LinkedIn has made a major change to the way that many secondary schools are classified on the platform.

In the past, high schools were treated as companies which meant that only employees were able to associate themselves with the institution. With the new update however, many secondary schools are now classified as schools. This means that when you link your profile to your alma mater, you will be included in its alumni section.

Even if you already have your high school institution listed on your profile, you will need to make a quick update for these changes to take effect.

First, search for your high school and make sure that it says "School" after the institution name in the LinkedIn search results.

Next, go to the Education section of your profile and click the blue pencil to the right of your current high school listing.

Then click the field for "School", type in your high school and click on the updated listing for your school.

Fill out the rest of the information as appropriate and be sure to save the changes.

You can then visit the school page, click on "See alumni," filter by the years you attended, and your profile will be listed.

This update is a positive one for both LinkedIn users and the secondary schools themselves.

The creation of alumni listings for secondary schools gives LinkedIn users another opportunity to easily find and connect with people that have similar backgrounds and experiences. This is especially important for those who entered or will enter the workforce straight from high school, as this may be their primary network.

The ability for secondary schools to track their graduates and see what colleges they attended and/or what industry they entered will create many benefits for the institution. Establishment of the alumni feature will influence increased brand awareness, community building, and sourcing of potential internships for current students.