The Importance of your Online Presence in Virtual Times

Social Media: while many only think of it as a way to connect with friends and show people the highlights of your life, it can be used for so much more. With so many jobs working virtually, these presences are more crucial than ever. It is a way for companies to see you without ever meeting you. You need to find any way to present yourself in the best light, especially in a job market like we are in.

It can be hard to get your foot in the door, to get a job. Often time just applying to their listing doesn’t work. LinkedIn is a great way to connect with people in places you want to work before you apply for the job. Companies would much rather hire someone they know and trust more than someone they know nothing about. It also is a great way to set up and conduct informational interviews. Informational interviews are asking people in positions you would like to be in how they got there, things they would’ve done differently, etc. They are a great way to get advice on the field you are going into and get tips on how other people have made it work for them.

Your other social media presences matter, too. With so much going on politically, economically, socially, and pandemically, it can be easy to have a hard time communicating. You want to voice your opinions and what you believe in, but it can be worrisome that future employers might not like you posting about all of your opinions. Everyone is walking on thin ice to say and do the right thing.

At the end of the day you need to be mindful of what you are sharing in the public. You never know who is watching you I suggest finding and sharing references about social media being used for hiring purposes, or how to clean up your social media. There are some of these resources on Career Services’ page.