Written by Sustainable Cities Initiatives account team members, Hayden Skoch, Daniella Espino, Kylie Foster, Camille Furby and Mollie Markey. 

Online presence is a major part of all of our lives and dictates how others perceive us, for better or for worse. As the “real world” looms closer for graduating students, they may experience social media growing pains in the attempt to create a more professional online presence. So what are the important things to consider during the transition from the “Go Ducks!” football game-day posts to polished, professional networking posts?

Here are a few tips for soon to be post-college grads about ensuring professional, online success on personal social media platforms:

 Twitter
Twitter is a useful platform to connect with industry professionals by retweeting, commenting, or liking relevant tweets. However, it is important to remember to tweet appropriate content and stay professional while using this tool.

Tips:
1. Choose professional profile picture, username, and bio.
2. Delete old, inappropriate tweets from high school or create a new Twitter account.
3. Use hashtags to engage in content relevant to your profession.
4. Increase following by replying to industry professionals who tweet content you enjoy.

Instagram
Instagram provides the most personal look into the life of college students. It is important to consider if an account should be private or public based on the content one posts. For example, if your Instagram account leans toward the social end of the spectrum versus the professional end, you should consider keeping your account private.

Tips:
1. Update bio with current and business-appropriate information (even if the account is private).
2. Follow accounts of companies/professionals of interest.
3. Post pictures and videos of current projects or professional events you have attended.
4. Tag and hashtag posts to engage followers and other professionals interested in your chosen field of work.

Facebook
Facebook is the universal social media platform that has transformed digital communication. Whether you are keeping up with relatives, or sharing memes with friends, Facebook encompasses a multitude of social and professional uses. With the ability to create a wide variety of public groups and pages, Facebook allows users to interact with members of different industries and companies. It is a great platform for online networking and staying up to date on current happenings of different organizations.

Tips:
1. “Like” pages of companies you are interested in to stay up to date on events/projects.
2. Ensure privacy settings are set correctly.
3. Join different groups to network with professionals and users of your own age.