Using LinkedIn for #SWVirtualPal

Posted By on Sep 8, 2021

Editor’s note: This post is cross-published on the Social Work Virtual Pal website. Social Work Virtual Pal is a global and virtual community of practice for the social work profession, that digitizes the practice of having a pen pal for professional learning and networking.  This community focuses on connection and collaboration among social workers to offer the profession with an opportunity to harness its collective knowledge for the greater good. We have resources for social work educators so, please consider incorporating #SWVirtualPal in your social work course. Learn about Social Work Virtual Pal here.

Social Work Virtual Pal now has a LinkedIn Group for social work students, instructors, and practitioners to connect with other social workers around the world.  Similar to our Twitter account, this is a virtual space that digitizes the practice of having a pen pal for professional learning and networking. In addition, this community focuses on connection and collaboration among social workers to offer the profession an opportunity to harness its collective knowledge for the greater good.  In this blog post, we offer details for creating a LinkedIn Profile, establishing your digital networking goals, and then joining our LinkedIn Group to find your #SWVirtualPal.  

Where to start 

LinkedIn is a social networking site designed specifically for professional use and offers a robust user profile system that serves as a digital resume.  It is a great place to establish your online presence as a social work student or practitioner.  As with any social media platform, you’ll want to start with creating your LinkedIn profile.  There are many online tutorials on creating a high-quality LinkedIn profile, and LinkedIn’s Help feature offers many tips and guides on navigating the platform.  Before getting started with your profile, you will want to have a professional-looking photo and a copy of your resume handy.  Set aside a few hours to create your profile. Here is a good profile checklist designed for college students, but applicable to anyone. 

Because #SWVirtualPal is designed to help social workers from around the world connect with other social workers, there are some additional features to consider adding to your profile: 

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