In the world of education, a student’s or teacher’s reputation is extremely important. Any perceived damage to a person’s image, whether based on fact or pure fiction, can get in the way of job searches and educational admissions.
Experts say that institutions of higher education are interested in the applicant’s character; not just their academic record. It is not enough to have good grades and a record of participating in extracurricular activities. They should be able to show that they are a morally upstanding person with qualifications that go beyond the classroom.
Admissions officials also have the ability to check on an applicant’s public image before allowing them to start classes. This information can help colleges decide which students will be the most likely to succeed.
We’ve seen firsthand the damage that a single errant post on social media can cause, and we have developed our Reputation Management strategy to help meet the challenges of the application process in today’s digital landscape. Especially in education, a person’s image is their stock in trade. We will explain how a poor reputation can affect your career and your educational future alike and offer tips on how to repair it.
Social media information can seriously damage your standing with colleges if you are not careful. A Kaplan telephone survey found that 31 percent of college admissions officers had checked out applicants’ profile pages and posts.
Students may feel that they can be themselves online, but they need to be careful of what they post. They may feel that their profiles are not associated with their real names, but they should always assume that someone knows their true identity. This is especially important on sites like Reddit and Twitter where there is a strong perception of anonymity.
Students will need to clean up their accounts before applying to colleges. If they are having difficulty doing so, a DiamondLinks expert can help. We can also provide positive information to put in its place, greatly improving the chances of an application being accepted.
Students should always avoid:
Public posts are especially problematic, but students should know that information that is set to friends only can still make an appearance when they least expect it. This includes Snapchat use. People who are intent on damaging your reputation may take screenshots of unflattering posts and send them to the college anonymously. Many universities have a policy in place requiring nothing but an anonymous tip to trigger a detailed investigation into an applicant.
Colleges do not generally look at social sites unless they have been given the links to do so. However, it is possible that some admissions officers may want to check on your profiles, and it may be easy to find you online.
College admissions officers may look down on a person who has posted unwisely. Their indiscretion can come back to hurt them both in college and later on in their career. Universities have grown leery of becoming affiliated with a graduate who later damages the university’s reputation through their indiscreet actions.
Students who post disparaging comments about their classmates are in trouble. The use of expletives and damaging words can harm your public standing. Even if you have excellent grades, these disrespectful activities can come to haunt you.
It is possible that you will not be offered admission to your dream school if you have a damaged reputation.
Cleaning up your social posts only goes so far. It is important to take steps toward correcting your complete reputation.
You will need to make sure that you create positive news about yourself. It is better to spread positive information rather than merely relying on removing the unflattering information.
Make sure that your positive accomplishments are highlighted online. It may help to create your own website or blog where you can post positive but unbiased information about yourself. This blog should cover areas in which you have a great deal of knowledge so that you can post useful original content. This type of site often proves to be doubly useful when it comes time to submit job applications after graduation.
Concentrate on doing good in your community and engaging in positive activities. Extracurriculars like music, drama, sports, and volunteer work all add to your positive reputation.
If you have a poor online reputation, it will affect your entire career. Making hurtful or disparaging posts means that you will not get into the college you want, restricting your career opportunities. You will give up future earnings and may not be as successful as students with positive profiles.
Your online profiles can follow you throughout your career, causing employers to look at you with a jaded eye. While it seems unfair, poor decisions that you made when you were fourteen and fifteen years old can truly follow you for the rest of your life. This is the reality of living in today’s digital world.
It is true that you should not post anything online that you wouldn’t want to be written on a billboard. This may seem like too much caution in today’s social environment, but the advice is sound. When you have high expectations for your college search, you will want to take as many steps toward success as possible.
The best defense against a poor reputation is making good choices in the beginning. Since most people start posting on social media when they are still in middle school, they will not often understand the consequences of their actions. Teachers and parents need to underline the importance of this problem for young students.
At DiamondLinks, we are experts in repairing these serious problems. Our ability to understand social media and the digital landscape gives us a great deal of skill in helping students overcome their past mistakes and move forward with a reputation that helps rather than damages.
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