Are you unsure of whether creating an online presence is worth it?
Do you want to build a presence but it sounds like too much work?
Then, I got you. In this blog, I will discuss 4 key benefits of building a social media presence early on. In this month’s newsletter, I will go over the detailed step-by-step guide on how I built a presence. That too without burning out myself. So, if you are ready, join the community now to receive the guide at the end of the month.
I understand that online engagement may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I am not suggesting that you MUST build a social media presence.. Not by any means. If you feel uncomfortable and choose not to stay active, it is perfectly fine.
This blog is specifically for those PhD students who are contemplating building a presence or are unsure if it is worth it or not. I have laid down 4 benefits drawing from my personal experiences as well as pulling from other researchers’ wisdom.
Enhance your identity and have a voice
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Stating your opinions and thoughts loud and clear may come naturally to extroverts. However, for those ambiverts and introverts, putting yourself out there is such an intimidating task. If you are an introvert like me but want to make efforts to build a network, this is your reminder to start engaging online.
Staying active on even one professional platform will help you build an identity for yourself. As PhD students, we are often under the mentor’s shadow which puts us in contact with esteemed researchers from the field. But, it sometimes limits our ability to go 5 steps ahead and engage with people outside of our mentor’s network.
If this sounds like you or if you find walking up to strangers and start networking difficult, building an online presence can be an alternative way to foster professional relationships. In other words, it is easier and less time consuming to engage with audiences virtually from the comfort of your own home than walk up to someone at a conference and try to have a conversation.
Some examples of engaging online are creating a profile on LinkedIn or ResearchGate. Reaching out to someone you met at an event via email right after to extend greetings on their presentation or talk. Commenting on someone else’s post to ensure that you have a voice without posting fully fleshed out lengthy posts. More on this in this month’s newsletter!
Foster meaningful relationships
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As I mentioned, a lot of our research as PhD students is similar to our mentor’s work and this trickles into our professional network as well. While this is a great incentive of being under someone’s mentorship, you may end up feeling lost and underwhelmed by the fact that your network can simply vanish once you move beyond your PhD because you never made an effort to foster independent connections simultaneously.
This is especially important if you have limited career related resources at your university. The time and effort you take to build your own connections will pay back once you start exploring job opportunities that may or may not align with your mentor’s vision for you.
Similarly, if you intend to seek an academic or industry position in a different institution than the one you pursued your PhD at, your online network can be extremely resourceful as you can easily read other people’s stories and learn from their past experiences. There are many alternative career paths after PhD than just seeking a postdoctoral position.
Creating a presence online has opened my eyes on the wide range of opportunities and how willing other people are in sharing their experiences. You can leverage your own network to conduct informational interviews and seek what particular jobs entail. This can be very insightful if you plan to transition out of academia.
Educate yourself on research and non-research topics
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I come across PhD students who are often only involved with their own niche research area and completely unaware of what goes on outside of that area. I would not perceive this as a negative trait because staying focused has its own benefits. However, to grow as researchers and a higher education professionals, it is part of our job to keep an open mind and learn about other research fields and even non-research related events.
This may seem burdensome with the hectic nature of PhD. Most of us do not have time to regularly stay up to date with other research fields. So, spending some time on LinkedIn, for example, can be a quick and easy way to learn about other people’s work, ideas, and thoughts.
LinkedIn is an incredible platform for seeking guidance for anything from scientific writing, dissertation tips, identifying transferable skills, alternative careers, mental health working in higher education, challenges to expect in academic careers, and much more. ResearchGate is another platform where you can share your published work, read others’ work, request any article, and make personal connections.
Share your important achievements
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Most of us PhD students are hard workers trying to fulfill the high expectations that come with this degree. In the process of seeking perfection, we often forget pausing and appreciating our own work and achievements. Staying occasionally active on a professional virtual platform will help you remind yourself of how far you have come.
It will also boost your confidence and self-esteem as your network will be there to support and cheer you on when you share your achievements with them. As an introvert, I personally have gained a lot out of building an online presence. I am sure you are wondering the “how to” for getting started right away.
In February’s monthly newsletter, I will share a detailed step-by-step guide on getting started and answer the following questions-
- Where to get started?
- How I succeeded in building a network with 200+ people WITHOUT posting every week
- How YOU can replicate the same steps that I did?
- 4 distinct ways to have your voice heard without posting regularly
- How can you use your network to guide your job search and find the right fit?
Some other blogs you might find helpful-
5 extremely helpful software/tools to make your PhD easier
7 insights into preparing for dissertation and PhD viva?
5 valuable transferable skills to add to your resume
5 problematic behaviors during PhD and 15 action steps to break the pattern