the field.

    Whether you are new to the field or a seasoned professional, here are some tips for strategically using LinkedIn to help your clients and your career.

Your Profile

    Before you begin to explore all of the benefits of LinkedIn for your clients, it is important to have your own profile up to date. Your LinkedIn profile provides a snapshot of your career, achievements, skills, and knowledge areas. It gives you a platform to enhance your visibility, manage your reputation, and provide a digital elevator speech through a professional summary. One of the most valuable assets of your LinkedIn profile is the ability to document your career through key words, posts, recommendations, and groups.

Professional Headshot

    Your photo is the first impression that other users will notice on your profile. As you launch your career, and with your online presence being so important, it is worth the investment to get a professional headshot. Your headshot should look like you, fill the frame with your face, and have a subtle background that is not distracting. Often, professionals delay creating their LinkedIn profiles because they don’t have a good professional headshot. With this in mind, make your headshot a priority, so you can move on to other sections of your profile.

Your Professional Headline

    Your LinkedIn professional headline appears immediately below your name at the top of your profile. It is important to be strategic about your headline, so you can be found by current and future connections. If you do not create your own headline, LinkedIn will by default create one for you that includes your current position and organization. Since this information will already appear in your experience section, you don’t want to repeat it in your headline. Use key words in your headline that describe your skills, areas of practice, geographical location, and/or titles that others may use when using services that are similar to yours. For example, rather than having a headline that reads: Social Worker, Any Social Service Agency Inc., you could build a stronger headline by using strategic key words: LMSW/Older Adults/Loss and Grief/Austin, TX.  Remember to use these same key words throughout your profile.

Your Professional Summary

    Your professional summary can be written in first person or third person. When writing your summary, it’s important to know your audience. Look at the language of the industry that you are interested in, and tailor your summary to match that language. Be sure to include skills, knowledge areas, and the geographical area in which you are interested in working. Don’t be afraid to state your key accomplishments, which could be notable awards or “work victories” that you have undertaken, such as programs developed, evaluations completed, or groups facilitated.

    Also think about the transferable skills that you have gained throughout your education and career. Transferable skills are skills that help you to create a niche in your position. Examples of these skills might be knowledge of a foreign language, communication skills, leadership experience, or research skills. Everyone has transferable skills, and if you aren’t sure what your “super powers” are, ask your peers and mentors: “What makes me different from others?” You will be surprised to find that often others can see skills that you may have overlooked.  Quantify your accomplishments and don’t be afraid to brag!

Job Search

    After you have completed your profile, LinkedIn can be used as a powerful tool for your job search.  You can search for jobs under the “jobs” tab on the top of the menu bar. Search for jobs by name, field of practice, or by function or tasks. This is where your connections and your key words are invaluable. Research the language used by your connections, mentors, or people who have similar jobs as what you are seeking, and use those keywords or titles to search.     

    LinkedIn also allows you to create job alerts, save and review jobs you have applied for, and automatically view other jobs that are similar to the ones you have been reviewing. Additionally, one of the most helpful features of LinkedIn for job search is the ability to view mutual connections within the organization you are applying to. This will allow you to find out more information about what they do for the organization and even reach out to them for an “informational interview” to gain insight before applying, which will help you tailor your materials.

Connect and Engage With Groups

    LinkedIn groups are informal communities shaped around like-minded individuals, areas of practice, academic institutions, or themes. There are literally millions of groups to join, and any LinkedIn member can create one. When you find and join the right groups, it’s easy to keep up with trends in the field, ask and answer questions, meet new connections, and find resources for your clients. You might start your search for groups by looking at groups that your connections have joined, and the chances are that one or two will match your interests. Joining the same groups enhances your chances of connecting with like-minded individuals.

    Once you have settled into a group, click on “members” to find out who else is in the group. You might be surprised who you find! Participating in mutual groups is a natural way to enhance your connections. You can also search groups based on your geographical area, area of practice, or on topics of interest to you, such as special populations, interventions, policy interests, or advocacy efforts.

    When you first join a group, watch and listen to get a feel for how the group operates. Read the group rules to find out what are acceptable posts. When you feel comfortable participating, you can start by contributing to topics raised by other people, or by posting your own questions related to the theme of the group. By participating in groups, you can identify resources and professionals that can help your clients. Once you have received suggestions from your groups, you can search LinkedIn for the information on the people, organizations, or groups that were recommended to you and dig even deeper to confirm that it is a good resource. For example, if you are seeking a social worker who has global experience, you might post a question about this to the group. Upon getting recommendations, you can easily look up the suggested people and check their LinkedIn profiles to learn more about them.

    Groups also allow you to demonstrate your expertise to a wide audience. If you are interested in a topic that is presented, you can make comments and suggest research or other resources that the group may find of interest. Additionally, when articles are posted within groups, you can repost or “share” these on your newsfeed, again reinforcing your knowledge and expertise on the subject matter. Groups help you to grow your connections, gain peer consultation, and keep up to date with industry trends.  Groups of particular interest to social workers include The New Social Worker magazine and the National Association of Social Workers. Your university may have an established group, as well.

Advanced Search

    One of the most powerful features of LinkedIn is the search function. LinkedIn will allow you to search for people, organizations, jobs, groups, schools, and even posts. This can be invaluable when looking for resources for your clients. For example, if you are working with a client who is seeking treatment for a specific issue, such as an eating disorder, you might search under “people” to bring up contacts to help your client. You can also search “companies” to find agencies to which you can refer your client. A quick search on “content” will result in posts that pertain to eating disorders. Last but not least, you can search “groups” to post questions related to the treatment of your client. LinkedIn also allows you to send messages to people inside and outside of your network, for further research on the areas you are interested in.

Words of Caution

    Once you have set up your profile, be aware of endorsements that you may receive from your connections. LinkedIn endorsements are a fast and easy way to put in a positive word for someone without writing a recommendation, and some may not fit with your professional brand. If you receive an endorsement that doesn’t align with your skills or experience, you have an option to reorder your skills under “Edit Skills” and click on “Manage Endorsements.”

    Additionally, when demonstrating your knowledge in groups, be careful of too much self promotion. Keep in mind that LinkedIn is a professional network, and treat it as such. If self promotion occurs in places where people don’t expect it, or if it is in the wrong context, people will begin to distance themselves from you. It is extremely important to come across as genuine and helpful rather than as an annoying advertisement.

LinkedIn and Your Success

    Regardless of where you are in your career, LinkedIn can serve as a powerful tool to make professional connections, find jobs, demonstrate your knowledge areas, and locate resources for your clients.  

    Preparing for your job search or any type of career advancement can be a full-time job in itself. Using LinkedIn can improve the quality of your career development by connecting you to recruiters, professional resources, organizations, and groups that can enhance your opportunities and expertise in the field. Set yourself up for success by learning and utilizing LinkedIn as a tool to navigate your social work career journey.

Jennifer Luna Jackson, MSSW, is a social worker, career coach, and trainer. She serves as director of the DiNitto Center for Career Services at the University of Texas at Austin, Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Jennifer has been invited to present regionally and nationally on social work career development topics, including personal branding, career development, and the professional development cycle for social workers.