How Social Media Can Help College Students

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Candace Webb, a social media practitioner who explores how social media impacts college students at DegreeJungle.com.

Social media connects persons from every part of the world including underclassmen in today’s universities. It is an interest tool; when used effectively, college students can become leaders in their industries before finishing college. You can benefit by using social media to develop a digital portfolio, design your own influence, and reach decision-makers who are leaders in their industries.

Develop a Digital Portfolio

A digital portfolio is a necessity in your job search efforts. You can add a few links from your social pages on Google+, LinkedIn, and Facebook for prospective employers. If you choose to use social media for a job search, you can create a marketing strategy based on the information you want prospective employers to know.

Digital portfolios show off your communication skills, creativity with technology and online influence to your friends, colleagues and/or big brands that follow you. You will be surprised to know how many companies find talent by viewing a social page. Are you ready to take your social connections to the next level?

Consider the following questions when designing your pages:

1. Who is my target audience?

2. What do I want to share with this group?

3. How can I make my social pages a hot spot for learning and value?

4. When will I post information to my social sites?

5. How will my digital portfolio land me a dream job?

Answer each question thoroughly. Your future can be shaped by the information you place online; if you use your social pages for creating a name (or brand) for yourself, you can get a job doing the same techniques for a large company. A well-planned and executed social media marketing strategy can increase your chances of getting a job with a good company.

College recruiters surf profiles on a consistent basis, you can make your profile stand out if you plan your content strategy. Provide insight, helpful tips and actionable guides to show how familiar and experienced you are; soon, you will have influence and companies will want to meet you.

Design Your Own Influence

Do you want companies like Nike, Apple, or Dell following your Twitter page? Well, you have to design your own influence by placing emphasis on your expertise. An example of this would be a computer programmer duplicating or developing mobile apps for smartphones. Another example of this would be a graphic designer that designs and sells marketing collateral to local small businesses in their area.

Are you good with Photoshop or design layouts? You can design business cards, magazine covers, or flyers for small businesses in your local area, but post samples on your LinkedIn page for a printing company to find you. Influence your prospective industry now, so companies will start asking you questions about how you can help them achieve their goals.

Reach Decision-Makers

Decision makers are on all of the top social media networks. When you design your influence and pages, you are placing your name in digital stack of competitors. As a college student, you are still young and capable of using creativity to leverage job interviews online.

You can use your digital portfolio as proof that you can do what you claim in your resume. Make prospective employers see you as a leader before you graduate; social media can help you establish a name for yourself without leaving your dorm room.

Want to learn more? Check out:

• How Recruiters Use Social Networks To Screen Candidates
• More Employers Using Social Media To Hunt For Talent

Candice Webb is a leading social media practicitioner with 10 years of experience in human resource management. She explores social media impacts on colleges students for DegreeJungle.com.