As an industry professional earning your MBA or Executive MBA, networking is everything! Luckily, platforms like LinkedIn are making to easier for people to connect with key players in your desired industry, recruiters, or fellow students in the WSU Online MBA program.

Keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date can help you expand your reach as you network—even helping others (and opportunities) find you. So, how do you build a winning LinkedIn profile? We asked #CougaMBAssador Ellen to share her top recommendations. Check them out!

Q: Should you talk about your experience in past or present tense? 

A: I tend to use present tense, but I like to write in present tense for events that are currently happening. I use present tense for my posts because I am currently enrolled in the MBA program. When picking one verb tense, be sure to stick with it for consistency.

Q: Do you list all your experience, or just what’s relevant and aligns with your career goals? 

A: I tend to focus on what’s relevant, what aligns with my career goals, and the classes that I am taking.

Q: Are there any features/ sections on your profile you should absolutely use? 

A: I love featuring the posts from the WSU Online MBA page. I think you should absolutely reshare posts with your followers.

Q: Are recommendations really that important? 

A: Recommendations are extremely important! They can help you stand out from other candidates and make you more credible.

By #CougaMBAssador Ellen Tedford