Get Your Students Hired
I joined LinkedIn about 4 years ago and then LinkedOut. after reading this article, I am going to reactivate my LinkedIn account AND encourage my students to post on this networking site. Everyone pushes Monster and CareerBuilder... It's time to "tout" LinkedIn.
Rick,
great point & yes, we need to help them use LinkedIn. One thing to note about Facebook is that employers do often look up candidates today. It is not a professional networking tool like LI, but we should help our students understand that caution should be exhibited in what they are posting. It will potentially be viewed.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
ROBERT,
yes, LinkedIn is a great tool & resource for today's students & career professionals & we must help them prepare in this way.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Hi Shawna:
LinkedIn is, without dispute, the most valuable social media network for professional networking. Aside fro. Its obvious positioning, the problem with other social media sites is that it delves too heavily into the personal arena. But for those considering other social media outlets, let me elaborate my opinion...
Twitter: You get superficial comments and useless, meaningful chatter about everything.
Instagram: Unless you plan to photograph your entire work history, I would call it useless for the professional world.
Facebook: The biggest issue with FB is its inability to overcome "guilt by association". Do you really want to have an employer see a photo that tags you by one of your friends of you at last night's wild party? Yeah.
Foursquare: I guess if anyone actually used it.
Google+: Only for Facebook haters and Google employees. Otherwise, useless as a submarine with a screen door.
MySpace: Does ANYONE use that schlock anymore??
Pinterest: Haha... Yeah right.
I got two major job offers in three months from my LinkedIn profile. Write it well, market and build your network and it will work for you.
Save the other networks for fun and play.
-R
Students should be encouraged to join linkedIn and other profession organizations or web sites. It helps them to start to network and to also put a positive image on the web.
Many of my students are already utilizing LinkedIn. They seem to realize the value of it, and it really is a great resource for them!
Shawna,
yes, LinkedIn has many advantages & I would say that I have seen the use greatly increase really in the last 12-18 months so not too surprised that if you joined a few years ago you weren't too impressed. I think they've made many improvements.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.