Building an Online PresenceUnless you’ve been living under a rock, it's impossible you’ve escaped popular social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Let’s face it: if you’re not spending the majority of your time on these networks like much of the free world, you’ve at least explored them and built a profile (or three).

Aside from providing people around the world with a way to stay in touch with friends and family and share pictures and stories, it’s fairly common nowadays for your social presence to represent your personal brand when looking for a job. If you’ve never considered how your online presence could affect your livelihood, now is certainly the time to give it some thought.

A growing number of colleges, recruiters, and businesses use information found on the Internet, especially social media, to make admissions and hiring decisions. In many cases, search results from Google are the first impression a college graduate will make to recruiters and potential employers. As a result, it's vital for college graduates to have a positive online presence and optimized social media profile.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Practically everyone uses social media. Social media has grown to become a much more domineering force for companies to find high-quality talent. According to the 2012 Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey Results, 73% of businesses have successfully hired employees through social networks while 92% of the respondents in the survey either use or plan to use social media for recruiting employees. This raises the stakes for college graduates to ensure they portray the right image to employers on social media.

LinkedIn Tips for College Graduates

Hailed as the professional network, LinkedIn is the quintessential must-have for college graduates. This social network has well over 300 million people with the common goal of networking and building their professional online brand. As a result, it's crucial for college graduates to be active on LinkedIn.

To get started, simply dive in and create a profile with a clear and concise direction in mind. Whether the goal is to make connections, find a job, research different industries or land an internship, keep this purpose in mind as you complete your profile. To most effectively generate the right type of interest through your LinkedIn profile, it's best to:

  • Use a professional image. Instead of using a group shot or a funny "selfie," use the LinkedIn profile as an opportunity to put the best foot forward. Although it may not be necessary to pay a professional photographer, the image should represent your professional side.
  • Establish a professional presence. To make sure you’re connecting with the right people, use keywords in your profile that are relevant to your goals. More importantly, make sure that all sections of your profile are complete and free of grammatical and spelling errors. Spelling and grammar mistakes will often cause a negative reaction.
  • Sharing is caring. Another great way to create an effective online presence through LinkedIn is to share relevant industry information. By sharing helpful articles and tips, it will be communicated to recruiters and companies that you stay up-to-date on relevant industry information.
  • Join groups. LinkedIn offers thousands of different groups based on different industries and interests. Join a few relevant groups and connect with your likeminded peers.
  • Build connections. On LinkedIn, the larger the network of connections, the more likely an individual will be found or find what they are looking for. As a result, it is important build the right connections.

Facebook and Twitter Tips

Although most people wouldn't consider Facebook to be a social recruiting network, many companies and recruiters rely on this social network to find quality candidates. Employers often use this gargantuan social network to screen their potential candidates, which makes it highly important for college graduates to be on their best behavior.

  • Even though Facebook and Twitter are primarily for keeping in touch, it's important the profile image isn't explicit or doesn't put the individual in a compromising situation or negative light. Simply put, these images can be viewed by potential employers, which requires a certain decorum and level of professionalism.
  • Since recruiters and employers have the ability to view Facebook posts and Tweets, the best solution is to make posts and tweets private. At the same time, it's still important to use moderation and professionalism when posting.  

Review

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