Most students treat LinkedIn like a digital CV graveyard. You upload your grades, you add that one week of work experience you did in Year 11, and then you ghost the platform until you need a job.

That is the definition of a LinkedIn Zero.

A “Zero” waits for opportunities. Their profile is passive. They lurk. They consume.

A “Hero” creates opportunities. Their profile is a magnet. Recruiters slide into their DMs.

This is the 3-Pillar Path to fixing your profile today.

Pillar 1: Build Your Foundation

Recruiters judge you in 3 seconds. If you were a recruiter, which profile would you click on?

• Profile A: No picture, default grey banner, headline says “Student at [School Name].”
• Profile B: Professional headshot, aesthetic banner, headline that actually says what they do.

It’s obvious. Here is exactly what you need to change:

1. The Headline (Your Value Prop)

Stop putting just “Student” as your headline. That tells me nothing. Your headline is a value proposition. It tells people why they should care.

2. The “About” Section Hook

Start with a hook. Tell us who you are, what you are passionate about, and what you are learning. End with a Call to Action.

3. The Experience Section

When you have only two experiences, it is not the time to be humble. Put all your experiences on your page. Explain exactly what you did. Did you lead a team? Did you solve a problem? Write it down.

Pillar 2: Build Your Network

Stop collecting “Connections” like they are Pokémon cards. You need to build a community.

The best relationships I have built came from people just DM’ing me saying: “I’ve seen your posts and I really enjoy them.”

Pillar 3: Build Your Voice

This is the final step. Let’s be real—you are all on TikTok and Insta consuming content all day. On LinkedIn, you need to flip that switch.

You don’t have to post 5x a day. You just need to be consistent. Use the “Crawl, Walk, Run” strategy.

Phase 1: Crawl (The 5-Minute-a-Day Hero)

You don’t have to create your own posts yet. Just COMMENT on other people’s posts. This is the fastest, most underrated way to get seen by people in your target industry.

This adds value, shows you’re engaged, and people will click on your profile.

Phase 2: Walk (The Hero-in-Training)

Find an article or post you found useful. Hit “Reshare”—but DON’T just hit post. Add your own 2-3 sentences at the top explaining why it was useful.

Phase 3: Run ( The Content Creator)

This is when you create your own post. It’s scary the first time, but it’s simple. You are a student—your journey is the content.

Use this easy formula:

• The Hook: “My biggest mistake as a student…” or “What I learned from my first internship…”
• The List: “Here are 3 things I learned…”
• The Takeaway: Ask a question to drive engagement. “What’s your best tip for [X]?”

Your Mission (If You Choose to Accept It)

We’ve covered the 3 Pillars. It’s time to stop being a “Zero” today.

• Tonight: Fix your Headline and About Section. Use the “Why should I care?” hook.
• This Week: Send 3 personalized connection invites to people in an industry you want to be in.
• Today: Find one post on your feed and leave one valuable comment.