Despite its professional perks, LinkedIn still doesn't resonate with all college students

Career Advisor Diana Contreras hosts a LinkedIn workshop at the Career Center on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. With over 930 million users across more than 200 countries worldwide, LinkedIn has proven itself to be a professional networking juggernaut since it was first introduced by Reid Hoffman and others in 2003. But even two decades later, engagement from college students is still sparse. According to a recent report published by LinkedIn, only 8% of the platform’s total users were college students or recent alumni. Although LinkedIn is more business than leisure, which would inevitably limit the types of posts and interactions, this number falls on its face compared to other social media platforms. Educational marketing agency Pepperland Marketing stated that 85% of college students are on Instagram. Maxine Torres is a third-year student at Cal State LA who was unfamiliar with LinkedIn and feels that teens should have an understanding of the platform before going to college. She hopes that a degree in psychology will land her a career as a speech pathologist. “In high school, they don’t really teach you those things, how to network and promote yourself,” Torres said. “But opportunities like that are great, because not a lot
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