Utilize Social Media as a Student: Part 1

As the job market continues its volatility, it’s more important than ever for students to position themselves as well-connected, knowledgeable candidates. Students today have grown up with social networks not as a tool, but an extension of their daily lives. By using these already familiar networks students can gain a head start when entering their professional field.

The natural purpose of social networks, connecting people, is the perfect tool for students to use when networking. Before starting there are a few things to consider when developing a professional presence.

Understand Your Professional Brand

Merriam-Webster defines brand as, “a characteristic or distinctive kind.”

What makes you distinct, what sets you apart from the crowd? It’s important to remember everything you post online represents your personal brand. Take the time to think about how you want to be perceived online. Everything from your bio, photo, content, comments, etc… is a part of your brand. When developing these ideas be honest; this is you understanding yourself.

Develop Your Voice

Is your voice conversational, is it whimsical, or is it straight and factual? Developing your voice will help you focus what you share and how you share it. Each element that you select will have an effect on you’re brand and who you’ll connect with. Again just like your brand, your voice is about understanding yourself and the types of connections you’d like to make.

Everything Online is Public

Even though you’ve locked down your privacy settings, assume everything you share online is public. You’ve taken the time to build your brand and develop a voice, don’t tarnish it with an unprofessional comment or photo. That’s all I’ll say on that topic.

Listen

Listening is the key element when joining an online community. Spend time introducing yourself and listening to what others are sharing. Understanding what’s important to a group of people is key for making future connections with members. By taking the time to listen you’ll also identify which groups will be the most rewarding to network with. Not all groups are created equal.

By considering these points students can establish themselves as well-connected and position themselves for job opportunities in the future. In my next post, I’ll describe how I used these points in landing my job here at Magnitude Media.