The initiative kicked off Monday with LinkedIn announcing University Pages, a new platform feature that includes extensive institutional profiles at which LinkedIn users can connect with school staff members and alumni. More than 200 schools have developed University Pages profiles and have begun to use them as LinkedIn prepares to open its platform for younger users.
Schools with University Pages profiles include New York University, University of California San Diego, University of Michigan, Villanova University, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Illinois and Albion College. Over the next several weeks, hundreds of additional schools will debut their University Pages profiles, according to LinkedIn.
Christina Allen, LinkedIn’s director of product management, described the University Pages feature as “one cornerstone of our strategy to help students at every critical milestone from campus to fulfilling, successful careers.”
“We believe University Pages will be especially valuable for students making their first big decision about where to attend college. Therefore, beginning on September 12, we will be making LinkedIn available to high school students who can use LinkedIn to explore schools worldwide, greatly expand their understanding of the careers available, and get a head start on building a network of family and friends to help guide them at every milestone,” Allen wrote in a Linkedin blog.
Users of University Pages will be able to get updates on school news, learn how many of the school’s alumni are on LinkedIn and explore the organizations where the graduates are working. In a section called “Explore Careers,” students can find out about individuals who have attended a particular school and what those individuals have done after graduation.
Julie Inouye, a LinkedIn spokesperson, says LinkedIn stands out from other social media platforms, such as Facebook, due to the alumni database it has developed from its traditional users, who are typically working professionals.
