Social media has profoundly altered the landscape of the Internet, including the ways that hiring managers recruit and job candidates conduct job searches. Social media has also altered the way that students can evaluate and choose courses of study and career paths, particularly for newer generations of college students who have grown up with social media as an integral part of their daily lives.
For careers that are relatively new, such as health informatics, social networks give students an opportunity to gain factual insights on the field, career duties and common tasks. Connecting with people who are already working in the field can also give students a perspective on the advantages and disadvantages of a career in this field as well as a glimpse into aspects that contribute to both satisfaction and frustration on the job.
The social media experience for these younger career searchers and college students is usually highly personal in nature, but with a few adjustments, students can leverage the power of social media and their personal networks to gain valuable awareness of aspects and opportunities related to a particular career before they even choose a major. Social media provides a forum for opinion-based content, rather than just factual information found on news-based websites and job postings. Making personal connections through social platforms with those who are actually working in the health informatics field can also give students a clear view of what the job is actually like without having to filter information through a recruiter or sales representative.
While students are often highly adept at using social media and other technology recreationally, they aren’t typically as skilled in using it for academic and personal development, such as strategically choosing a college major. Following a few simple tips can help students use social media to their advantage in researching and evaluating careers in health informatics and other fields so that they can choose an appropriate major.
One of the first things students should do is to clean up their social profiles by removing any inappropriate content. They should also assess and adjust privacy settings before they start connecting and interacting with professionals in their potential career field. What is publicly available online in a social profile may hinder students’ professional credibility before they even enter the workforce.
Next, students should search out thought leaders in the field and follow them. They might also look for recent graduates who are now working in their prospective field and follow them as well to get a first-hand view of what the job is like in the early stages. Students can also become active participants in different college social media outlets to learn how a potential degree program fits with a career path or vice versa.
Students should also subscribe to and participate on blogs related to health informatics. This is a great way to learn about the field, ask questions and make connections all at the same time. Joining professional groups on sites such as LinkedIn can provide many of the same benefits with the added bonus of fostering more direct interaction with working professionals.
