Coming into my graduate program, I had no idea how useful social media was in regards to student affairs. If you are in the field though, there is a treasure to be found in social media when it comes to engagement and I want to share this treasure with you! I’d like to think about this as a guide of sorts. Take this as a key to exploring the world of student affairs you may or may have not known exists.

Lets start with Facebook:

• Join groups!
  • Are you interested in going into student affairs and are looking into graduate programs? Well, a helpful resource is the Future Student Affairs Grad Students group. You can gain insight on graduate programs across the country, graduate assistantship positions, and more!
  • Are you already in the field and are looking for people to talk to outside of just your current circle? Check out the Student Affairs Professionals group. This is a great group that keeps up on current student affairs trends, job postings, conferences, and overall student affairs related topics.
  • Need your diversity fix?  Look into the California Council of Cultural Centers in Higher Education group. This is an organization that looks into diversity in higher education including but not limited to race, gender, religion, disabilities, etc.
  • NASPA/ACPA/Etc.: Are you involved in a professional association? Search for them in your search bar and many groups within your association will pop up. For example, as a California student affairs professional, I am part of NASPA Region VI, which happens to be a Facebook group as well.

• Like pages:
  • Don’t know where to start? Both The Student Affairs Collective and The Student Leadership Collective have pages on Facebook that post on a variety of topics within student affairs/student leadership. This could be your entry way into finding a new passion of yours.
  • Check out the page for StudentAffairs.com,  which post student affairs webinars, job opportunities, and opportunities for funding through online competitions.
  • Plenty of  your national associations have pages as well and are a great way to keep up with their upcoming conference details. For example, I follow the NASPA Western Regional Conference page and receive updates pertaining to the conference on a regular basis even though it is months away.

Onto our next friend, Twitter!

• Hashtags (#): You can find almost anything through a hashtag and if you’re looking into engaging in student affairs, this is a handy tool!
  • #sachat: This hashtag is great for anything student affairs related and is very popular on Twitter. Want to get noticed and actually talk about student affairs with people all over the country? Just input #sachat into your tweets and watch your network/conversations grow.
  • #sagrad: This hashtag is perfect for graduate students. You can find support and resources from other grad students going through similar experiences through this hashtag.
  • #sapro: Already working as a student affairs professional and want to talk about it? Well, this is your hashtag! Talk about your current practices, experiences, and ways in which you are improving your profession.
  • #sasearch: Looking for a job in student affairs?! Need help with your resume, cover letters, interview skills, and more?! If this is you, then #sasearch is your new best friend!

• Twitter handles: Ever wondered what the @ sign on Twitter means? It’s an individual or groups handle (profile). For example, you can find my twitter page @malemus2013.
• Some great student affairs twitter handles to follow are @The_SA_Blog, @SLCollective, @NASPAtweets, @ACPA, @SAGradMOD, and @istudentaffairs. Feel free to explore Twitter and find your own new/favorite student affairs professionals, schools, and graduate student handles.

Now lets talk about Linkedin! 

• Showcase your experience:
  • Linkedin is great for showing everyone your experience and what you have to offer this field. You can post your employment positions, awards,  volunteer experience, etc. Like other social networks, you can grow your network by adding other people to your connections and engage in dialogue with them about your experience and possible opportunities for growth.

Michael Lemus Diaz Profile Example

Michael Lemus Diaz Example of Experience

• Similar to Facebook, you can also join groups on Linkedin. In your toolbar, search for your interests and see what pops up. Wherever your interests lie, feel free to explore Linkedin groups! These groups often post job opportunities, resources, and ways to get involved.

Example of Linkedin Group

Social media has been a very powerful tool for me within my career and graduate school experience. It has allowed me to find various opportunities to get involved with, and I have been blessed enough to receive great advice and support through various social media outlets as well. I hope that this post helps and that you too have a great time engaging online!

> BONUS <

Podcast With Josie Ahlquist on Digital Identity, Social Media & Leadership