Andrea,
You are right, employers are looking. There are now bureaus popping up that work much like credit bureaus that collects information regarding social media and KEEPS it for seven years. Isn't that scarey.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Andrea,
Many of us are using LinkedIn to connect with alumni to keep my content up-to-date. Think about the power for our students!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Andrea,
What a great post, you make such great points. Students need to know what a good name means. It can be destroyed in an instant.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Sloan: Potential employers can be viewing these forums and may or may not be interested in their candidacy for a position if they know of their habits and language on these sites.
Andrea: Hi Sloan! Excellent example of what job seekers should not do on social media sites if they want to impress a potential employer.
Dr. Wilkinson: You are right. We have to make sure students understand the use of different types of social media to benefit them professionally.
Andrea: Excellent point, Ed and Dr. Wilkinson! I advise my students to network on Linkedin.com to meet contacts prior to graduation. It never hurts to network for employment prior to graduation.
Students need to practice good social networking habits to develop and build a good name, known for factual contributions; as a trusted source. Students may begin networking on social media sites to extend learning into a global exploration of unit material in class, while meeting and reading the most up-to-date information on unit concepts happening now, in the real world.
Ruth,
It surprises me many of my colleagues don't think employers look at social media when clearly they do. For many employers this is as important as a credit check. Students have to know the information follows them.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Jennifer,
I am going to use your term digital foot forward. I like that. It is so important to look at the past posts and future posts. Employers are looking at social media and they are looking at past posts also.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Kimberly,
That is a smart idea. Social media will the one of the most important tools for a professional. This will help them develop that professional identity.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Is is important for students to develop good networking habits, because:
A. Social networking is hear to stay, it is not just a passing fad.
B. What people post on social networking sites can come back to haunt them.
C. Social networking can be an excellent tool for communicating with others, however, you need to know proper etiquette, or netiquette, to keep from offending others, and to protect your own reputation.
D. Many employers and potential employers check social networking sites, and what you post may cost you a job, or a potential job.
It is important for students to develop good social networking habits because they are some of the same habits required to be successful in their professional career. Maintaining a professional, credible image is critical to career development whether one is online or face-to-face. Employers browse social networking websites like Facebook or LinkedIn before hiring candidates. Students want to make sure they are putting their best professional and "digital" foot forward.
It is important for students to develop good social networking habits because these skills will benefit them not only in a classroom setting but in the workplace as well. Most things that we do will require us to be social with one another so why not build on this?
Rickey,
That is so true. It is a great way for them to transition into professional communication. This is such an important skill. You may want them to develop their roles in LinkedIn.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Because this will teach them to interact with others and allow them to be more prominent in conversations and allow them to grow. There communication ability to express themselves will definitely grow and change.
Cherise,
That is true and we have had such "great" examples of poor word usage in the media in the past few weeks. In the age of multimedia, words don't go away.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Since we are changing from standard communication, face-to-face, letters, phone calls, to emailing, texting, tweeting developing good social networking habits are important because the latter does not disappear. Case in point, many unflattering comments made in the past have resurfaced and caused issues for these individuals. More than likely, if these individuals would developed good social networking habit back then, they would have that trouble today.
Sloan,
And they do look! There are new services much like a credit bureau check that will review social media and issue reports about specific people. The information could be as old as seven years. I actually had a student that was asked to give the potential employer her login information to facebook.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Catherine,
True, and in the media lately, there are several issues that would make great teaching moments about the right to say, do, or post anything.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Phil,
That would be a great article to share. It amazes me how many people dismiss the connections.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Potential employers can be viewing these forums and may or may not be interested in their candidacy for a position if they know of their habits and language on these sites.
