This is a presentation for students and graduates to consider how social media can help hone their professional online self, develop digital skills for the work place and it's impact on recruitment practices.

1. Employability and
the Digital ‘You’
Tahira Majothi
careers consultant
www.careers.salford.ac.uk
0161 295 5088
TheFacebookLikeStamphttps://www.flickr.com/photos/denisdervisevic/

2. • Understand the importance of developing
digital skills for employability
• Understand the benefits of cultivating a
professional digital presence
• Social Media platforms for engagement
• Do’s and Don’ts – LinkedIn etiquette
• Useful links
Outline

3. https://www.flickr.com/photos/peternijenhuis/, footprints

4. A recent CBI report estimated that 90% of UK
jobs require some level of IT competency.
“Students… must take the development of
their wider competencies as seriously as
they take their studies.”
Richard Lambert, Director-general,
Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
http://cardiff.ac.uk/careers/students/employability/digital-literacy/

5. • Digital literacy is required in 77% of all employment
• Digital literacy is expected to be required in 90% of all
employment by 2015
• Employability for graduates increasingly requires a
broad range of digital literacy skills
• Employers expect graduates to be able to communicate
using digital media
The Chartered Institute for IT
http://www.bcs.org/category/17854

6. Socialmediaappshttps://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonahowie/

7. So consider:
“What if [in this
digital age] you’re
only anonymous for
15 minutes?”

9. What does Google know
about you?

10. Share
Engage
Learn
Source: Sue Beckingham: http://www.slideshare.net/suebeckingham/why-you-need-a-professional-online-presence-and-how-to-do-it-rscon5

11. https://www.flickr.com/photos/31246066@N04/,EyeintheSky
 Demonstrates your
reflective academic
learning and
knowledge
 Showcases relevant
work experience
 Highlights key skills
& achievements
 Enables connections
& collaborations

12. Social Media Table
• Professional online platform
• Connect with likeminded individuals within your industry
• Join groups of interest and engage proactively
LinkedIn
• Free platforms e.g. Wordpress or Blogger
• Showcase knowledge, interests, experience etc.
• Share and encourage meaningful engagement/connections
• Reciprocate by sharing or commenting on other people’s work
Blogs, own website
• Mixture of video, presentation, collaboration, news stream
platforms.
• Follow Employer Q&As, job/event accounts, ‘tweet-ups’ or
hashtags or use as creative outlet/content curation tools.
Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest,
Instagram, Scoop.it, Prezi,
Google docs, Vimeo,
YouTube, Drop-box,
slideshare

13. Expand your
‘professional’ network
https://www.flickr.com/photos/vshioshvili/,walkinghumanchain

14. Social Media is also
changing ‘traditional’
recruitment practices

15. • Your professional online address book
• Your online CV
• Your link to opportunities
• Your tool for careers research
• Your chance to ‘manage’ your digital identity
Benefits of using LinkedIn

16. • Do use a professional photo and industry specific
keywords in your profile
• Do link to other relevant social media
• Don’t use the default message when inviting
someone to connect
• Do treat endorsements with caution.
Recommendations are more substantial
• Do manage your email settings so you aren’t
besieged with email from your groups
• Do share with others
LinkedIn: Do’s and Don’ts
Fiona Christie: http://prezi.com/3gwumaexbdmg/how-to-make-effective-use-of-linkedin/

17. Be media savvy, accentuate the positive to
eliminate the negative
Use social media to research industries, key
staff, for example, via LinkedIn, to
demonstrate your employer research
Learn, engage and share i.e. showcase your
social “media” capital
How to network ‘online’ effectively

18. Summary points to consider…
• What do I want my professional profile to say
about me?
• When should I start to build up my
professional profile?
• Where would I like to work, what social media
platforms does the company use?
• Who should I connect with?
• How can I get more help with this?

19. Reppler – helps you to manage your online profile across social networks
• TweetDelete – helps you to delete older tweets from your time line
• Manage your Identity – Helpful tutorials from the Internet Society
• 4 tips to manage your online reputation – Forbes magazine
• How to download your Twitter Archive - the real test is to read some of the old
tweets without cringing
• How easy is it to delete yourself from the web? – Guardian article
• Don’t just say it. Display it on your LinkedIn Profile. from LinkedIn, a way to
create a professional portfolio including visual content.
• Mashable – How Graph search affects your privacy
• Disconnect.me lets you control your data online
• Google Inactive Account Manager – allows you to decide what should happen
to your emails, photos i.e. digital life when you die.
• DuckDuckGo – internet search engine that says it will protect your privacy and
not record user information.
Useful links

20. Useful Links:
•Twitter: @UoSCareers,
@salfordpgrs,
•Facebook: UoSCareers
http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/page/interactive
•Guardian: Using social media
to find work
http://careers.guardian.co.uk/social-media-job-seeking
•Do your own PR in a digital world
http://careersatsalford.wordpress.com/2010/
11/19/pr-in-a-digital-world/
•Get an online presence now
•http://careersatsalford.wordpress.com/2011
/02/17/get-an-online-presence-now/
•Social Media and Job Hunting
•http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-and-
advice/general-advice/social-media-and-job-
hunting.aspx
•How to use LinkedIn: Video guides for
students
•http://learn.linkedin.com/students/step-1/
•9 Ways students can use social media
http://mashable.com/2012/02/10/students-
job-search-social-media/
•9 Steps to get most out of LinkedIn
•https://onlineastevens.wordpress.com/2011
/05/05/9-easy-steps-to-getting-the-most-out-
of-linkedin/