It does not matter whether you are a professional, student, artiste, or a housewife, we all need social media for different reasons. A professional may need such a medium to interact with people from his own industry, a student may wish to get some exam tips from his class teacher, an artiste may need to promote his latest creation, and a housewife may need it for entertainment purposes.
How Students Can Leverage Social Media ?
Let us find out how students can use this medium to further their careers. Social media is the storehouse of knowledge and information. It does not matter what kind of information you are looking for, it has answers for all your queries. Suppose, you are a science student, and you need to make a project on nuclear science. Now, on social media you can find a lot of information related to this field.
Most leading organizations maintain their Facebook page, and Twitter handle where they give a lot of information about their field. They also publish a lot of material related to the latest research and development in their field. This can be an excellent source of information for doing a science project for a student. The best thing about such information is their novelty factor which you cannot find in a book or reference material.
Students can also use social media channels to stay connected with their teachers who can guide them from time to time. Teachers often say that despite their readiness to help, it is students who usually shy away from interactions. Students can also get in touch with their seniors who can prove great mentors and guides in shaping their careers. Social media is a global platform where students and teachers from every country participate.
These virtual channels are extraordinary platforms for one to one interaction, and they immensely contribute to your current level of knowledge. Sometimes, a particular university does exceptional research work in a field that only students of that university are aware of. However, during mutual interactions on social channels such knowledge is frequently shared.
Professionals Can Gain a Lot From Social Media
Although platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are hugely beneficial for people from every industry, a channel such as LinkedIn is especially made for professional match and interaction. It does not matter whether you are from IT, design, marketing, finance, or consultancy, you will need a platform like LinkedIn for growing your circle and getting connected to the right people.
For example, an IT employee may be looking to change his job. He just needs to log in the LinkedIn account and leave his CV on the IT companies’ page. And if companies find his credentials attractive, he will soon receive a call from HR departments. Moreover, most of the recruitments these days are done on references. If you have a large number of followers on LinkedIn, your chances of getting a job through reference will be quite high.
Actually, such references are a win-win model for both who refer, and those who get jobs through such references. Every time someone’s reference gets selected for a job, he is entitled for an incentive equal to one month’s salary. In fact, the majority of recruitments at middle management level is done in this manner only.
Such platforms are also very useful for improving existing skills as well as learning new skills. LinkedIn is used by professionals of every level. On one hand, you have fresh recruits who have just started their career, and on the other hand you have seasoned professionals with twenty to thirty years of experience. The platform is useful for both. While young professionals learn through the experiences of their senior colleagues, the senior professionals also get an opportunity to discover the right talent for recruitment.
Moreover, the industry trend also keeps on changing. What was relevant yesterday is considered obsolete today. These platforms keep you in loop with the current trend, and you are aware of what is happening in your industry. How people from other countries are using a specific technology? These interactions give you a new insight about your job.
This is the age of technology, and we all need to be updated with it. It is not like earlier times when most professional meetings took place in offices. Now, these meetings and seminars are conducted on virtual platforms. And it is important to be part of such online webinars and podcasts.
Social media is now no longer limited to personal interactions. It has grown many times in size and proportion. A smart professional is one who realises the centrality of such a medium for career growth and leverages it to spread his network. In the near future, the virtual medium will play an even bigger role.