On Oct. 1, the Academy of Finance seniors from Coral Gables Senior High attended a LinkedIn workshop at Miami Dade College Kendall Campus to learn how to build a LinkedIn profile. The workshop was filled with other Academy of Finance students from Coral Reef and South Dade High School. The students were provided with important information on what they should and should not include on their personal profile.

Students were taught by professionals who personally hold LinkedIn accounts and were able to gain firsthand knowledge on what recruiters look for in LinkedIn profiles when they use the site to seek out talent for various employment opportunities. Presenters Dr. Beverly Moore-Garcia (MDC) and  Soley Gonzalez (SFEFCU) and others who use LinkedIn, explained the importance of having a professionally up-to-date account with valid information to make business connections in their field of work. Seniors can make these connections for internships or gainful employment in their preferred industry by navigating through the site.

“Going on this field trip really helped us learn how to present ourselves in a professional setting online. It taught us how to make connections correctly and the do’s and don’t’s of networking. Field trips like these are crucial for students interested in business, or in any career field because it prepares their image and helps them develop a clean and sophisticated brand for themselves,” senior Alexsandra Herrera said.

The students also learned about the great advantages of having an advanced degree. Students were shown an average salary of people with all levels of education and were surprised to find that advanced degrees in college could potentially earn them up to three times more in their salary than just having a high school degree.

Students also learned that higher education degrees meant a greater probability of finding work. Guest speaker Cristina Bennett, Pre-College Advisor from Miami Dade College, made it clear to the students that Miami Dade can be a good fit for many students who want to keep their educational affordable and have a wide selection of programs to choose from. The school offers hundreds of programs throughout various campuses and is considered one of the top Community Colleges in the Nation. Another reason she encouraged students to apply to the school was that the school offers many scholarship programs but focused on the American Dream Scholarship that pays for the AA degree while the student maintains the requirements. Financial aid was a big topic in the discussion.

It was an impactful way to learn about college options, financial aid and using LinkedIn for internship and employment opportunities.