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Course: Careers > Unit 1
Lesson 2: NetworkingNetworking through social media
Social media can be a powerful tool to build and maintain your professional network. Learn basic tips to ensure your accounts are professional and create a positive first impression.
Chances are, you already have a social media account, or you’re at least familiar with sites like Facebook and Twitter. They’ve become a key source for news and entertainment, as well as a way to stay in touch with friends and family around the globe. If used well, social media can also be a powerful tool to build and maintain your professional network and learn about new opportunities.
First impressions matter
If you’ve primarily used social media for personal purposes - to share vacation photos or that video of your cat playing in a box - take a moment to review your online presence. If a prospective employer viewed your Facebook page, would they have a positive first impression? Remove posts that could show you in a negative light. For greater control over what can be seen online, set your personal accounts to private.
Build your professional identity online
If you’re looking to expand your network, consider joining LinkedIn. This social media site is specifically built for professional networking. Use your profile to showcase your professional experiences and shape your online identity.
If you’re still in school, it’s not too early to begin building your LinkedIn profile. Even if you’ve never had a job, think about the extracurricular roles you’ve held and the skills you’ve developed through those experiences. Organizing a food drive at school requires organization and follow through. Participating in sports requires commitment and the ability to work well with a team.
If you have a dream job in mind, check out the profiles of people with that career. What was their path to that role? Review other profiles to gain a sense of the types of skills and experiences to highlight in your profile. Keep in mind that norms can vary across industries.
While LinkedIn is widely used across professions, other sites may be more common in a specific field. For instance, many designers use Dribble to share their work and gain inspiration from other designers. Talk to people in your field or do a quick search to learn about the social media sites most relevant to your profession.
Use social media as a tool for engagement
Creating a profile on a social media site is the start, it’s not the end goal. If you just list your professional experiences on LinkedIn and expect job offers and invites to flow in, you may be waiting a long time. The real benefit comes when you actively engage in social media.
- Stay informed: follow organizations and thought leaders in your field to stay up-to-date about industry trends.
- Share information: if you read a great article that’s relevant to your professional interests, share it with your network. (Go for quality over quantity - your connections won’t thank you for oversharing.)
- Stay connected: look for people you already know and connect with them on LinkedIn. If you’re still in school, connect with your classmates and instructors.
- Meet new people: maybe you want to be a software engineer, but you don’t know anyone in tech. Or you want to learn more about a company’s culture to determine whether it’s the right fit for you. LinkedIn can help you identify people for informational interviews.
Reminder: If you’re reaching out to someone out of the blue, be sure to provide information about why you are seeking to connect. Your invite is more likely to be met with a yes if the person understands that you are seeking an informational interview, not reaching out to ask for a job or try to sell them something.
Social media is just one aspect of networking
While technology has made it easier for us to connect with new people and share information, it’s not a panacea for all job-search challenges. It’s a tool that can help open doors for further communication. Connections are strengthened through in-person meetings and phone calls. Explore social media, but don’t forget to look up from your phone and engage in conversation.
Networking is a two-way street
As people help you navigate your career, look for opportunities to give back. While you might not be able to give career advice to an established professional, there is a good chance that you have other knowledge that they lack. It could be as simple as a book recommendation or travel advice - don’t discount the value of your experiences. Look for opportunities to share as well as receive information.
Want to join the conversation?
any tips to understand this better(19 votes)
To all ways be responsible. For your social media(8 votes)
- Is Facebook a good site for kids to be on?(13 votes)
Hey Paige!
Facebook has some mature content so I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who was under the age of 13. However, if you do go on it, it's best that you are under the supervision of an adult.
Hope this helps!(13 votes)
why should we give people information about us if we don´t know them(9 votes)
Only if you're interested in meeting the person or a representative from a company that you're interested in, is it recommended for you to introduce yourself. However, don't go about sharing personal info like your social security number and home address. Your name and a few reasons for your interest in meeting them should suffice.(15 votes)
- is it ok to make a new social media account and use it only for perfessional use and have one for leisure use like for famliy and friends ?(8 votes)
yes but it is most likely that if that account is public they will view it aswell, i recommend making it private for just you and your friends/family. Sometimes even if its private they can still view your comments or likes on some publications other people make so be careful and mindful of what you say or post or like (digital footprint)(4 votes)
how can i create a rich linkedin bio(5 votes)
Add as many fields as possible and use relevant keywords when filling out the descriptions. Follow companies in the industry you would like to work in, take extra training and volunteer opportunities and add them to your experience as well. The idea behind all this is that you will become highly searchable, and ideally, very desirable in your chosen profession.(10 votes)
- i need to boost my social media by likes comments what is the best way to do that for free
do u know any good app for that or website(6 votes) 
I wonder why people are not able to make sacrifices in order to make more money. It makes sense if you want a house, a car, and a better financial plan.
It's very weird because people in countries that don't have internet can survive with no phones, but in America people can't last a minute without their phones. I can live without Netflix, Spotify, and Hulu. I can last with no food for a couple of days. If you want a better life, you need to make sacrifices.(6 votes)- What kind are questions would be acceptable to ask when looking at professions on LinkedIn?(4 votes)
- mostly about their career or what you're looking for be mindful of the person and don't overdo it when asking personal questions, i don't recommend asking personal questions unless it is how they feel(about their work/field) or their experiences in the field of work.(2 votes)
- How do I know what i want to study in?(4 votes)
try to see what you are good at and go that way.
just try hard in whatever and you'll be able to make it.(2 votes)
If they don’t like how I approach them(3 votes)