Exploiting the power of social media to find work

Students are often being told that about the importance of social media in the job search process, but what does this mean in practice, how can you build a Twitter presence or LinkedIn profile that will be noticed (for all the right reasons!) by employers? Earlier this week, the Guardian Careers website asked some digital communications gurus to give their top tips (http://careers.guardian.co.uk/social-media-job-seeking) – take a look, there’s some useful pointers.

But what is the University doing to help its students prepare? Well, we recently obtained funding from JISC, under the Developing Digital Literacies programme, for our Digitally Ready project. This aims to develop the digital readiness of all members of the university, from the grounds staff through students and lecturers to our senior managers. Specifically, this will focus on student employability and work placements, where digital literacies are of paramount important for the future. The project is working closely with the Careers Centre and academic schools to promote digital literacies within the curriculum, as well as engaging with employers to find out what they require from our graduates and our students while they are in work placements. Find out more about the project next week, when it will feature on The Guardian’s Higher Education Network website – http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network

Additionally, on February 27, the Careers Centre will be running a session for students on using social media to find work, as part of the Headstart programme – further details to follow.