LinkedIn is widely known as the top social media site for young professionals and business executives alike, and according to recent survey by DHR International and Modern Survey, the majority of executives (73%) actually prefer it to any other social network.

For students and those just starting out with not much experience to their name, it can also be an excellent place to showcase academic achievements.  

In light of the fact that more students than ever are turning to non-traditional alternatives like MOOCs or other online certification programs, however, LinkedIn has recently announced that it will be partnering with some of the biggest names in online education as well.

The pilot program, known as Direct-to-Profile Certifications, gives users the option of adding certifications and courses from online programs to their profiles.

“The next career-defining opportunity might be just around the corner, and it’s more important than ever to ensure you’re putting your best professional foot forward at all times,” said LinkedIn’s Product Manager for Profiles, Alexis Baird.

“Your LinkedIn Profile is that 24/7 representation of your professional knowledge and achievements,” she added.

The program works by allowing users to publish details of the course they have completed or are undertaking through the education firm itself.

This will make it easier for users to keep their profiles up to date, and it is also expected to make it more difficult for credentials to be faked on the social network.

When a student completes a course from one of the education providers in the partnership, they will receive an email with a link that allows them to add the certification or details of the completed course to their profile.

Some of the first online education providers to join the pilot program include EdX, which currently offers 85 courses from 29 different universities, and Coursera, which partners with more than 100 academic institutions from around the world, offers 500 courses and now has over 5 million students.

Other smaller but equally well-respected online education providers to join the pilot program include Lynda.com, Pearson, Skillsoft, Udacity and Udemy.

“We look forward to working closely with the online education community to explore even better ways to make it easier for [users] to seamlessly update [their] LinkedIn Profile,” said Baird.