The Importance of A Strong Online Presence
An online presence is something that most of us have already. My online presence consists of my social media channels, my Odyssey articles, and this personal blog. A strong online presence is important for future graduates. If you already have clean social media and appropriate content, you are doing great. But, there's more you can do.
Create an online presence that aligns with your career path. What I mean by this is to post and share content related to your field of interest. For me, that means I constantly look up and share information about social media management and communication. I also add my own input to the content I find and showcase my knowledge about these fields. I also write for the Odyssey and this blog to show off my writing skills because strong writing skills are necessary for communications professionals. Through my online presence, I am showing employers that I live and breathe social media management and communication.
So what does your online presence say about you? There are three major questions to ask yourself when analyzing your online presence. Answering these questions will get you thinking about ways to make your online presence better.
1. Are my online profiles appropriate?
Appropriate profiles are so important. There's no reason to share photos of you drinking beer every weekend or doing outrageous things while intoxicated. It's not classy. You should also use proper grammar and refrain from using curse words. I hate reading people's content when they use terrible grammar. Presenting yourself as a professional means you are appropriate in person and online. Employers will find things you post and will make judgments based off them. Be prepared for the consequences if you continue to post inappropriate things.
2. Am I talking about the right topics?
Okay, I have not mastered this one yet. I am known for tweeting randomly about the Kardashians because I love watching that show. But the Kardashians don't really have anything to do with social media management or communication directly. When I say I love Kylie's new lip kit on Twitter, it isn't really doing much for me career-wise. But, if I turn it into a discussion about how the Kardashians use social media, I can prove my intelligence and still discuss the things I enjoy. There is a way to still talk about your interests and your career goals. Just combine them somehow. Make sure everything you say shows off your professional knowledge of your field of study.
3. Am I maximizing my potential?
Could you do better? This is a tough question to answer sometimes. Maybe you need to post more or maybe you need to post less. Take time to look at what's working and what's not working for you. Did a lot of people react to a certain Instagram post? Did more people view your profile after that last LinkedIn post? Make sure that you are maximizing your online voice and getting the reactions you want, especially from future employers and other professionals.
By asking these three questions, you can begin to set yourself up for success. Creating and maintaining a strong online presence that matches your field of interest can nail you the dream job. One of the most important things you should be doing online is following professionals and experts in your field and interacting with them. I follow businesses in the cities I want to live in after college and I post and comment on their Instagram and FaceBook page weekly. I want these people to recognize me later when I apply for the job and say, "Hey, I know this girl is dedicated and really interested in our company."
So create an online presence that sets you up for success. Don't be just another girl with a pretty Instagram feed. Be the girl with a pretty feed and competitive content.
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