How Veterans Can Make the Most out of LinkedIn

LinkedIn believes strongly in the future potential of those who have worn our nation's uniform. Whether through our one year of free access to Premium, dozens of hours of LinkedIn Learning content, or the networks, data, and advice that empower you to get ahead, LinkedIn is committed to help you make the most of your next steps.

Below you’ll find a list of actions and resources that will bring you a leap forward in your transition. I will keep this list updated as best as possible, so please check back regularly (especially for the blog posts at the bottom).

Sign up for one year of Premium for free

Through our collaboration with ID.me, LinkedIn provides all eligible service members and veterans a one-time, free upgrade to a Premium Career account for one year. This offer can be redeemed via the "sign up now" button on veterans.linkedin.com, and terms and conditions can be found at the bottom of the page. Please see our FAQ post to learn more about this offer.

Of note, if you are currently a Premium member, you cannot take advantage of this offer - you must cancel your paid subscription or let your free trial expire before applying for this offer. Additionally, if you see an offer on LinkedIn for a 30-day free trial, that is not this offer. This offer can only be redeemed via veterans.linkedin.com, and we will never ask your credit card information as a part of the redemption process for this offer.

Leverage LinkedIn Learning

Your one year free upgrade to Premium includes an incredibly valuable resource – the library of over 10,000 business, technical, and creative courses on LinkedIn Learning. Whether you’re looking to touch up your Microsoft Excel skills, learn Java from scratch, or learn a new method of project management, almost anything you could want to know to advance professionally is in here.

Specifically for the veteran community, LinkedIn has created two learning paths. This content is only available for those with LinkedIn Premium - see above for how to get access:

• Transition from Military to Civilian Employment: This learning path will help you navigate your job search, helping you build your professional identity, prepare for interviews, negotiate salary, and even get promoted once you’ve been hired.
• Transition from Military to Student Life: Covering everything from ACT/SAT/GRE test prep to essay writing, study skills, time management tips, and how to land an internship, this learning path should set you on a course to success – graduation and beyond.

In each of these paths you’ll find the following three courses, specifically designed for the military and veteran community. You do not need Premium to access these, nor do you even need a LinkedIn account:

• LinkedIn for Veterans: This course provides a “LinkedIn 101” tutorial for everything from selecting and uploading the right picture to searching and applying for jobs.
• Translating Your Military Skills to Civilian Employment: This course will help you understand the civilian hiring process and empower you to demonstrate your best self to potential employers.
• Finding Your Purpose After Active Duty: This course is all about the intangibles of transition – understanding your value to civilian employers, dealing with the uncertainty of transition, and wrestling with some of the challenges inherent in this process.

Finally we also have a course specifically dedicated to Learning LinkedIn Premium Career. For those taking advantage of our Premium offer, this course builds on the LinkedIn for Veterans course mentioned above to teach you specifically how to use the Premium features to get ahead.

Join LinkedIn’s Veteran Mentor Network

One of the most active groups on LinkedIn, the Veteran Mentor Network is a phenomenal resource, particularly for those just getting their feet wet with networking and the job search process. If you haven’t built out a robust network for yourself, this is absolutely the place to come to seek a supportive community. The members of this group are eager to provide advice, answers, and connections. Special thank you to Tom Cal for all of his hard work with this group.

Conduct In-Depth Research on Locations and Industries

Every month LinkedIn publishes a workforce report tracking industry changes in 20 cities across the country. For those deciding where to live, what to do, what academic major to pursue, etc., this report keeps a finger on the pulse of the top places you may want to relocate, and will notably help inform your decision making process.

Download LinkedIn’s Apps

LinkedIn has two apps I strongly recommend you download. You should be trying to build the habit of devoting time each day or each week to thinking about and planning for your transition, and the farther out the better. There’s no better way to do this than having the LinkedIn logo staring at you from your home screen.

I challenge everyone to start by opening one of our apps at least once per day while they are standing around waiting for something to happen, riding in an elevator, Uber, or Lyft, or sitting in front of the TV. Put them right next to your Facebook app and you can't ignore them:

• LinkedIn: This app brings the LinkedIn desktop experience into your phone. Connect with other members, read articles and posts, research companies and profiles, send messages, and keep track of who’s viewing you and how your posts are doing.
• LinkedIn Learning: I love this app – all of us have an hour here or there that we fill scrolling through Facebook or watching yet another episode of our Netflix binge. Take one hour per week to learn a new skill with this app instead. You’ll be amazed at how well prepared for interviews you’ll be, as you’ll learn the language and tools of the industries you’re trying to join.

Follow LinkedIn’s Blog for Ongoing Advice

LinkedIn’s blog (blog.linkedin.com) is a rich resource for information and tips on how to best use LinkedIn, how to build and leverage your network, how to prepare for and succeed in interviews, and much more. Make sure to check our blog regularly for updates on new product features that will help you with your search. The best way to keep up with this is to sign up for the email distribution list so you don't have to remind yourself to visit the blog. Here are a selection of articles from the blog that should be helpful:

• Rock Your Resume With Resume Assistant from LinkedIn + Microsoft
• What You Need to Know About Interviewing in 2018
• Tips for Searching Like a Pro on LinkedIn
• Introducing Salary Insights on Jobs
• LinkedIn Data Reveals the Most Promising Jobs and In-Demand Skills for 2018
• How to Have Productive Career Conversations
• Introducing LinkedIn Career Advice, a New Way to Help You Find and Connect with Professionals for Mentorship
• Find Your Next Job by Quietly Signaling You’re Open to New Opportunities
• Who You Know Can Help You Get the Job
• Update Your Career Interests and Discover the Right Jobs
• Cracking the Interview Code to Find Your Way In
• Practical Tips for Finding The Way In: Rahul, Claire, and Anna share their stories
• See How You’re Being Discovered with LinkedIn Search Appearances
• Let Your Connections Help You Get the Job
• How to Negotiate Your Pay Like a Pro With LinkedIn Salary
• Starting Your First Job Search on LinkedIn
• Get Your Foot in the Door with the Alumni Tool
• How to Land the Job: Mastering the Art of the First Impression
• Finding Your Next Job Using the Power of LinkedIn
• The Best Way to Land Your Next Job Opportunity
• Looking for Your Next Job Opportunity? Get Found via LinkedIn Search
• Your "Way In" To Your Next Job Starts With Who You Know
• Write a LinkedIn Message that Will Get a Response
• Make your LinkedIn Summary Count
• How to Be a Job Search Ninja on LinkedIn
• Leveraging LinkedIn to Prep for your Interview
• Kick Your Job Search Up a Notch with Premium Career
• How Your Professional Network Can Advance Your Career
• How to be an All-Star with Your LinkedIn Profile
• Rock Your Next Interview: Mastering Behavioral Interview Questions
• Tips for Building a Great LinkedIn Profile: LinkedIn Career Expert Series

One Last Thing

Finally, I would recommend reading the Publisher post by my friend Mike Quinn, titled “The Ultimate LinkedIn Cheat Sheet”. Mike goes into great detail about all of the tweaks you can make to ensure you have a strong profile, and it’s definitely worth the read.