Professional online network LinkedIn says that this week – the second week in May – is traditionally the busiest week for students and recent graduates on the site, and is advising employers to ensure their online presence is in the best possible shape.

Students are the fastest-growing group on LinkedIn, said site spokesman Richard George. “Our data indicates that this is the week the majority begin sorting out a professional placement or summer position,” he said. 

He pointed to car manufacturer Ferrari as an example of companies that had experienced a strong take-up by students of its LinkedIn presence during its 2014 graduate recruitment programme by attracting candidates from 83 countries and receiving 5,000 applications through the site in a three-week period.

LinkedIn offered the following tips to help employers engage with graduates:

• Create a specific employer brand for students
• Engage directly
• Engage all year round and use employees as brand ambassadors
• Combine offline and online for better results
• Measure results and refine the process. 

LinkedIn has more than 364m members worldwide, including 18m in the UK.

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