https://adeceun.be/tags/linkedin/ Recent content in LinkedIn on Aaron Deceuninck Portfolio Hugo -- gohugo.io en Deceuninck Aaron Mon, 20 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0200 https://adeceun.be/p/building-my-linkedin-profile-as-a-cybersecurity-student/ Mon, 20 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0200 https://adeceun.be/p/building-my-linkedin-profile-as-a-cybersecurity-student/ <h2 id="setting-up-the-profile">Setting Up the Profile </h2><p>As part of the Professional Networking module, we were asked to develop a proper LinkedIn profile and expand our professional network.</p> <p>You can find my profile here: <strong><a class="link" href="https://linkedin.com/in/aaron-deceuninck-0a97402aa" target="_blank" rel="noopener" >linkedin.com/in/aaron-deceuninck-0a97402aa</a></strong></p> <p>Here is what I currently have on there:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Education</strong>: Howest Applied Computer Science with the correct dates</li> <li><strong>Certification</strong>: My CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) certification, which I think is one of the more meaningful things to have on a profile in this field</li> <li><strong>Experience</strong>: My vacation job from the previous summer</li> <li><strong>Connections</strong>: 197 connections, a mix of fellow students and professionals I met at events like Tech &amp; Meet</li> </ul> <h2 id="what-i-skipped-and-why">What I Skipped and Why </h2><p>I did not add a profile photo for now and I have not written a bio yet. I also have not added projects. These are things I plan to add over time, but I wanted what is on the profile to actually mean something rather than padding it out with filler.</p> <h2 id="my-honest-take-on-linkedin">My Honest Take on LinkedIn </h2><p>I will be straightforward about this: I don&rsquo;t think LinkedIn is where real opportunities actually come from, at least not in cybersecurity.</p> <p>My actual work lives on my CV and comes up naturally when you talk to people in the field. Projects, hackathons, the CEH those are conversation topics. When you are standing at a Tech &amp; Meet event talking to someone who works in security, they are not pulling up your LinkedIn. They are listening to what you have done and how you talk about it. That conversation is worth more than any amount of profile optimization.</p> <p>LinkedIn is useful as a reference point after that conversation happens. Someone wants to stay in touch, you connect. A recruiter is actively looking, they find you. That is the extent of it for me. I treat it as a directory entry, not a marketing tool.</p> <p>The input session in October with the guest speaker made some good points about keeping the headline specific and connecting with people right after you meet them while they still remember you. That part I agree with. But the idea that posting regularly or having a perfectly curated profile is what gets you hired feels off to me. Your work and your presence in the community will always speak louder.</p> <p>So yes, I have a profile. I will keep it updated. But I am not going to pretend it is the centerpiece of my professional development.</p>