In the past couple of weeks I have been thinking a lot about social media, technology and how it’s shaping our lives. It’s inevitable that our futures lie within these technologies, but when we come from a generation of “information overload” and “over-sharing” is it possible for these younger generations to actually be professional?
As a Senior, about to graduate from Missouri State, I have been conscientiously thinking about my “online presence.” Will these things that I put online in my past actually affect my likelihood of attaining a job in the future? And if so, why did someone not tell me that 6 years ago when I first signed up for myspace, and then again when I signed up for facebook. Now I have twitter, linkedin and two blogging sites and you’re honestly telling me that none of the things I have ever posted will ever be completely gone? sheesh!
The thing is, it does, and it will. I recently have taken a huge interest in social media branding. I attended a seminar for college students on social media and online presence and the things I learned were incredible. Here is a link to the blog Campus to Career which has all of the information from the seminar, as well as a lot of other valuable information for college students.
To reiterate some of the points made in the article, as well as some of my own personal thoughts on social media and branding yourself online I would like to mention 8 guidelines on how to market yourself online. Now as a disclaimer, I am in no way an “industry professional.” These are just rules I live by, and would encourage you to do the same.
1. Not everyone is perfect.
And if your sites aren’t perfect, don’t worry about it. Tackle one media outlet at a time, get really familiar with it, and seek feedback from people who use it all the time. I got some great feedback on networks like LinkedIn from social media professionals because they just want to help. No one is going to be annoyed by you.
2. Keep your settings on private.
And yes, I am well aware that there are software programs out there that allow corporations to see through these privacy settings, but not every employer will have them. Just to be safe, allow yourself that extra precaution. You never know when someone might tag you in a picture from 8 years ago at “that one party” and you don’t have time to go “untag” it. play it safe.
3. Be careful about who you add.
We all have the obnoxious friends that post inappropriate things on our walls, have crude profile pictures or are application junkies. Think twice about the person requesting you before you add them. It might hurt their feelings, but if it might hurt you professionally, that might be a sacrifice you have to make.
4. Clean up your image.
We all have those pictures. You know the ones I’m talking about. when you first got social media and you took the “myself in the mirror” picture. Or the, “my 18 year-old-self-holding-a-beer-can-because-I’m-in-college picture”. Everyone has fun. It’s just a matter of not exposing it to the world. This is a tough battle to fight with younger students who don’t yet appreciate the art of subtlety. Just think, if my BOSS right now saw this, what would they say? What about the boss of your dream job?
5. Connect to businesses and groups you’re interested in.
The best way to give feedback to companies you are interested in, is online. Like them on FB. Follow them on twitter. Establish an online presence with them well before you start seeking employment with them. That way, they can see that you have held interest in them for a long time. Kudos to you.
6. Use these sites to network.
It’s tempting to post ridiculous stories from last night, or use twitter to @ your friends. And that really is fine. But is that all you want these sites to say about you? Use these sites to connect to industry professionals. “Start a conversation.” Build yourself professionally. After all, the things you post will be there, forever.
7. Don’t be afraid to change your image.
So yes, you used to be the person to upload pictures from parties the second you got home. Or, you used to tweet about every little thing you did during the day. Don’t be afraid to change that. Yes, it might be online forever, but it will be apparent that those parts of you have matured, and you are making an effort to change your image.
8. Be positive.
This is more like one of my life mottos, not necessarily something to live by in social media. Consider this though. How many times have you been tempted to “unfollow” or “unfriend” someone because all they can talk about is “how much they hate their (insert here: life, job, significant other, family, etc.) ” Not exactly the type of stuff you want to surround yourself with in real life, never mind read online. So just remember, people see enough bad things throughout their days, they don’t want to hear about your bad life on top of it.
Flying the Coop 