In today’s society social media is imbedded into everything that is done. From someone taking a selfie to businesses posting about new products, almost everyone is using some type of social media. With businesses shifting to having a bigger, more defined media presence, you yourself need to also be aware of the content you are posting. Michele Walfred spoke to the AGRI130 class on Wednesday, September 12th to talk all about this issue.
Take a look on your social media page(s). What do your postings say about you? This is your brand. One in five applicants disqualify themselves from a job because of irresponsible posting. What you post shows the employer who you are. It is important to keep anything that uses your real name appropriate. Something I found interesting was when Michele talked about having two accounts. One would be for personal use and not linked to your name, while the one with your name acts as a professional account that prospective employers will look at.
Overall, it is critical in today’s society that you watch what you are posting. One post could be the difference in you getting your dream job and you being passed over for it.
It was very cool to listen to Michele guest lecture about her path to where she is now, and how she has used social media/branding to get there. It was very intriguing to hear how she went from having no agriculture background at all, to now being such a crucial part of agvocay. I learned a lot about how to conduct yourself on social media for branding and professional purposes, rather then a true social interactions with your friends. As I learned, Michele is such a good example of that as she has been able to be apart of many events due to her presence on social media in the agricultural world. On the other hand, I was not surprised that educating consumers about agricultural is a crucial part of being on social media. I am always surprised by the amount of “fake news” out there about agriculture, and this was something Michele touched on as well. Overall, it was super beneficial to listen to information like this as a college student who is planning on being involved in agriculture post-graduation, specifically a farmer. Social media is such a beneficial form of communication if used correctly.
Today’s society depends on and uses technology, especially social media, more than ever before. Some may say even especially in college students. I can admit that I am guilty of sometimes being too wrapped up in my phone and social sites. Therefore, I appreciated Mrs. Walfred’s lecture about social media and its potentially effects on our careers and futures in general. The ease and efficiency of having everything at our fingertips, and being able to post in the blink of an eye makes it simple to upload or post without thoroughly thinking through what the post may actually say about ourselves. Through social media, we create a brand for ourselves that speaks about our ideas, morals, and values before we may even get a chance to say a word. Thanks to Mrs. Walfred’s lecture, the rumors of potential employers checking my social media sites have been confirmed, and I know to keep everything connected to my real, full name professional and consistent. Additionally, which I was unaware of, it is possible to rebuild your brand! Of course when we are younger, the future seems like lightyears away, and we may not consider employers when we are posting a crazy story or picture. However, through blogging, educated commenting, and editing of privacy settings, we can rebuild ourselves online to be the great employee we know we are. Mrs. Walfred’s lecture was helpful and informative, especially at this stage in my life, and I think more college students or even high school students should be made aware of their image.
A Class Journal for UDel CANR AGRI 130
