Leveraging social media for academic and professional development

By Catherine Girard, May 2024

Sure, Instagram and TikTok are lots of fun. In fact, they’re so fun that I had to delete TikTok to focus on my studies. But, in the last semester of my Master’s degree, I was attending job interviews and was caught quite off guard when I was asked if I had a Twitter account. Of course, they didn’t mean the one I have where I just retweet memes. They meant a professional one where I showcase my work and comment on the news that relates to my field of study.

More than two years after this interaction, I can honestly say that Twitter has had an incredibly positive impact on my academic and professional life. As Twitter continues to go through some less-than-positive changes, I have also fallen back on LinkedIn. Since actively engaging in both platforms, I have:

Met people from my field of study and even became (best) friends;
Discovered opportunities to participate in Summer Schools and Winter Schools on a variety of topics, such as Canadian security, the Internet’s role in violent extremism, and Polish-German relations;
Participated in writing contests on women, peace, and security;
Found out about different calls for manuscripts, conferences, and more, that directly relate to my studies.

By no means am I a social media expert, but I know how challenging it can be to find new professional opportunities, especially when living abroad. So here are some of my best tips for leveraging social media for your professional development:

For Twitter:

- Once you create your Twitter account, start by following authors from papers you’ve read during your studies. This way, you can keep up with their new work that you might also like and discover the works from other experts that they share.
- Have a clear biography that explains what your areas of interest are so people who come across your profile know what you tweet about.

- If you read an article or paper that you like, message the author to let them know. Everyone loves hearing that their work is appreciated.

- Retweet and comment on tweets that you find interesting. It increases your engagement and visibility, and you get to build a collection of material that reflects your interests and expertise, which can serve as a resource for yourself and for those who follow you.

For LinkedIn:

Many companies do not post their career opportunities in the “Jobs” section of their pages. Instead, they make regular posts with links to their webpage (of course, make sure that it is a real and secure organization). As such, I recommend following the pages of organizations you’d like to work with. LinkedIn will also then recommend similar organizations.
Keep your LinkedIn updated. Make sure to have a strong biography that explains your academic achievements, professional experience, and your areas of interest.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to people. When sending someone a connection request, quickly explain why you want to connect with them.
Support your friends and network. Reshare their posts, congratulate them when they share something they are proud of, and send them posts that you think they would appreciate. Recognition goes a long way.

I know it can feel awkward to show off your accomplishments on social media. But it doesn’t have to be. Graduating, getting a job, publishing a paper, or participating in an important event are all things you should be proud of – so share those things on Twitter and LinkedIn.

PS – Consider putting links to your Twitter and LinkedIn in your email signature. It gives others additional ways to connect with you professionally.