How to use social media to build your personal brand in college


By Joel Delgado ’12 MS ’17 

That angry tweet about your boss you posted last month or that Instagram photo of you taken at that party last weekend? Yeah, chances are employers – or potential employers for the job you’re applying for – will probably see it.

According to recruiting platform Jobvite’s 2014 Social Recruiting Survey, 93 percent of hiring managers reviewed a job candidate’s social media profiles before making a hiring decision.

For college students, now is the time to be mindful of what your social media is saying about who you are and for what you stand.

“The worst thing you can do is wait until you graduate before thinking about social media as a way to build your brand,” FIU Career Services Account Manager Sonia Gonzalez says. “You can start slowly. Create a LinkedIn account – put your last job, your school, what you’re majoring in and when you expect to graduate. Get people to recommend you. Take those small steps early on.”

NL 1 brandingPICK THE RIGHT PLATFORMS

There are now hundreds of social media platforms. Some have been around for some time and have shown staying power (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram); others have surged in popularity recently (Vine, Snapchat and Periscope).

Regardless of your chosen career, LinkedIn should be at the top of your list. As a business and professional networking site, having an up-to-date and thorough LinkedIn profile can be valuable for students, soon-to-be graduates or alumni looking for jobs and staying connected with contacts made during college.


Related: 8 ways to boost your LinkedIn profile


After that, consider what other social media platforms you will be active on and how you will use those platforms.

Do your research and test out various social media platforms; find three to five you enjoy using the most and help show who you really are. If you’re actively snapping photos on your iPhone or like producing images, Instagram may be a great platform for you. If you like collecting and organizing ideas and images, consider starting Pinterest.

“For me, Facebook is for family and friends, but Instagram and Twitter is where I pursue my interests,” Gonzalez says. “There are different ways to use social media, but it is important to use it appropriately whether personally or professionally.”

Social media can also be valuable during a job search. According to the Jobvite study, 73 percent of recruiters have hired a candidate through social media with a large majority of those hires (79 percent) coming through LinkedIn.

LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter in particular can be used to find out about job postings and hiring trends, while also developing connections with recruiters and employers. On their Twitter page, the Career Services team uses the #HireFIU hashtag on all the job postings, internships and career fairs they link.

BECOME AN EXPERT AND A VOICE IN YOUR FIELD

If you know what field you want to get into, whether its architecture or sports journalism, social media gives you plenty of opportunities to learn and connect with leaders from virtually every industry.

“Follow thought leaders in the industry you want to go into – people who you look up to,” Gonzalez said. “That’s how you start networking.”

And while you are learning more about your field in the classroom and taking on internships in your field, think about starting a blog or website where you can share your own thoughts, ideas, experiences and work samples.

With more access to information and more outlets to share your thoughts than ever before, you can become a voice in your field long before you graduate.

POST CONSISTENTLY

It’s not enough to just open an account on Twitter, write up your first tweet and then not post again for two months.

One of the keys to establishing a presence on social media and letting people know what you’re about is being active. Posting regularly, at least a few times each week on your platforms, will help you remain visible.

“Consistency is key. Starting is easy, but the hard part is maintaining your social media,” Gonzalez says. “The more you are invested in your social media, the more you are likely to use it.”

THINK BEFORE YOU POST

Like it or not, what you post on Facebook and Twitter speaks volumes not only about you, but also about the organizations and institutions with which you are involved. That’s a big reason why potential employers – or the recruiting organizations they hire – are scrolling through profiles before inviting you onto their team.

So if your social media policy is “tweet first and ask questions later,” you may want to reconsider.

“As a student, the things that you do and say reflect back on you, your jobs and your school,” Gonzalez says. “There is freedom of speech, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ramifications. What you do on social media can help or hurt your brand.”

The Jobvite survey found recruiters looked negatively at references to illegal drugs, sexual posts, profanity and posts on guns and alcohol. Poor spelling and grammar doesn’t help your chances, either.

“Your digital footprint is your life on the Internet. Once it’s out there, it’s out there. You can’t take it back,” Gonzalez says. “They say you should think 24 hours before sending an angry email. You should do the same with any comments or posts.”

BE AUTHENTIC

Employers and people who are following you are looking for people who are authentic. What you post on social media should be an accurate portrayal of who you are. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.

“Your personal and digital life should line up,” Gonzalez advises. “If you are going to associate your name with your digital outlet, then it should be authentic and it should be you. Don’t say things you wouldn’t say in real life.”


Related: Prepare for your job search before graduating


Remember the purpose behind using social media. What is it you’re trying to accomplish with the content you’re producing and sharing? Develop a personal branding statement, which shows what you are passionate about, identifies your main career focus and expresses what you bring to the table.

“This is going to shape how you are pursuing your education and shape what you do social media-wise,” Gonzalez says of personal branding statements. “The things you do online will have an impact on your brand.”

For more information on personal branding and other career related questions, go to the FIU Career Services websiteThis article is part of our Secrets to Success series.