ABSTRACT
In a recent poll of mature students, at Nelson College London, UK, only 30% of them had set up a LinkedIn account. Building upon a recent empirical study of views on the usefulness and purpose of LinkedIn, from the perspective of respondents, this chapter will explore how mature students might use such resources in preparation for future employability. It considers the role of LinkedIn and other social media sites in respect of networking for a generation of students who may have less exposure to social media than younger generations, that is, Gen X versus Gen Z. Using the original research as a base, further qualitative research reported in this chapter establishes the barriers to widening access for mature students (WAMS) becoming active members of the LinkedIn community.
Recommendations are offered concerning how WAMS institutions might best help these students to appreciate the purpose and usefulness of LinkedIn and subsequently enable the students to apply these for their personal and professional benefit. This chapter will be particularly useful for academic and employability staff, enabling them to guide students towards the creation of an effective LinkedIn profile; one which is viewed favourably by potential future employers and, indeed, one which engages the wider business community. This builds on the overall principles of the LMX model [Leader-Member eXchange] which discusses the intrinsic, and essential, links that should be in place between students, colleges, and the worlds of business and enterprise.
