Читать книгу Successes and Setbacks of Social Media - Группа авторов - Страница 27

While I initially began my social media existence with Facebook, by the time I entered my post-undergraduate life as well as graduate school, I had acquired accounts with LinkedIn and Instagram. I had additionally discovered how to best utilize privacy features on Instagram and Facebook. LinkedIn and Facebook became my primary networking tools to not only learn more about the field of higher education, but to connect and discuss with other scholars and practitioners, more specifically, Black individuals that hold those roles as well as other people of color. Through mentors and overheard conversations, I was introduced to social media communities centered on both people of color and Black people in the field, respectively.

After meeting with the career center at my undergraduate institution, I learned how to cultivate a strong LinkedIn presence, but also how to infuse my profile with my own flair in order to connect. Beyond simply listing my roles and responsibilities on my profile, I began to share articles and papers that I had written in my undergraduate career as well as my master’s program. The articles were posted to help me stand out during my job search as a method of showcasing my expertise beyond a resume and cover letter. I remember the first day in my post-master’s degree role. My new supervisor indicated that she had read my articles on my LinkedIn profile and wanted to give me additional responsibilities in line with my expertise indicated through those publications. The articles also opened up conversations and exchanges of ideas from other individuals in higher education and future mentors by fostering digital discourse through agreement or challenge.

As my online network grew, so too did my social network at conferences and conventions. Even if we had not physically met before, our discourse over social media allowed us to greet each other as old friends and continue our conversations without well-lit screens. These connections led me to my next social media group for Black student affairs practitioners and scholars on Facebook. This group became a place of affirmation, challenge, support, and celebration as we kept each other aware of changing institutional and national policies and how they would impact our work going forward. Not only did social media allow me to connect and build with my own community, but I was able to remain current in the field while gaining new knowledge and insights from other professionals.