LinkedIn for Trade and Business Students: How to Build a Profile That Gets Noticed in Australia

Before you meet an employer, they may look you up online. A clear LinkedIn profile gives them something useful to find, and it takes about an hour to build.

Study Melbourne’s student ambassador guide to job hunting lists LinkedIn as a useful tool for job seeking and networking. That advice applies just as much to a carpentry student in Brisbane as it does to a business student in North Melbourne.

This guide walks you through seven practical steps. You do not need work experience in Australia to start.

Who this guide is for

• Trade students in Carpentry, Bricklaying and Blocklaying, Painting and Decorating, Wall and Floor Tiling, Solid Plastering or Cabinet Making.
• Building and construction students heading towards supervisor, estimator or management roles.
• Business and management students in the Diploma of Business, Advanced Diploma of Business or Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning).

You do not need a LinkedIn profile to find work. Many people also find jobs through job sites, word of mouth and work placements. A profile is one more way for people to find you and check that you are real and reliable.

Step 1: Choose a clear photo

Your photo is the first thing people see. Keep it simple.

• Use a recent photo of your face with good natural light and a plain background.
• Look at the camera and smile if you feel comfortable.
• Trade students can wear clean work clothes. Do not use a photo of an unsafe worksite.
• Do not use group photos, sunglasses or filters.

Step 2: Write a headline that says what you do

Your headline sits under your name, so people see it first. Say what you study, where, and what you are working towards.

Only list skills you are actually learning or have used. Check your course page on evantaa.edu.au if you are unsure of the right qualification name.

Step 3: Write a short About section

Four short sentences are enough. Use plain English and avoid long, formal words.

1. Who you are now: “I am studying the Certificate III in Wall and Floor Tiling in Melbourne.”
2. What you are good at: “I like careful, precise work and I am learning to read plans.”
3. What you are looking for: “I am looking for work experience with a residential tiling team.”
4. How to reach you: “Message me here on LinkedIn.”

If English is your second language, write in short sentences and ask a trainer or friend to read it. Clear and simple beats long and complicated.

Step 4: Fill in your education, experience and skills

Education

Add your Evantaa qualification with the correct name and your start date. If you have studied elsewhere, add that too.

Experience

Include paid work, casual jobs, volunteering and work placement. Employers like to see reliability. For each role, write one or two lines about what you did, such as “set up and packed down workstations” or “handled customer enquiries and cash.” Our work placement checklist explains how to prepare, and the experience you gain there is worth adding afterwards.

Skills

Choose five to ten skills that match the work you want. For example:

• Trades: reading plans, measuring and setting out, hand and power tool use, work health and safety.
• Building and construction: cost estimating, contracts, scheduling, site safety.
• Business: team leadership, project coordination, budgeting, communication.

Step 5: Show your work

A profile with real examples is more convincing than one with only a list of skills.

• Trade students: add clear photos of finished workshop projects, such as a timber joint, a tiled sample board or a plastered panel. Ask your trainer or employer before posting. Do not show other people’s faces, client addresses or unsafe work practices.
• Business students: add a short summary of a class project, for example the goal, what you did and what you learned. Remove private information.

Keep the evidence you collect in one folder. It will also help when you apply for jobs or ask for a reference. Our guide on how to ask for a reference shows how to approach your trainer or supervisor.

Step 6: Build a small, real network

Study Melbourne’s ambassador guide notes that many job opportunities are shared through personal networks before they are advertised publicly. You can start with people you already know.

Connect with:

• classmates and your trainers;
• supervisors from work placement or casual jobs;
• local industry events you attend, such as a trade expo or business meet-up.

Always add a short note when you send a request. Here is an example you can adapt:

Hi Sam, I am a Certificate III in Carpentry student at Evantaa in Brisbane. It was great to meet you at the site visit last week. I would love to stay in touch.

If networking feels uncomfortable, read our networking guide for introverts. You can also follow companies and industry groups you respect to learn how people in your field talk about their work.

Step 7: Stay safe from fake recruiters

Protect yourself with these rules:

• A genuine employer does not ask you to pay money to get a job or to start work.
• Be careful with unexpected messages on text, messaging apps or social media, even if they look professional.
• Do not send photos of identity documents, bank details or passwords before you have checked that the employer is real.
• Search for the company’s official website and phone number yourself, not the ones in the message.
• If something feels wrong, stop and talk to a trainer or welfare officer.

If you have lost money or shared personal details, you can report it to Scamwatch. Evantaa students can also contact Student Services for support. You can read more on our Student Services page.

Your 15-minute weekly routine

1. Update your profile after anything new: a unit finished, a project completed or a placement.
2. Send two new connection requests with a short note.
3. Read three posts from companies or industry groups in your field.
4. Thank someone who helped you, such as a trainer or supervisor.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a LinkedIn profile to get a trade job?

No. Plenty of work is found through job sites, word of mouth and placements. A profile is an extra tool that makes it easier for people to learn about you.

What if I have no work experience in Australia?

Start with your education, your skills and your project evidence. You can add volunteering, casual work or placement experience when you have it. Do not invent or exaggerate anything.

Should I put my phone number and address on my profile?

Think carefully. You do not need to show your home address. Check the privacy and contact settings in your LinkedIn account and share only what you are comfortable with.

Where can I explore careers beyond LinkedIn?

myfuture describes itself as Australia’s National Career Information Service and is a good place to research jobs and industries.

Start with one step today

You do not need a perfect profile. Add a clear photo and a headline today, and build the rest over the next week. A simple, honest profile that shows what you are learning is a good start.

Not sure which qualification suits your goals? Explore the current Evantaa courses, including the Certificate III in Carpentry, Certificate IV in Building and Construction and Diploma of Business.

Sources

• Study Melbourne – Top tips for securing a job in Australia (student ambassador article, 2018)
• National Anti-Scam Centre – Job Scam Fusion Cell disrupts fake job networks (23 May 2025)
• Scamwatch – News and alerts (alert dated 20 May 2026)
• myfuture – Australia’s National Career Information Service
• Evantaa Institute – Our courses