Recent graduates’ usage and thoughts about LinkedIn

Abstract: This study examines how recent graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Media Technology use LinkedIn as a tool for job search and networking. It examines their thoughts around theirbehaviour in relation with how their behaviour can affect their future career opportunities. Thepurpose is to gain a deeper understanding of how LinkedIn is used which is based on the uses and gratifications theory. To examine this an abductive approach has been used, and four semistructured interviews have been done to gather data from the recent graduates. The study shows that recent graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Media Technology use LinkedIn as a tool for job search, but do not use the opportunity to network to its fullest potential. The recent graduates in this study are also passive users who use LinkedIn as a place to gather information that can be used later. This strengthens the earlier studies done in the field that students and recent graduates use LinkedIn passively and do not use the functions “liking”, “commenting”, “sharing” and “posting” to be more visible to the fullest. The recent graduates are aware of the opportunities LinkedIn provide and that it is beneficial for them to be more active there than they are today but find it difficult to know what they would contribute with by being more active.