LinkedIn Strategies for HBCU Students Prepare to Connect
William Jackson, M.Ed.
Graduate of South Carolina State University
Professional Educator for 32 years…..
The use of technology to promote personal and business
Brands has grown exponentially over the course of
several years. Building a relationship online is strategic,
planned and executed to obtain maximum visibility.
HBCU students are learning different strategies before
graduating that can get them not just a leg up, but their
whole bodies up and ready for new careers and leadership
responsibilities.
Moving from educational lifestyles to professional
lifestyles can be stressful, uncertain and daunting.
Learning as much as possible about how to Brand
yourself, Market your abilities, talents, strengths and
ambitions can mean the difference in struggling to
gain an entry level position to starting off in midlevel
positions with leadership growth potentials and a
salary to match.
As an HBCU professor from 2004 to 2017 teaching for
the Education Department of Edward Waters College,
the oldest HBCU in the state of Florida. I have provided
instruction in Educational Technology that guides the
Education student to use a combination of low and
medium tech in classrooms where they are expected to
teach a diverse student body.
Applying educational strategies that focus on content
that engaged the students learning interest and applies
their learning strengths, but also address learning
weaknesses or challenges with interactive online tools
and programs.
Even with approaching the use of tech for business and
entrepreneurialism there is a cross-instructional piece
that can be applied to business and education.
Sharing strategies that I apply in LinkedIn for personal
and business uses I hope these can be applied by
HBCU students.
- Showcase your knowledge on LinkedIn in areas that
you’re majoring in and trying to gain entrance. Using
microblogging, traditional blogging and even podcasting
can help HBCU students gain visibility.
2. When listening to Podcasts find subject areas that you
can connect with and potentially be a future guest so
you can share statistics, data driven results and the
scalability of information.
3. Do not allow impostor syndrome to stop you from
sharing your knowledge. All it takes is a few minutes
to attract followers and a few good observations.
4. Show your value with the information you are shown.
Regurgitate it with your spin that brings new attention
can be applied to a new audience.
5. Don’t short sell yourself, know your value and your
worth.6. Grow your connections over time. Do not try to grow
your audience to fast or overnight.
7. Show interest of other people when reading content,
instead of just posting content continuously read or
view what others are posting and provide feedback.
8. Seek engagement, building relationships that build
to friendships, partnerships for potentially future
collaborations.
9. If you tag people make sure they will respond to you,
and respond to them.
10. Be mindful of your content. Comment on what is
trending try not to comment on old news.11. Have a list of people that will engage with you.
Follow them and engage with content that promotes
connections and collaborations.
12. When reading LinkedIn posts think about your replies
before you reply to stay on the subject, not taking it
to another direction.
13. HBCU students should build their networks before
graduation. It is easier to build a following slowly than
to struggle in building a following with no strategies
and no plan.
14. Put Hash Tags in your postings to draw more attention
to your content or others to expand more engagement.
15. LinkedIn should show what you revolve around, your
interests, your ideologies and your future directions.16. Follow HBCU instructors from other schools to share
content and build your PLN and PLC
PLN Professional Learning Network and Professional
Learning Communities.
17. Work to be a storyteller as well. People love to follow
and engage with storytellers.
18. When sharing information about what is going on at
the HBCU make sure it is not centered around gossip,
hearsay or third person mentioning and bashing of a
persons reputation and professionalism.
19. Remember the purpose of LinkedIn to network and
share content.
20. Don’t be afraid to follow HBCU instructors on LinkedIn
on campus even if you are not taking their classes. Building
a following by instructors can be used as reference material
for future potential careers.Prof. William Jackson, M.Ed
Email: williamderekjackson@gmail.com
Twitter: @wmjackson
Blogging My Quest To Teach
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Podcast:
My Quest To Teach – Digital Evangelism Podcast
https://anchor.fm/william-d-jackson