As a college student in the 21st century, having a presence online is important when seeking internships, networking or even applying for jobs. Although many students overlook creating their online presence, it’s not hard or time-consuming whatsoever. Keep reading to find out six ways to take control of your name online and form your online presence!
- Create a LinkedIn Account
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One of the most important presences you can have as a college student is being active on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a social media platform where you can connect with fellow students, friends and industry professionals. Through your profile, you’re able to publish academic accomplishments, extracurriculars and anything pertaining to you and your academic life. Being active on LinkedIn can help you create relationships with professionals who may have the job you want! There’s no such thing as too many connections whenever it comes to LinkedIn.
- Make a Personal Website
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Similar to LinkedIn, having your own website allows you to showcase your accomplishments and academic portfolio. As a computer science major, coding my own website was a great project for me to add to my resume, but for others with no coding experience, purchasing a website builder would be the easiest choice. To make your website more professional, consider purchasing a domain with your name. Personalized domains cost around 20 dollars a year and are definitely worth the price and convenience. Whenever someone asks me for my website, I just have to say my first and last name.com!
- Upload Your Projects
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Having an online presence is more than just getting your name out there. It’s equally important to showcase your work and skills along with your presence. Uploading your projects online is a great way to showcase your skill set to future employers. My personal favorite website to upload my projects on is GitHub. GitHub is a coding website where I can post my code and explain my projects to the public. YouTube is another great website to showcase project presentations, speeches and academic achievements. Always make sure to double-check the syllabus before posting any work online that may have been from a course!
- Get Involved With a Club or Organization
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After working to kickstart your online presence, you may still crave more results when searching for your name. Another way to get your name out there is to participate in a club or organization. If you’re able to land a leadership position in the club or organization, even better. Most clubs and organizations will create posts discussing members’ accomplishments, who participated in the events they hosted and create independent profiles for leadership positions. As a writer for Her Campus UCF, I have the ability to share my profile with others to showcase all of my work.
- Social Media
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Social media is a great way to showcase your personality and interests outside of PDFs and professional sites. Although we think of Instagram as a place to post selfies and Twitter as a place to discuss drama, there’s a whole other side to these apps. On Instagram, you can easily find other individuals with similar majors who post-study tips, project ideas and informative videos about specific topics. Some of my favorite academic Instagrammers post daily polls for me to check my knowledge. Additionally, many professionals in academia are active on Twitter to discuss their research and collaborate with others. Even if you aren’t interested in posting on social media, getting inspiration and communicating with others can help you boost your online presence.
- Create a Linktree
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If you’ve clicked on an influencer’s profile within the last year, you’ve most likely heard of a Linktree. A Linktree is a one-page URL that can navigate the user to many other links associated with that person. By creating your own Linktree, you’re making it easier for people to view all of your presences online and interact with you. You can include your Linktree on LinkedIn, social media accounts and even as a QR code to wear as a button around networking events. Some important links to include on your Linktree are your LinkedIn profile, a ‘send email’ link, a Google Form to request a copy of your resume and any other links where your projects are uploaded.
Being able to form your online presence now will undoubtedly help you in the future!