Whats Your Best Advice to College Students on Managing Their Social Media - Workology

What’s Your Best Advice to College Students on Managing Their Social Media STUDENT REPUTATION MANAGEMENT More and more, I’m speaking to college and high school students about managing their reputations. I’ve interviewed a few recruiters about how they use social media to evaluate candidates. I’d like to hear from more recruiters who could offer advice on how students should manage their social media to improve their chances of success. Let me give this a little bit of context. FIRST DIGITAL GENERATION Today’s college students are the first generation to grow up in an entirely digital worldwhere everything is online, mobile and hyper-connected. They’ve also grown up with a sense of transparency never seen in history. These two facts were running through my mind as I stood on the auditorium stage in front of more than 200 students at The Ohio State University. I was there because their professor had seen my reputation management presentation at a business luncheon and asked me to speak to the students in her international marketing course. STUDENT REPUTATION MANAGEMENT I outlined for them the 10 keys to reputation management for students, which are similar to those for the rest of us.  Among the points I make: Social media is forever.  The posts and photos you put on Facebook, Twitter, or elsewhere are recorded for the rest of your life. Nothing is private.  I encourage the students to use their privacy settings, but assume that what they post will be visible to the world. The question, then, is “would you want your grandmother or others important to you to see this?” If not, don’t post it. Perception is reality.  People, including potential employers, are forming impressions of you based on what they find about you on Google. These impressions of you become reality. If your Google results are solely of you partying or ranting then, in their minds, that is who you are. YOUR ADVICE Since then I’ve spoken to many more students and find them open to learning to manage their social postings and profiles as they enter the job market and begin their careers. What advice would you offer these students? Do you review social media of job candidates? What is the worst and best that you have found?  Please leave comments and or contact me at the email address below.