by Vesper Hubbard
In the Gen Y era, social media is as ubiquitous in our professional lives as it is in our personal lives. Most of us remember the beginning of social media as Friendster and MySpace, then Facebook came along and changed the game. I remember my freshman year of college and the buzz on campus was a semester long campaign to have Facebook host our tiny liberal arts university. Ah the glory, finally we were able to connect with our old friends from high school studying at schools near and far, share our photos, give props to our friends, and attempt to boost our social status by our frequent and measured activity online. Now this life-sharing and communication concept has made its way to new platforms with the likes of Twitter, LinkedIn, Fourquare and many more. These social media platforms when utilized correctly can lend more than a place for social bragging rights but a place to advertise with purpose and to sell yourself! If you are looking for a new job, social media can be a great way to brand yourself and let potential employers know about your skills and experience. The most popular platforms are Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. The first principle rule social media gurus stress is do not put anything out on the Internet that you wouldn’t want your coworkers, grandma, or anyone else who’s opinion you value, to see. The Facebook college days are over and if you are out of school and developing a career then who you are has to or is starting to evolve, so take care to update your information. Use a current photo, update your “about me” info to include education and other relevant information, and don’t be afraid to display your personality. It is common for professionals to feel that their “work” lives and “real” lives are separate and should remain that way. However, who you are is who you are, you bring that to work everyday and your interest and hobbies are valuable ways to show you’re a real person and deepen connections.
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