I don’t think I’ll ever forget my first Journalism tute of third year. (Full disclosure: it only happened only a few weeks ago.)

Within minutes of sitting down, we were faced with a nightmare of networking proportions. We were bombarded with questions including, “Who are your contacts in the industry?” and “How many internships do you have under your belt already?”

After picking my jaw up off of the floor, I came to accept and understand that graduate life doesn’t start the minute you finish your undergrad. The high stakes affect you even in your final year of study. So as soon as I left the tutorial room, I created my first LinkedIn account.

Here are the top four reasons why I think you should too.

#1 Boast Your Achievements

R.I.P. to all the academic achievements and experiences you’ve had thus far that don’t find themselves featured on your Facebook page. That is, until you join LinkedIn!

You’re given the option to include anything and everything you’d like on your profile (3-day creative writing camp in Year 7, I’m looking at you!). Some say less is more, but it’s all subjective, right? Cramming as much as you can onto your profile under “experience” and “education” may not only help you get that dream job, but let’s be real, it’s also a slight ego boost.

#2 Connections Beyond Your Wildest Dreams

Imagine connecting with the celebrities of your industry at a party. Then imagine it’s not a party, it’s the internet, and instead of a handshake introduction, you can just send them a perfectly curated message. Pretty much the dream right?

The minute I signed up to LinkedIn, I reached out to a ton of industry professionals at my favourite newspapers and television networks with the hope of some approved requests. I’m still shocked at the generosity of some of these people, who not only accepted my connection invite, but reached out to see if there was anything they could help with while I’m still at uni.

Safe to say I’m still trying to craft the perfect response to most of them!

#3 Like Facebook, But Keepin’ It Profesh’

I had quite an amused look on my face when I realised LinkedIn’s updates were in the same format as a Facebook newsfeed. You can even wish people a happy birthday!

Even though LinkedIn posts are a little more professional than a typical Facebook feed, you’ll still find informative articles and the occasional intellectual meme, all while networking and connecting with fellow industry members. It doesn’t get much better than that does it, Facebook-loving folks?

#4 Internship Opportunities Galore

One of the most rewarding parts of LinkedIn are some of the awesome opportunities available through the connections you make — not only within the professional sphere, but with fellow peers at uni who have positions on their councils or organisations they need filled.

As a writer, freelancing is a huge part of my future industry, so it’s been great having people reach out directly with articles they need written or committees they need scribes for. It’ll surely help with the internship hunt next semester.

Happy linking!

Tatum Stafford is a journalism student currently studying at the University of Western Australia. She was born at a very young age and prefers her puns intended.

(Lead image: Clueless/Paramount Pictures)