(ThyBlackMan.com) The use of technology to promote personal and business Brands has grown exponentially over the course of several years. Building a relationship online is strategic, planned and executed to obtain maximum visibility. HBCU students are in very competitive career choices and should apply their skills and talents online to increase their visibility and employability. HBCU students should be learning different strategies before graduating that can get them not just a leg up, but their whole bodies up and ready for new careers and leadership responsibilities.
Moving from educational lifestyles to professional lifestyles can be stressful, uncertain and daunting. Learning as much as possible about how to Brand yourself, Market your abilities, talents, strengths and ambitions can mean the difference in struggling to gain an entry level position to starting off in midlevel positions with leadership growth potentials and salaries to match. As an HBCU professor and from 2004 to 2017 teaching for the Education Department of Edward Waters College, the oldest HBCU in the state of Florida and for NASA in their Teachers Re-certification Program. I have provided instruction in Educational Technology that guides the Education students to use a combination of low and medium tech to Market themselves. Applying educational strategies that focus on content that engages the community and learning interest that potential employees on LinkedIn can see and evaluate. Address learning and behavior strengths with interactive online tools and networking engagements. LinkedIn is a digital resources where HBCU students can reach out over distances and connect with future employers, continue their educational goals for higher educational degrees, Internships, part-time employment and even contract work in many areas of technology.
My personal profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdjacksonblogger/ has been viewed where I have been found for higher education positions and considered for further employment in my area of expertise in STEAM Education. Even with approaching the use of tech for business and entrepreneurialism there is a cross-instructional piece that can be applied to business and education. Sharing strategies that I apply in LinkedIn for personal and business uses I hope these can be applied by HBCU students that are seeking a new start in life or looking to re-brand their lives to new beginnings. HBCU Strategies for LinkedIn:
1. Showcase your knowledge on LinkedIn in areas that you’re majoring in and trying to gain entrance. Using microblogging, traditional blogging and even podcasting can help HBCU students gain visibility.
2. When listening to Podcasts find subject areas that you can connect with and potentially be a future guest so you can share statistics, data driven results and the scalability of information.
3. Do not allow impostor syndrome to stop you from sharing your knowledge. All it takes is a few minutes to attract followers and a few good observations.
4. Show your value with the information you are shown. Regurgitate it with your spin that brings
new attention can be applied to a new audience.
5. Don’t short sell yourself, know your value and your worth.
6. Grow your connections over time. Do not try to grow your audience to fast or overnight.
7. Show interest of other people when reading content, instead of just posting content continuously read or view what others are posting and provide feedback.
8. Seek engagement, building relationships that buildt o friendships, partnerships for potentially future
collaborations.
9. If you tag people make sure they will respond to you, and respond to them.
10. Be mindful of your content. Comment on what is trending try not to comment on old news.
11. Have a list of people that will engage with you. Follow them and engage with content that promotes
connections and collaborations.
12. When reading LinkedIn posts think about your replies before you reply to stay on the subject, not taking it to another direction.
13. HBCU students should build their networks before graduation. It is easier to build a following slowly than to struggle in building a following with no strategies and no plan.
14. Put Hash Tags in your postings to draw more attention to your content or others to expand more engagement.
15. LinkedIn should show what you revolve around, your interests, your ideologies and your future directions.
16. Follow HBCU instructors from other schools to share content and build your PLN and PLC, Professional Learning Network and Professional Learning Communities.
17. Work to be a storyteller as well. People love to follow and engage with storytellers.
18. When sharing information about what is going on at the HBCU make sure it is not centered around gossip, hearsay or third person mentioning and bashing of a person’s reputation and professionalism.
19. Remember the purpose of LinkedIn to network and share content.
20. Don’t be afraid to follow HBCU instructors on LinkedIn on campus even if you are not taking their classes. Building a following by instructors can be used as reference material for future potential careers.
Staff Writer; William D. Jackson
Find out more about this talented writer over at; MyQuestToTeach.