St. Thomas Aquinas Athletes Participate in Career Development Workshop on Social Media
In an effort to promote increased awareness of issues surrounding social media in the digital age, the Career Services department of St. Thomas Aquinas College recently held a workshop attended by members of the institution's softball and men's basketball teams.
Hosted by department Director Rachel Jackiewicz, the forum focused on presenting personal information online, particularly as it relates to networking sites such as Facebook, and the immense impact those posts can have.
"Facebook is playing a large part in the job search process for college students," Jackiewicz stated. "Their Facebook profiles contribute significantly to the first impression employers make of graduates. The workshop was designed to educate students on how social media has proven to be the Internet trend of the 21st century."
While sharing one's opinions and exploits with others online may be thought to be a very personal expression, it has become increasingly important to stress to students that those social networking posts can be very public - and generally permanent in the long memory of the Internet.
Jackiewicz also stressed how such sites can be used in a positive manner professionally. "Students learned proper etiquette as it pertains to posting information and photos for potential employers to view so they can effectively and appropriately market themselves in the workplace," she added.
In all, the workshop was attended by over 70 students and provided an important service, according to St. Thomas Aquinas Director of Athletics Gerald Oswald. "Our athletes work very hard both on and off the field," Oswald stated. "It's great for them to have an opportunity to learn how important it is to keep the image they project positive as they look to enter the work force and move on in life. Our Career Services department did a great job in putting this project together and we appreciate their efforts."
