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The importance of a professional online presence for future Engineering Graduates SUE BECKINGHAM @suebecks Sheffield Hallam University

Why engineering graduates need a professional online presence

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The

importance

of a

professional

online presence

for future

Engineering

Graduates

SUE BECKINGHAM @suebecks

Sheffield Hallam University

Taking ownership of YOUR professional online

presence

Building valuable networks

Developing confident digital skills

Standing out from the crowd

Key objectives

Digital Literacies

(Jisc 2014) http://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/developing-students-digital-literacy/

Preparing for YOUR graduate

employment

“Don't put off until

tomorrow what

you can do today.”

Benjamin Franklin

YOU need to make time to develop

YOUR professional online identity

WARNING:

Open sharing of your

social life

WARNING:

Open sharing of photos of

your social life

WARNING:

Open engaging in angry,

rude or defamatory

exchanges

Every time you

use social media

you leave a trail.

What permanent

footprints are you

leaving?

What will your

potential Employer's

viewpoint be of your

online presence?

Your digital profile is in YOUR hands

THINK before you share

anything online

How do you use social

media professionally?

Time you found out....

Professional use of Twitter

Take note...

Professional Bodies and Engineering companies are sharing tweets

about jobs, internships, careers information

Digital Portfolio Toolbox

Why would I need a LinkedIn profile?

Make the most of

YOUR profile!

LinkedIn members did over 5.7 billion professionally-

oriented searches on the platform in 2012.

More than 4 million companies have LinkedIn Company

Pages.

There are more than 1.5 million unique publishers actively

using the LinkedIn Share button on their sites to send

content into the LinkedIn platform.

LinkedIn members are sharing insights and knowledge in

more than 2.1 million LinkedIn Groups.

In the second quarter of 2014, mobile accounted for 45

percent of unique visiting members to LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Facts

Build your

personal digital

rolodex

Connections can be

accessed anytime

and anywhere from

your chosen device

LinkedIn helps you keep in

touch with your connections

as the onus is on the

individual to keep their

contact details up to date.

Your 1st degree connections open

opportunities to expand your network with

2nd degree connections.

Receive industry

news tailored to

your interests

and delivered to

your chosen

digital device

A space to showcase your BEST work

Make sure your LinkedIn

Profile is complete and up-

to-date so that potential

connections know you’re

bona fide.

Professionals and experts

in your field will be more

likely to respond to your

inquiries if you have a

complete profile including

a professional headshot.

LinkedIn Advanced People Search helps you easily find

experts and sources. Search by company name, company

size, keywords, title or any other aspect to find exactly the

source you need. Click on the person’s profile and you’ll see if

anyone in your network knows them and can introduce you.

Build your professional identity online

as an expert in your field

Developing an

online profile using

Whilst developing your profile opt to make it private

until you are ready to share it

#1Look at the

privacy

settings and

options

Research has found that profiles are more trusted

when they contain a photo

#2Include a

photo

Click on the 'Edit Profile' button to update

any of the sections or the 'Improve your

profile' button for suggestions.

Proofread any changes you make for errors!

#3Complete

your whole

profile

Who is your intended audience

In pairs: Explain what your role is and

why it matters

Now listen to your partner explaining back to

you what your key skills are

Think about the key search words people would

use if they were looking for:

experts with skills in your field

experienced individuals to collaborate with

the best course to apply for

#4Include

relevant

keywords

Your headline will default to your

current job title, but this can be edited

to add further information and keywords

#5Edit your

headline

The default URL will also include random numbers

and letters and appears underneath your photo.

uk.linkedin.com/pub/your-name/1x/11x/111

Customise this to have your full name then add to:

• your email signature

• business cards

• your bios on other social sites

#6Customise

your public

profile URL

Add relevant skills to your profile.

Valued connections may then publically endorse

your skills and expertise

#7Add skills

to your

profile

You may give others a recommendation, but do also

consider asking people you have worked with to

give you one too.

#8Ask for

recommendations

• Connect with current and previous work colleagues

• Search by name, company, school, email contacts

or group members. Drill down using advanced

people search.

• Develop relevant 2nd and 3rd degree connections

#9Make

connections

• Join groups and engage in discussion

topics and answer questions in your

specialism

• Develop new connections and network

• Create your own group

#10Join relevant

Groups

#11Add projects

to your

profile

#13Add your

SlideShare

presentations

http://www.slideshare.net/suebeckingham

#14Add links to

your blog/

website

#15Write blog

posts within

LinkedIn

Resources: go.shu.ac.uk/socialmedia

How to use social media responsibly

How your personal use of Social media

relates to the University's rules and

regulations; what is inappropriate, and the

associated consequences

Managing your digital footprint

Four ways to stop your social media past

damaging your real-life future; simple steps to

clean up and manage your social media

identity

Using social media for learning

Make social media work for you and stand out

from the crowd by identifying and harnessing

opportunities

Using social media to enhance your

employability

Outlining the ways in which social media can

improve your employability and develop a

satisfying career

Sue Beckingham

Educational Developer with a research interest in the use of social media

in education.

Blog: http://socialmediaforlearning.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/suebeckingham