by Erica Baumgardner '16

A featured speaker at the 2014 Career Impact Summit was Brittany Wisniewski '13, who spoke to students about developing a personal brand and managing their presence on social media outlets.

Wisniewski, an environmental studies major and business and management minor, has been employed with the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) since graduation. With ACM, she serves as program assistant for the ACM Chicago Program, helping students find internship placement while participating in the program.

Wisniewski pointed out that, according to a 2010 Career Builder survey, 45% of employers are using social media during the hiring process. Below are some useful tips that she suggests to help build and/or manage a social media presence to attract potential employers.

Linked In:

• "If you're not using Linked In, you're kind of missing the boat," says Wisniewski, as it's one of the most widely utilized professional networks across all industries.
• Make sure that your profile is 100% complete and keep your information current.
• Be sure to fill your profile with keyword rich content that is relevant to your intended field. By doing so, you'll make yourself more searchable for interested employers.
• Strengthen your network connections. Invite professors, peers, and alumni to join your network.
• Don't just blindly send invites. Instead, take the time to send personalized invitations to peers, asking them to join your network and briefly explain why you'd like to include them. "This way, it doesn't seem like you're just trying to build up your network," explains Wisniewski.
• Ask for recommendations. "Not only are you listing your experiences, but someone else is backing you up," says Wisniewski.
• Take advantage of endorsements. When you add skills to your profile, others have the ability to endorse them and Brittany says that "the best way to get endorsements is to give them to others."

Twitter:

• Use your own name as your Twitter username (as opposed to cupcake234, etc.).
• Include a professional profile photo.
• Your bio should reflect your personal brand and your tweets should, for the most part, reflect this brand as well.
• Set your account to public. "The whole point of Twitter is to publicly engage," says Brittany.
• Make sure to retweet and use hashtags. This strengthens your social network.

Facebook:

• Above all else, set your Facebook profile to private.
• "Get rid of questionable photos," warns Wisniewski, "they're not adding value to your personal branding."
• Be cautious of criticizing previous employers through Facebook. This may be unattractive to potential employers.
• Make use of the "About me" section.
• Monitor your posts. "If you're ever feeling emotional about something, count to 10 before you post it on Facebook," suggests Wisniewski. She also warns against controversial posts about religious and political subjects.