Developing a professional online presence can help you "brand" yourself and provide you access to a wide variety of networking and career opportunities. Social media platforms are like resumes in that you need to be able to promote yourself through your professional activities online.

According to CareerBuilder.com, “One in five employers use social networking sites to research job candidates, and close to 59% of them are influenced by your online presence.”

Create a professional online presence and use our online resources to explore career options and opportunities:

• Check out the Handshake Help Center to learn the basics of how to create a Handshake profile and how to easily and effectively navigate the system.
• Complete your Handshake profile to make it easier for employers to find you.
• Attend an upcoming workshop about the benefits of social media and LinkedIn to learn more about refining your online presence.
• Create a LinkedIn profile.
• Use Handshake to search for jobs and internships, explore online resources, RSVP for workshops and other events, and schedule a career consulting appointment.

Advance Your Digital Skills

By participating in advanced digital activities you'll be able to independently apply for internships and jobs online, compile and manage contacts, resources and events in your target industry and effectively evaluate online resources for credibility and reliability.

Advance your skills with these actions:

• Attend an upcoming Social Media and LinkedIn workshop.
• Use Handshake to research employer organizations, apply for positions and identify industry-related job search resources.
• Update your LinkedIn profile with new skills, experiences and recommendations.
• Join an industry subgroup in the GW Alumni Association LinkedIn Group (open to students) and network with alumni in your field.
• Attend industry-specific programming to learn how digital competency is used and valued in your field.