Red cups mounted on top of a table, girls crouching to pose in the background and Johnny College right in front chugging beers. Unfortunately, what looks like a fun night worth sharing on Facebook shows a lack of professionalism and poise for the employer who just happens to be checking your profile. Can you believe Johnny College is still unemployed? Neither can I.
What many individuals don’t understand is social media networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, have become second resumes to employers. This change is not to be taken lightly because those who continue to treat their online accounts as leisurely play tools are jeopardizing their chances of obtaining those dream jobs. Students need to stop wasting time and start building their professional online presences, seeking help to polish what they have. Opportunities don’t appear for those who sit and wait.
Employers have every right to check potential employees’ social media accounts to see if they are taking a risk by hiring certain individuals. Why would an employer hire someone who is posting videos of him or herself “twerking” or constantly displaying wild antics? If an individual doesn’t want to be portrayed as an immature party animal to employers, then the responsibility falls on him or her to do something about it.
Prospective employees should utilize Facebook’s privacy settings. However, for those individuals who absolutely must post pictures of themselves and their crazy nights, it might be wise to invest some time creating separate personal accounts. It’s important to keep professional profiles separate from personal profiles.
Employers seek well-rounded, engaging online profiles that show professionalism and character. They look for a well-versed “about me” section, a professional profile picture and anything showing that the potential employee is active on campus or in the community. Professionals use these strategies to screen potential employees, as well as obtain a sense of their personalities and interests. Employers do this by checking different online pages and social media outlets because each site is unique and serves different purposes. Showing versatility on websites attracts employers to hire
certain individuals.
College students need to be aware of the benefits social media can bring to the job market. A well-constructed online account can make or break an individual’s virtual presence and resume recognition. According to analysis site CQ Researcher, 172 million people used the Internet last year in the U.S. Clearly, many students spend a huge portion of their days online, so why not use that time more efficiently rather than wasting time creating or viewing sloth memes?
Building a professional online presence is not easy. Students must put forth the effort and treat their social media accounts as representations of themselves and their work. Students should not be intimidated to build connections with future employers; networking is crucial in order to get recognized.
“Building a network through social media, or in general, is like a snowball effect,” San Diego State Entrepreneur Society president Brian Kidwell said. “You start off with only a few contacts and then you search out and meet others. Your network begins to grow even
more rapidly.”
Maintaining a professional online presence and building a network is necessary in today’s job market as more and more college graduates enter the workforce and competition increases. It’s important for students to note valuable skills don’t always come from the classroom. Students must seek out the resources for themselves if they wish to expand their networks and enhance
their profiles.
However, the School of Journalism and Media Studies offers an open course in digital media comprehension to get a head start. This course was created to help students engage in the digital world and enhance their social media education. There’s no excuse for students to say they don’t know where to begin if the resources are available to them on campus.
Joining a school club or society is another great way to network and meet people with similar interests. It helps build relationships that can be useful in one’s professional life. For example, the Entrepreneur Society has weekly guest speakers and a mentor program where undergrads can learn from graduate students. Building a network early can save students time and give them resources that could broaden their career goals. Think twice before uploading a picture or posting personal information employers could be observing online.
To get a head start on networking, visit http://entrepreneur.sdsu.edu/ or got to the SDSU Entrepreneur Society’s Facebook page.
— Contributor Carmen Huerta is a public relations sophomore
