As a recent graduate from Fordham University, I couldn't help but notice the popular tendency for others my age to hide their social media profiles in order to avoid backlash from prospective employers and job recruiters. In a social age where almost every college student has one form of social media or another, hiding a profile screams “I have something to hide, but please hire me anyway,” a slightly concerning reality that many individuals don’t often think about. I admit though, this is not always how I thought about social media. In fact, there was a time where all of my information was closed off to anyone I did not accept. Not because I was doing anything wrong, but simply because it was “how it was supposed to be.” After connecting with Alan Katzman, founder of Social Assurity, however, I was so relieved by all
he had to say. He was impressed by my LinkedIn account and believed I could help him spread his message. A message of students and job seekers using social media to benefit them as opposed to hinder them. In a similar way, Therese Clancy, Marketing and Communication student from John Carroll University’s Class of 2016, was amazed by what Katzman preached. “Usually the popular opinion about social media is ‘hide everything, they shouldn’t be able to find you’ because they don’t want to see what you’re doing on the weekends,” Clancy said, noting this was the opposite of what Katzman spoke about in his many presentations. “[Katzman] revolutionized the way I was thinking about social media,” Clancy added, and after using the many techniques she picked up from his presentations to her business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, she was confident in what he was teaching. “People began to see me online, I made so many more connections than I had before thanks to my improved LinkedIn profile and understanding of how social media really works.” Upon finding out about Social Assurity’s e-courses, Clancy took two of the five offered— LinkedIn and Twitter for College Admissions and Job Seekers. According to Katzman, both of these courses are “substantive courses intended for multiple sessions,” including several lessons and quizzes, which last approximately 2-hours, depending on how long an individual spends on each section.
After taking the two courses, Clancy believes they “revolutionized the way [she] was thinking of social media,” and helped her realize the popular opinion is not necessarily an accurate one." “The biggest misconception about social media is to make everything private and hide it or have two profiles. I realized how important it is to represent your true self online without revealing too much and doing it in such a way that can be very beneficial to you. Give them something to look at but make it a good thing, make it something you want employers to see.” If you are interested in taking any of Social Assurity’s five e-courses and finding out what they have to offer your future, visit their website for more information.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Taylor Mead majored in Communication & Media Studies at Fordham University (Class of 2016) and serves as a student advisor to Social Assurity LLC, a company specializing in social media education and awareness for high school and college students.
