Back when I started college, MySpace was basically the only social media anyone bothered to use. Facebook still required a college email to log in, Twitter barely existed and most cell phones didn’t have cameras—so you know Instagram was still a thing of the distant future.
My point in telling you this is not to reveal how ancient I am but to show you how, in such a SHORT time (I’m not that old!), social media has taken over! Before, the biggest thing you needed to worry about was whose “top 8” you were in, but now there are real issues users face since more and more organizations look at a potential applicant’s social media during the hiring process.
As the Communications Specialist at PUC, I’ve gone from a casual MySpace user to having every kind of social media you can think of, so let’s talk about some do’s and don’ts for social media as you begin your college career and start preparing for the real world.
Don’t—get into arguments in the comment sections! It’s great (preferable in fact) to have an opinion, but always try to keep things civil.
Do—engage brands. Reach out to them professionally with complaints, accolades or suggestions.
Don’t—send mass invites to your friends to play FarmVille or Candy Crush!
Do—change your privacy settings to require your approval before you can be tagged in anything.
Don’t—post negative things about classmates, teachers or co-workers.
Do—avoid politically charged topics where conversations can easily escalate.
Don’t—be a social media bully.
Do—be smart about what photos you post.
Do—treat your own social media presence like a personal brand, as if your college and future employer are your customers. Double-check your posts for things as simple as grammar and spelling errors.
Do—follow PUC’s social media accounts for real-time information, and check out our social media directory to see what clubs and departments on-campus have a social media presence. Here’s a list of the College’s official accounts:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pacificunioncollege
Twitter: http://twitter.com/pucnow
Instagram: http://instagram.com/pucnow
Pioneer Pete: http://instagram.com/pioneer_pete
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pucedu/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/puccollege