61. [Student Pep Talk] Craft a Strategic LinkedIn Presence for Ambitious Students w/ Jesse Undergrad Student at Howard University

Unlock the strategies for professional advancement with our guest Jesse Panyin Awuah, a chemistry major from Ghana making waves at Howard University. Jesse's story is not just inspiring—it's a roadmap to success for students aiming high. As he takes us through his journey to the United States, his choice of Howard for its nurturing environment and his enrollment in their prestigious accelerated BS/MD program, you'll discover the pivotal role that LinkedIn has played in his career thus far.

This episode is for anyone looking to leverage their student status into a jumpstart for an ambitious career path.

The episode is packed with:
-actionable advice for harnessing LinkedIn's full potential
-share your career story to connecting with industry leaders
-land incredible internships
-navigate job alerts to find opportunities that align with your aspirations

Jesse shares his experience with the Huntsman Cancer Institute whom we have shared with you on our episode #49 Listen here. Their deadline is approaching on these two amazing programs:

PathMaker Bridge
January 28, 2024

PathMaker Scholars 
February 11, 2024

Whether you're a parent, student or a seasoned professional, this conversation is an invitation to reshape your LinkedIn presence into a powerful tool for career growth and discovery. Connect with me and Jesse on LinkedIn. 

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the College and Career Ready podcast, your go-to resource for all things related to preparing our students for success in their college and career journey. My name is Sonia Casique and I will be your host and guide on this exciting journey toward the bright future. Our mission is simple to empower our parents and students by elevating their confidence and resourcefulness. We believe that you deserve all the tools and support necessary to open the doors to endless possibilities of success, and with our community, you don't have to do this alone, so come with me and let's get started. Welcome, Jessie. Welcome to the College and Career Ready podcast. We're super excited you're here with us today. To start off, why don't you introduce yourself to our audience?

Speaker 2: 0:50

Hey guys, my name is Jessie Pinua, a chemistry major in Howard University in DC. I'm originally from Ghana and I'm a twin. My twin brother is a Michigan From a family of four kids. I'm really open to doing more things. Always adventurous, I want to try new things. I'll increase my professional self and career-wise and everything. I'm always looking out for opportunities. That's something they all about me.

Speaker 1: 1:16

So you came to the States? How many years ago?

Speaker 2: 1:19

Just to actually be officially the start of my second year in the States. This is officially my second year in the US.

Speaker 1: 1:30

Well welcome to the States and I hope we have all treated you well.

Speaker 2: 1:34

Oh yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:36

Super. So when you came and we're going to be talking about LinkedIn, so that's going to be our main topic of conversation I want to give our parent listeners and student listeners a little bit more of what made you come to the States and what career were you pursuing as you transitioned to coming to the university here.

Speaker 2: 1:58

I actually knew what I wanted to do when I was in middle school. I always wanted to do something in medicine and say so. High school was like filling out my college applications to schools in Ghana, in different countries. I was doing options because I go off a list in other schools in different countries as well. So I was doing options and I was like I wanted to do something that was related to kids. I wanted to be a surgeon for kids. So I was like, where will I get that kind of exposure that will make me notice in the professional field?

Speaker 2: 2:26

I went my options and how it was on, because I knew that Howard had a majority of their graduates in medicine in like black doctors. Howard was a good pioneer of black doctors. So I was like, if I come to Howard, I'm not going to get the connections that I need in the career field. I'm going to meet people who shaped me through the strategies and the requirements to stand out in the field. So I was like, yeah, I've written all my options. Then I told my friends, you know guidance and everything that like, yeah, howard is a good fit for you and give you a lot of exposure. So yeah, that's what happened and I'm here.

Speaker 1: 3:01

Wow, so you applied. Did you apply to several universities? Yeah, do you remember how many you applied here in the States?

Speaker 2: 3:11

I think like four or five, but I applied to other ones in different countries also, so I was like it was a good number of applications.

Speaker 1: 3:20

Wow, awesome, awesome. And so you now are in your second year, or in your third year.

Speaker 2: 3:28

So I'm in my second year, but I'm in this accelerator program in Howard, the BS&D program. I only do. I technically do like two years of undergrad and I go to the MS school, but it's like a combined bachelor's and medical degree. So in my second year but classification wise I'm like a senior.

Speaker 1: 3:46

Super, super. So you're going to start getting really good exposure next year. Yeah, I love that, super Okay. So what is your goal right now as far as career wise and I say right now because we understand that can change, but right now, what do you have in sight?

Speaker 2: 4:04

So I want to be a pediatric neurosurgeon and probably get a PhD in oncology, but it has to do a pediatrics, because I want to focus primarily on kids.

Speaker 1: 4:14

Love that super. I love that about you. That's amazing. All right, so let's get into the topic of LinkedIn. So for our audience, just to give you a little bit of backstory, I met Jesse through LinkedIn, so that's how we connected. I had connected with a couple of other people and we had just mutual people and I kept seeing his speed, just the things he would post. He would share part of his journey, but also I started seeing a lot of involvement in a lot of programs and just active things that you were doing. So tell us about LinkedIn. What got you started? Because a lot of students think that LinkedIn is for when you graduate and you're a professional and you're looking to expand your network, but you're an undergraduate student. So what was the goal behind creating a LinkedIn account?

Speaker 2: 5:09

So, honestly, I actually wanted to be like my sister so bad, like my second born. She was a guru in LinkedIn. So if you saw her LinkedIn before, I had my LinkedIn account and everything she was always posting and things and she's like, before she posts something, she'll bring it to us. The students would review what she's posting. I was like whoa, she's really on her game. She's making this big. So I spoke to my dad one time about it. I was like no, dad, I'm seeing I'm gonna do this and I'm like I want to follow suit. He gave me a general breakdown of how the professional view worked and at that time, also in my life, I was trying to make sure that I put myself out there for the world to know that there's a growing talent somewhere and, at the same time, attention should be posted on him. So what my dad told me about he actually initially helped me create my accounts, but when I made my accounts, I think that was like in 2018 or 17.

Speaker 1: 6:05

Oh, wow, so it was when you were in high school.

Speaker 2: 6:08

Yeah, I made it in high school, yeah. So then I made it high school. I wasn't posting my account, was like dormants, but I was like following updates with one of my sisters who posted on their LinkedIn. It was nice for me. So this one time I and I also I do graphic design, like not on a big scale, but I know to graphic design and everything. So one time my sisters asked me to design the LinkedIn banner so you see, on LinkedIn you can put a picture there before your real profile picture. She asked me to design her banner and so when I made it I was like, nah, I have to make one for myself. Then I told her that she should help make my LinkedIn look like this. So she helped. She was down who initially made me see the exposure of the LinkedIn community and like the professional community as a whole, I think me personally I thought it was too small for LinkedIn. So she like opened my eye.

Speaker 1: 6:58

Yeah, that's amazing. I love that. So you created your account. When did you feel you started becoming more active in LinkedIn? So you created in 2017, 18, when did you feel that you really started trending more in LinkedIn?

Speaker 2: 7:13

So my first internship was during COVID. It was a remote internship with a company in New York. So when I did that internship and I wanted it to be out there, like I wanted people to know, so that was the first post I made. That was in 2020 or 2021. I'm not exactly sure. I think during COVID era.

Speaker 2: 7:30

So when I posted because of COVID, nothing happened again. So I was like at home I wasn't really doing anything. So I had one post up in LinkedIn and I was just there. So after high school and I was in a boarding school in high school. So I was. I wasn't really with my phone on me because I was in boarding school and my school didn't really allow us to use phones in boarding school because of principals and the things that are going to school. So I was occasionally on LinkedIn back in high school. But when I graduated I was like it's about time I took this thing more serious, because opportunities and people are on me from there. I was like help me reach for one to go. So it was maybe after high school. I became so involved with posting on LinkedIn.

Speaker 1: 8:09

Wonderful, super and so okay. So you created your LinkedIn account. You started going to the university. Did you get your internship because of LinkedIn first internship or no?

Speaker 2: 8:20

So the first internship was with this guy I met on Instagram, honestly. So he texted me that he was a he was a student representative or something in the company, right, and it was like they are having a program. So I just signed up and I was like, okay, cool, I'm not doing anything in COVID time, so let me just do it. So when I signed up and I had the interview with the mini actually like my portfolio and I was like, cool, but it wasn't related to what I wanted to do in future. I was on marketing and I wanted to do something in health, but I was like it's a good step, at least it's giving me exposure into how the professional world is like. So I just did it and that's how I got my fairs, intentionally.

Speaker 1: 9:01

I love that, so give us a little bit of a one on one. So if somebody wants to create a LinkedIn account, whether it's a high school student or a college student, what would you recommend are, I don't know, the top things that you recommend they do first and how they should use LinkedIn?

Speaker 2: 9:20

So, firstly, the internet is a great resource Like you can actually find everything there, so you can actually just look up or go to YouTube. How to create my LinkedIn profile, so you just make the account. And now I feel you should structure your LinkedIn post, pair what you want and I would say you should connect to people who are in line with you, because a random connection can lead you somewhere and things may change, but you should structure your followers and their company interests and things to what you want to be. Let that be your primary interest, because if you look at my LinkedIn right now, my primary follows are in hospitals and medical schools and things. So let your LinkedIn align with your goals. I mean, in time, your goals may change, but you shouldn't forget your previous goals, because the shadows of the future is in your past Makes sense. So you shouldn't really throw away your past goals. Let them carry them along with you, because it will also be a story you can tell one day.

Speaker 1: 10:16

Oh, my goodness, I love that. I love that because I feel like a lot of students nowadays are like oh, I changed my plan, let's erase everything and start over so people don't see that I switched. But I love the fact that you're bringing value to the evolution of who you are as a person Super, super. So you talked to us about the connections on LinkedIn. What else do you recommend that they start looking for in LinkedIn?

Speaker 2: 10:48

You should also look at. There's this tab on LinkedIn. I think it's where you can be able to search for job openings and things you should set reminders on it. So like, for example, you're looking for a job in the state cancer research, you can open the job section on LinkedIn and just set your mind. So inside there's something opening, we'll give you like a pump reminder that this is open on. This company you are following has something that's recommended for you and the algorithm in LinkedIn will just feature like channel itself to use your, like your activity.

Speaker 1: 11:17

Perfect. So tell me what have you found through LinkedIn? What opportunities have you taken advantage of because of LinkedIn? So what do you owe LinkedIn to?

Speaker 2: 11:29

Definitely the number one. The connections are made because I met some people who, like people, can look at your profile and you'll take it that your profile is nice. So there's this thing that's happening and you look like a best fit for it. So sign up for this. So the connections is definitely something that I don't think I'll let's go out of bleeding, because I'm definitely utilizing it.

Speaker 2: 11:49

People look at my profile and they're like this is actually nice, like he's doing this and it's related to what you are looking for. Also, the job updates that just randomly pop up, even though some of their job updates are not like eligible for them. So the algorithm makes it look like it leads you in that direction. It's like the recommendations make you self assured that this is what you want to do, because if I open my LinkedIn right now and look at my job recommendations, I've seen recommended for you and it's like scientists this thing mostly scientists jobs or research jobs or health services jobs there's this kind of motivation. There's still things that are being open to me or people are still hiring.

Speaker 1: 12:28

Yeah, yeah, absolutely Okay. So I'm looking at your resume. Are any of these things on here thanks to LinkedIn Any of? Because I see that you did the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Were any of those because of LinkedIn.

Speaker 2: 12:45

So it was this internship I did last year. It was HBCU. First I saw it on LinkedIn. It was like it's like something that helps students are going to historically black universities to like a mentorship program. So I signed up as a mentor for the program and I saw that through LinkedIn. Also for the internship with Huntsman I mean it wasn't my school but I didn't really pay much notice to. I saw somebody repost it on LinkedIn. I was like, okay, this is probably my chance to shine and I got internship.

Speaker 1: 13:17

Surprisingly, yeah, yes, now that's through the Huntsman. Is that the Pathmaker?

Speaker 2: 13:23

It was like the Pathmaker program, but this one was five for the fight. So it's with a company, Cortex, a company in Utah and they started this campaign called Five for the Fight. It was like you donate $5 to the fight of cancer. So they are in collaboration with Huntsman Cancer Institute to bring students from HBCU to do cancer research to help reduce the underrepresented minorities in medicine, awesome, okay, super.

Speaker 1: 13:47

The reason I asked was because I just had an interview with Elizabeth Morales. Yeah, I know her.

Speaker 2: 13:54

I know Liz, this is so cool.

Speaker 1: 13:57

Honestly, I don't know if I found you first or found Elizabeth first, but somehow I found both of you. So that was very cool and she actually came to our podcast and we had that interview last week to share with students about the Pathmakers program. That's open to any students in the country.

Speaker 2: 14:16

Yeah, so during the summer we actually saw our program manager for Five for the Fight works with Liz. So this summer we met the Pathmakers program and honestly, the Pathmakers program is something I'll advise that people should do, like people who are interested in health research to do, because it gives them like two years experience where you have a first thing and can come back in. The experience in Huntsman Cancer Institute is mind blowing, honestly, like it changed my perspective on medicine. Trust me, it's something that people should do like every, every, after everyone's had the opportunity to do it. I mean the applications that loads, but you should do it if you have the chance.

Speaker 1: 14:54

I love that. I love that. Anything that I haven't asked you about LinkedIn that you think it's important for you to share.

Speaker 2: 15:03

So there's one thing that people say about LinkedIn that I really haven't experienced. So people are like sometimes people post a lot and it's like it gives social pressure and I'm like sometimes you really need to overlook the pressure on LinkedIn and do something to share all day, because, honestly, I see as a motivation before I started posting on LinkedIn, I was always seeing people post hey LinkedIn, hey LinkedIn, hey LinkedIn. I'm like it could have demoralized me, but I was like no, if people are posting, that means there are things Out there I can do to bring myself out there, Because how come a group of people are seeing these opportunities and I'm not seeing it? So I feel we should make those spark accuracy inside you. It should like spark a sense of curiosity and a sense of adventure in you to make you do something Because, honestly, people are posting.

Speaker 2: 15:50

So sometimes if you think the social media question is on Instagram and Snapchat and things, honestly you're wrong. It's on LinkedIn, because on LinkedIn there are kids at age who are doing things. People are doing things. I want you to see them. Wow, honestly, that's one of my main motivations right now, because people are doing things and you don't see these kinds of things through Instagram or YouTube or Snapchat, because Instagram everyone is about to show their enjoyment life. Nobody is showing their professional life. But if you go to something like Indeed LinkedIn Handshake, you're seeing kids at age doing things and those are things we need Like motivations around us to push us in a direction Because, honestly, where the order is going, if you're not doing something, you'll be left behind Because people with your age are doing things. They have to catch up.

Speaker 1: 16:37

Super. I love that and you're right, it's a different feel. It's very similar. Those of you who have never used LinkedIn before, it's very similar. And as far as Instagram and Facebook, where people are posting things, but it's more of, like Jesse said, professional things, education, career, really motivating things that are giving our young generation of students ideas as far as what else they can do, it's really opening the door to endless opportunities, exactly Because I'm like.

Speaker 2: 17:10

So, since this should be like my teddy. I've been so active on LinkedIn and, honestly, what I've seen people do like in my back then so I wouldn't have expected that people my age were doing this, so people older than me were doing this. It's a different world to get a trustee, it's a different experience and everyone should tap it Like, tap it now, like now.

Speaker 1: 17:31

Yes, and that's what I was going to ask you. What's your call to action? But I guess it's open to LinkedIn account Ad me, ad Jesse, let's get this. Let's get this party started.

Speaker 2: 17:40

Honestly like don't be left behind, because people are doing things and when are you going to start? It's now. You have to start like starting now, because before, when you start later, people already like gone. You can always start this and catch up, but you have to like start now, like right now.

Speaker 1: 17:55

Yeah. Let's get it going Absolutely, and it's really showing people your journey, because a lot of what happens is especially in businesses. You see the end or you see the doctor or the lawyer, but you miss the trajectory, you miss the growth that happened or how they even got there, and I think that's a great opportunity for LinkedIn Plus. You're getting a community and a network that, when you graduate, you can tap into when you're looking for that job or internships. Have you seen internships or opportunities like those through LinkedIn?

Speaker 2: 20:44

Yeah, I saw one recent young planet to apply for it. So was we giving sciences, the pharmaceutical research company, and they opened their internships recently I saw actually this morning. So I'm like Wayne options, I'm definitely a platform. Something new every day. There's something new every day.

Speaker 1: 21:05

Absolutely, and again, it's just exposing you. Let me give you an example. I know your career is very defined, but let's say somebody is going to be a communications major. Well, communication major is so broad. When you go in LinkedIn you can start seeing what job titles fall under communication majors and start looking for people that have a major, like you do, and what titles they have and what positions and opportunities out there for them. What about when you started creating your pose? When did you see more traction? When did you see more people start commenting on your pose? Because I'm assuming at the beginning you post, since like, you get One like or one comment. So what tips do you have for students to kind of get traction in their posts?

Speaker 2: 21:54

So I feel media catches people attention so you can add pictures and videos to your LinkedIn post. So you should be selective. Let's be like a clickbait. Let's your pose be something that people are eager to like. Because if I see, honestly, if I'm going, sometimes I scroll through LinkedIn and I see so much text I'm like I'm not liking this thing because it's so much for me to read. But if I see a picture or something that is I catching, I go back and I read it. And also your Introduction should be very, very how she says I say appealing, appealing design.

Speaker 2: 22:29

Arrival by should be something that will catch people's attention. Should be attention drawing, because people tend to skim through a lot of things. Me personally, skim. I really don't read in full, I read between the lines. So if I realize that the first five or first middle lines or something has something interesting inside, I'm definitely reading everything. Life is too long I might. Honestly, I'll just give it like I'm just grow. We assume you should Be strategic when you're posting. Always have what I say is always have the gold that your post should draw people to your account. So many people go and look in your accounts. So be very strategic about that, oh.

Speaker 1: 23:08

I love that. I love that. Great tips. I appreciate it. Well, thank you so much, jesse, for stopping by and having some time to share with us about your LinkedIn Profile, which we will have on our show notes. So there's no excuse. You have two friends right now to all our audience listeners, to all our student listeners, parent listeners. You have two friends already on LinkedIn, so hop on, create your account and let us know how that goes. I'd love to hear people's feedback as far as what they found in LinkedIn, any opportunities or Networking that they have made things to it. So thank you so much, jesse, for being here at the College and Career Ready podcast. We wish you the best of luck in your career journey and you always have a space here. So hopefully, a couple years down the line, you can come back and share as your education journey being a neurosurgeon or pediatric neurosurgeon, and share your journey with us too.

Speaker 2: 24:01

Definitely, definitely. Thank you also for this opportunity and I want to do one more thing with the audience. I one thing that has brought me this far is listening to my parents because, honestly, growing up is hard and so I saw and understood my parents vision for me. I didn't Follow one was. I realized the vision they had for me and I and they understood the vision I want for myself and we Merged together. It has brought me this far.

Speaker 2: 24:28

So we should, I feel, and honestly, for Student listeners and kids listeners, one thing should is I agree with the vision your parents have for you, because they don't they don't want bad for you.

Speaker 2: 24:38

They want the best out of you and the best for you. So you should really Consider what your parents said. Listen to them, because they know they've been through it and they are the only ones you can lead you right. I mean, your friends want the best for you, but no one was the best for you like your parents, because they are making so much investments in you, and looking at the investments my parents have made for me is that's what has brought me this far and it's one thing I'm always going to carry along with me and I'm going to be grateful for Listening to my parents and everything they said. I mean, it's difficult because we are going up and you want to experience everything on our own, want to have the experience and be able to say that, yeah, I went through this. But sometimes it's actually right to listen to somebody who has been through it and avoid mistakes.

Speaker 1: 25:21

Absolutely, absolutely. Thank you for sharing that with us, jesse. We really appreciate it. We wish you the best and we'll be in touch soon. Hey friend, I hope you enjoyed this interview. I'd love to hear from you and let me know what was your greatest takeaway. You can reach me at info at collegecareerreadyorg. Thank you for joining us, sweet friend, and, as always, stay well, be present and enjoy the journey. I'll talk to you next week, hi friend. Thank you for listening in. Enjoy this episode. You would mean so much to me. If you share it with a friend, share it with them right now or, even better, tag me so I can personally thank you for helping us build our community and so thankful for each and every one of you. Let's keep in touch and I'll talk to you soon. Adios.