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7 Ways to Advance Your Career With Social Media

By U.S. News & World Report

We live in a noisy world, with tons of information coming at us from multiple media streams. Rather than view these distractions as annoying, become an early adopter of some of the newer media sites and stand out. Or maybe you will find it easier to enhance how you use LinkedIn and Facebook to steal the show within your niche. Break out and be one of the first in your industry to embrace new marketing methods and tools.

The key is knowing what tools are on the rise and how to use them to advance your career.

1. Add bling to LinkedIn. Your LinkedIn profile can support embedded files. This means that you can upload PowerPoint, Excel and Word files under a job in your “Experience” section. Show samples of your work to prove you have the necessary skills for future jobs. Better yet, add video or pictures to your summary to highlight your career successes. Adding media content to your profile will instantly catch someone’s eye and help differentiate you from similar professionals.

2. Complete your Facebook bio. If you haven’t done it yet, now is the time. Beef up your Facebook profile by adding work history, interests and skills. This might just help you show up in a hiring professional’s search results or gain the attention of one of your Facebook friends. Consider it an opportunity to publicize your marketable assets and hirable qualities. Though many consider Facebook to be a personal networking site, that hasn’t stopped recruiters from using it to source talent.

3. Try a Twitter chat. These chats attract people who are interested in learning and chatting about topics ranging from advertising to wine. Twitter chats are online Q&A sessions and usually include a hashtag keyword to indicate the discussion thread. For example, if you are interested in workplace and leadership discussions, #WorkTrends runs on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. EST. For job search conversation and advice, join in Fridays at noon EST for #OMCchat. Check out Twitter chats on TweetReports.com to find the one that’s right for you. The best way to get started with a Twitter chat is to observe one by following the hashtag on Twitter. Observe the format and what people are saying. Once you’ve gotten the hang of it and understand how that chat works, jump in by sharing your own thoughts or share a tweeted response you like. Be sure to follow up after the Twitter chat with people you interacted with during the chat. This is how you build your network and expand the potential reach about who you are and what you do.

4. Join or host a live stream event. That means the event is live and shared by an Internet-based camera. Popular applications that host live stream events include blab.im, Periscope and Meerkat. These applications provide both live video and a chat function. Participants can ask questions or share comments in the dialog box. You can also see the profiles of people watching the event and some you may be interested in following. To spread the word about your talent, you could host your own talk show or interview industry influencers. As with Twitter chats, watch and observe the format of the show and discussions before jumping in.

5. Share thoughts on Instagram. You may already have a personal Instagram account, but have you thought about how you can use your account to share personal and professional content? When sharing a photo or video, add your thoughts and several hashtags to lure the right audience. You could also tag company accounts you are following in your posts. You may decide to create a campaign in which you share visuals from your portfolio with the hashtag #HireMe. Instagram can be a brand-building tool for people interested in managing their career trajectory. Share photos of you speaking at events, winning awards, volunteering or participating in company events. These images provide a glimpse of what’s important to you and help you stand out.

6. Tell your story on Snapchat. This application is known for its disappearing messages. Given its fast growth among younger users, this picture and video sharing application is becoming popular among businesses and marketing professionals. Not all messages instantly self-destruct. The Snapchat Stories feature will allow a series of snaps to last for 24 hours. As an active job seeker, you can use it to talk about your qualifications for a job after you’ve applied, share a day-in-the-life of what you do at work or use it as a video blogging platform to talk about issues in your field of work. You can deliver instant news from a conference or event you attend. If you are already using Snapchat, you may have even more creative ideas on how to use Snapchat for your job search.

7. Understand why these may or may not work. The sole purpose of trying any of these tricks is to get on the radar of a person inside a specific company. You’ll win points for creativity and ingenuity if you tailor your message to your ideal employer. And because these platforms were designed for individual use, not marketing big brands, you don’t need to obsess over how slick your campaign is. Focus on your message instead. Is it clear, engaging, humorous, appropriate or at least grammatically correct?

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7 Ways to Advance Your Career With Social Media originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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