Discover 7 opportunities in social media

In the intensly competitive and narrow job market, prospective job seekers are increasingly discovering that a Bachelor’s degree is not enough, as more and more job profiles require you to have a Master’s (or similar postgraduate diploma/certificate). Whereas once postgraduate qualifications were reserved for the rare elite, today they are increasingly becoming the norm. With the often remarked upon generalised and broad character of many undergraduate degrees, it is not uncommon for employers to attach great importance to postgraduate qualifications.

Nowadays it's almost expected for academics to be active on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. For a generation who grew up with internet technology as a part of their lives, it's natural that young academics would share their thoughts on academia with an online audience. There are distinct advantages for academics in making use of social media too, for career goals as well as personal fulfilment. If you're wondering whether your online profile is in need of an update, here are a few reasons to consider expanding your online presence to make greater use of social media.

We asked 340 economists [in academia] which social networks they prefer to use and how. Based on our observations and years of experience with social media, we outline how institutions can use social networks for better communication.

For conference organizers, the benefits of a smart use of social media channels stretches far beyond just the promotion of their event. The challenge of tight budgets for (especially) academic events is well-known, and the process of building proper online platforms and hiring additional administrative staff is often difficult to afford. By allowing some strategic thought and investing a little time, however, social media can become an extremely cost- and time-effective way to build online presence, ease the registration process, communicate with participants, gather feedback, attract speakers and sponsors and collect and store digital materials for future use.

* The original article was published in the INOMICS Customer Newsletter. Click here to subscribe.