For most college students, social media sites are a common destination in between classes, and maybe occasionally during them as well. While you may be confident your comfort in using social media goes well beyond that of most businesspeople, have you really started thinking seriously yet about how social media can be used to influence your job prospects after graduation?
By now, it’s common knowledge that the job market for recent graduates is extremely competitive. Even if you’re still in the early stages of your college experience, you’ll be well served to start taking any action now that could set you apart in those future job interviews.
For the primary social media sites you’re likely already using, like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, the main thing you’ll need to keep in mind is that what you post – and what others post about you – may be discovered by future potential employers. Think carefully about the pictures included in your profiles and the updates you post. If anything in your online presence shows questionable judgment or reckless habits, it could cost you a great job prospect down the line.
Knowing what to avoid is important, but what will really set you apart is thinking strategically from early on about how to proactively use social media to increase your job prospects. The best social media platform for this is LinkedIn. Investing time and energy into developing a LinkedIn profile now, when the job search process may still be weeks or months away, is a valuable step in making yourself into a serious candidate when the time comes.
The students who will have the biggest head start in landing a good job right after graduation are those with connections. LinkedIn is designed specifically to help people develop new relationships, and professionally benefit from those they already have. Your professors, your parents’ friends, friends’ parents and anyone you’ve developed some relationship with over the years has the potential to be the contact that helps land you that first position. LinkedIn makes it easier for them to think of you when they hear about that perfect opening that needs to be filled.
Filling in your LinkedIn profile will help you with another important skill: learning to put your experience in professional terms. Even if you haven’t worked in jobs or internships that seem directly relevant to the industry you’re hoping to work in yet, something you’ve done in the past has taught you valuable professional skills. A job as a camp counselor brings with it leadership skills, and summer work as a barista means customer service experience. Think about all your past jobs and any volunteer work you’ve done, along with relevant courses and awards, and use it all to build a profile that communicates your strengths.
With the basics covered, you can start making a name for yourself by joining relevant LinkedIn Groups and participating in the conversations there. Adding valuable contributions to discussions in this space is a good way to demonstrate expertise to those in your industry and start getting noticed.
Most companies have LinkedIn pages you can follow, where they’ll post about job and internship opportunities. Many view LinkedIn as one of the best resources for advertising positions, as it weeds out some of the less serious candidates that may respond to ads on outlets like Craigslist. By having an impressive profile and presence on the site, and taking the extra step of following the company, you show you’re someone to take seriously.
Social media plays an increasingly important role in the business world. It can easily be a professional liability for people who don’t tread carefully. For those who approach social media strategically, it can become a valuable career asset.
If you’re serious about getting a head start to earning the career you want, download our more thorough guide on How to Prepare Your LinkedIn Profile for Success.
