Hiring Manager Survey | IN GRAND COMPANY

Hiring Manager Input

Five questions.
Your expertise.
Real impact.

I'm developing a free LinkedIn seminar for graduating college students and their parents. Your perspective helps me make sure the content reflects what matters most to the people actually doing the hiring.

A note before you begin

This seminar teaches students not just how to build a LinkedIn profile — but how to identify, articulate, and communicate their value to hiring managers. There are no right or wrong answers here. I'm looking for your honest, unfiltered perspective. Five minutes of your expertise will shape what these students hear.

1

First Impression

When you look at a recent grad's LinkedIn profile — what's the one thing that makes you immediately lose confidence in the candidate?

2

The Missed Opportunity

What do most entry-level candidates get wrong about communicating their value on LinkedIn?

3

Profile Review

Here is the About section from a LinkedIn profile I helped a college junior write. Does this work for you as a hiring manager — and why or why not?

Sample — LinkedIn About Section

Some people spend their college years figuring out what they're made of. I already know.

I'm a Business Management junior at East Carolina University with a track record that most of my peers can't claim — I've been trusted with other people's safety. As a certified lifeguard and a security team member in a fast-paced nightlife environment, I've managed real emergencies, made fast decisions under pressure, and kept my head when others couldn't. That's not a soft skill. That's a proven capability.

In the classroom I'm building a foundation in management, outside it, I've held multiple jobs simultaneously throughout both the school year and summers — developing the kind of work ethic and time management that only comes from actually having to show up.

I've also skied internationally across Europe, carry conversational German proficiency, and have a genuine curiosity about how global businesses operate. I'm not just interested in the world — I've moved through it.

If you're looking for a junior-year intern who is disciplined, calm under pressure, culturally aware, and already comfortable with real responsibility — I'm worth a conversation.

4

Beyond the Degree

Skills-based hiring is growing — 26% of job postings no longer require a degree. What non-traditional experiences do you actually find valuable in a young candidate?

5

The One Thing

If you could tell every graduating senior one thing about their LinkedIn profile that most of them don't know — what would it be?

Your responses go directly to Gayle Robbins at In Grand Company.
This survey is for seminar development only — your answers will not be published without your permission.

✦

Thank you.

Your expertise will directly shape what these students hear. I'm grateful for your time and your perspective.

— Gayle Robbins, In Grand Company