The first two parts of this series examined how nearly all universities now use social media to recruit and interact with students, as well as the positive impacts the technology can actually have on students' academic status.
But social media isn't only prevalent in the academic community for prospective students and current undergraduates, it is also gaining importance for students post-graduation, ranging from a potentially harmful look at personal behavior to a vital professional tool.
Perhaps the most well-known way in which social media comes into play post-graduation is in job seeking, as it gives employers the opportunity to screen applicants before hiring them.
A survey conducted earlier this year by the social network monitoring service Reppler, of Palo Alto, Ca., found that 91 percent of hiring employers screen prospective candidates' social networking accounts.
That number has been growing rapidly over the past half decade, meaning graduates fighting a tough job market need to watch and monitor their digital image to avoid any unnecessary hindrances.
Erin Lewis, the assistant director of career services at Clarion University, advises students on the importance of making smart choices on websites like Facebook and Twitter.
"Your online identity is critical even before seeking employment," Lewis said. "Once a photo or status update is made available on the World Wide Web, it is very hard to remove and can leave the potential for ‘digital dirt.'"
In addition to obviously not posting crude and offensive content, Lewis warns against making remarks about past employers on a social media page, as well as making sure there are no questionable photos that can lead to an employer wondering more about your personal character than your professional abilities.
"Avoid positing anything that you may not want an employer to see," Lewis said. "If you're in doubt about whether or not something might be appropriate---always steer on the side of caution and avoid posting it."
Lewis also said students should "lock down their privacy settings like Fort Knox" and to watch who they are "friending" online as employers often times will pose as a friend to bypass those privacy settings.
But according to Lewis, employers are not just screening candidates to eliminate them from a job.
"They can be looking to see how you would fit in with the culture of the organization," she said of alternative motives for screenings. "This is a good place to list your hobbies, interests and accomplishments."
Utilizing social networking correctly is important for individuals seeking employment in addition to the employers hiring.
A study released by Jobvite Inc., a social recruiting software maker in Burlingame, Ca., found that 22 million Americans found work through social networking sites in 2011, nearly seven million more than the previous year.
Facebook, by far the largest and most popular social media site, was the most widely used network for finding a career, with 83 percent of respondents in the survey crediting the online giant to their success.
LinkedIn finished a distant second with a 46 percent mark for what is regarded as the "professional" social network.
Still, Lewis recommends LinkedIn as the go-to tool for graduates seeking work.
"LinkedIn is a very valuable job search resource," she said. "Since it is based solely on the purpose of professional networking, it helps employers to see you're taking your job search and professional image seriously."
As a career advisor, Lewis has seen the potential of LinkedIn applied in real world situations. She referenced a story of recently helping students prepare for phone interviews by using the social networking site to research the companies they were interviewing with.
The students were able to find and contact alumni employed with those companies for further information.
"Because of the very specific information these candidates were able to learn, they did very well with their phone interviews and were offered on-site interviews," Lewis said.
Lewis praised LinkedIn's unique features compared to other social media sites, giving it a strong recommendation over its competitors.
"There are groups to join, companies to research, articles to read, and an online professional profile to build," Lewis said. "LinkedIn even helps you search for your school's alumni employed with a company, allowing you to establish a connection with someone you have something in common with. This is great when you're trying to research a company or prepare for interviews."
Ultimately it is these career-oriented features that give LinkedIn the edge in relevance for graduates.
"While Facebook and Twitter are social networking sites, and companies and employers do Tweet and have Facebook pages, LinkedIn is specifically designed for the professional," she said.
This social media series has shown the impact the technology has had in changing the college experience for students and universities alike.
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