A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to deliver the closing keynote at the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUPSA) 2019 Conference. I spoke to higher education and student affairs professionals about the next generation of college students and how we as educators can help them articulate their marketable skills and achieve their career goals.
A lot of my content for this talk came from my own personal experience both as an educator and entrepreneur and my message was a mashup of both my digital storytelling and career exploration worlds from my two businesses, FYN Creative and The Niche Movement.
What I’ve found is that in this day and age, we can no longer teach students to only depend on a one-page resume. We’re living in a world of limitless connection and we should be encouraging our students to take advantage of the digital tools that are literally at their fingertips. Building a personal brand online can be a huge boost in the right direction when it comes to job searching, and our students should be learning how to do just that.
According to the New York Times Consumer Insight Report, there are six types of digital identities that each of us fall under. You can identify with more than one, but these digital identities typically dictate what we share, how we share, and where we share online.
Finding out which one you most resonate with can help give intention and purpose behind your digital content, and by building a digital brand for yourself, you can get a leg up in your career search.
During my keynote, I broke down each of the Six Types of Digital Identities, and now I want to share them with you.
Which Digital Identity Are You?
The first digital identity is a “Careerist.” A careerist is someone who uses their online platforms to build a strong professional reputation. LinkedIn, Twitter, and email are typically their most used platforms.
My fellow Higher Ed/tech colleague Dustin Ramsdell is the perfect example of this digital identity. Six years ago, Dustin started a monthly podcast called Higher Ed Geek, where he mashed up his love for higher education with nerd culture. A hundred episodes later, he has 100+ relationships, a professional brand that has opened up several career paths, and the ability to flex his interview/creative/podcasting skill set.
The second identity and story I’ll share are “Selectives.” They don’t post often, but when they do they generally have one platform they stick to. This doesn’t mean they’re afraid of social media or privacy, they’re just more strategic with their content and make each post count.
The person who best describes this is one of my former students Will Davis, who is a sophomore at GW. I am connected with him on LinkedIn and although he doesn’t post often, when he does it is thoughtful, generally long-form (50-200 words), and aligns with his career aspirations. See, Will hasn’t narrowed down his major yet, but he is interested in Finance, Real Estate, and Sports Marketing, and these are the three pieces of content you can expect to find if you follow him.
Next, we have “Altruists.” They share helpful advice and resources, and seek to inspire others. This might mean creating how-to videos on Facebook and Instagram or sharing or writing articles that speak to your interests and can help your community.
The fourth digital identity are “Hipsters.” This is somewhat of a played out term, but in this context it means a person who is always on the cutting edge. They lean into creative ways of sharing their content, participate in the newest social media trends and curate their feed. Youtube, Instagram, and even TikTok are likely their most-used platforms.
There are also “Boomerangs.” We all know someone like this, someone who only posts to get a reaction out of their followers. In a professional environment, you may want to create and post content that takes a stance or “pokes the bear” on an issue. At the same time, you want to protect your digital reputation, so be cautious about the topics you decide to post about.
Lastly, we have “Connectors.” They use social media primarily to make connections for themselves and others. A great example of this digital type is Megan Gebhart, the founder of the 52 Cups of Coffee blog and the author of the book by the same name.
Megan started her blog during her senior year at Michigan State University, out of a desire to make meaningful connections that could help her post grad. She met with people over coffee, and as she continued to write, the connections got bigger, even giving her an opportunity to meet with Seth Godin, one of the most prized leaders in the marketing industry.
The platform she built for herself helped her make the right connections, and eventually she was employed by Airbnb, one of the top four startups to come out of San Francisco. Her tenacity and digital savviness prove that harnessing your voice and investing in your brand can really pay off, especially when you’re starting off with a limited network.
Invest In Your Digital Identity
My point in sharing all of this is that social media doesn't have to be time consuming or daunting. And it certainly shouldn't be ignored. Whether you’re a student, a recent graduate, or a young professional, there is a lot you can do by investing in your digital identity. The first step is to figure out which digital identity you align with, then pick a platform and a medium, and within weeks you can cultivate an intentional presence in the digital world.
And if you are searching for a fulfilling career, focus on what you’re really passionate about. Sometimes we blame our lack of success on our marketability, but when you are pursuing something that really fires you up, it becomes much easier to self-advocate and express why you deserve to have that dream job. Pinpointing your strong suits, digitally and in real life, and harnessing them to your advantage is the best way to land the dream career that you desire.
To view my slidedeck and review the 6 Types of Digital Identities, you can download my deck here.