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Your Personal Brand: Managing Your Social Media

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter.

Gone, are the days when you walked into your potential job and the only information the Boss had about you was your paper resume. In fact, Paper resumes are so last decade! As Social Media continues to transform the way we read, communicate, and complete assignments; it is also transforming the way we get our next Job!

Your online presence and persona is now no longer just a spot for you to connect with friends and here are Four Reasons Why and How you should control your Social Media Persona:

Your Personal Brand

Although more than the majority of us are guilty for our indulgence of “Selfie-Sundays”, it turns out that these types of posts are beginning to depict who we are. Not only is it to our friends on social media, but to potential employers as well. A lot of women have built a “personal brand” around their appearance and the type of pictures and statuses they post. It’s important to keep in mind that your “personal brand” is your choice to what reflects who you are to various people, and can either help you or have you taken less seriously in the professional world.

Nearly 40% of Companies Research Potential Job Candidates on Social Media

Although Potential Employers do pay attention to harmful information that they don’t want representing their company, they also do love to see friendly posts on your Facebook Wall with your friends because your are perceived as a sociable person. With that in mind, it’s important to realize that once a picture goes online you never know where else it might go and to think before you post.

Women Are Judged Harsher On Social Media Then Men

According to Alice Marwick’s new book “Selfie- Sabotage”, women are not only judged by their presence in the work place in ways that men are not, but sadly by their presence online as well. The Internet has now allowed any type of social material to be exposed to much larger audiences, and it’s important to keep this in mind when you post any pictures.

Your Social Media Persona will Open Doors for You

With more public relations websites launching online more than ever, it is becoming a lot easier for you to connect with the people of your favorite companies, as well as with former employers from the past! Just like in the real world, you never know who is watching you or who will come across your profile that can lead you to future opportunities!

Ligia Forbes is a student at the University of Central Florida, and a Her Campus UCF News Writer. Afro-latina, World Traveler, UNICEF Advocate,Big Sister, and lover of living life on purpose.
UCF Contributor