Sign up for my FREE parent tips email and get my FREE Ebook on college financing! Or subscribe to my blog on the left and get email updates.

Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from pocsmom.com to parentscountdowntocollegecoach and vice versa.

_________________________

Social media—it’s become a part of our lives. Watch any television show and you will see Twitter hashtags attached to them. Students are using Twitter as an online hangout and Instagram to post their photos. Parents have joined the fray be embracing Facebook and Pinterest.  It looks like social media is here to stay. As a parent, you should know about the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media.

The Good

Who hasn’t found a long lost friend on Facebook? Or connected with other parents on Twitter? Or used LinkedIn to network with potential employers? Social media has its benefits. It’s a simple way to communicate with one another using technology and social media platforms. It’s no wonder that its popularity has increased over the last decade.

The Bad

There are those who wish to abuse the availability of information. They cyber stalk you; post negative comments and rants on your social media accounts; and harass you on Twitter. When this happens, the negative aspect of readily available information rears its head. You’ve been punked. Not to mention the fact that everything you post is there for the world to see, because Google never forgets. Pictures, comments and tweets go out into cyberspace to be read and evaluated long after you ever posted them. That means that colleges, potential employers, and anyone doing research on you will have access.

The Ugly

All kinds of predators hang out on social media. From crooks, to sexual deviates, to bullies and even jilted spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends. They use social media to gather information about you, steal from you, and even perpetrate fraud against you. They can defame your name and turn others against you, all with a few keystrokes.

How do you protect yourself and your child? Know about privacy settings and online security. Research each site’s privacy settings and use them to your advantage. Protect your financial information, your personal information, and your reputation by doing a Google search and setting up an alert for your name. Your child now lives in a world where information is readily available using technology at their fingertips. Protect them in cyberspace just as you do in real life.

Read Wendy’s (POCSMom) post: Social Media Makeover

Is your teen on Twitter? Are you on Twitter? You should be. Twitter is not only a great resource for college prep, but it’s also the go-to social hangout for your teenager. They also air their thoughts and frustrations there. It’s amazing how teens find it to be a place to vent, especially about the pressure they feel from their parents about the college prep process. Are you surprised? I know I was.

Twitter has overtaken Facebook as the social media network that is most important to teens, according to Piper Jaffray’s semi-annual teen market research report. Twitter is the new king of teens, with 26 percent naming it as their “most important” social site. Only 23 percent said Facebook was most important, down from a high of 42 percent.

The Social Media Explorer points out:

Teens are increasingly turning to Twitter to follow artists and pop culture icons, take part in (or create) memes and trends, and express their innermost thoughts. More and more, teens are also using Twitter as a way to escape their parents’ prying eyes, as parents are far more likely to have a Facebook account than Twitter; it seems many parents don’t realize that their kids are even tweeting, and kids are keeping their accounts private, away from their parents and sometimes also from those who might bully them online. Twitter also allows for anonymity, so teens can take on new (or multiple) personalities, and further isolate themselves from parents or unwanted peers.

According to Pew, teen use of digital media is growing overall; 80% of teens use online social networks. An interesting Pew statistic which may have led to the #GetAustin2Philly trending topic is that more than 2x the number of girls use Twitter: 22% of girls vs. 10% of boys. For teenagers, Twitter is an outlet for fandom, gossip, and chatter; get @mentioned by a celebrity or teen idol and your popularity is sure to rise. Twitter is now a digital autograph book.

Today’s Mom addresses the issue:

Escape from parental monitoring isn’t the only thing driving teens to Twitter. When celebrities adopted the micro-blogging platform kids followed. One can only hope all of Justin Bieber’s 17 million+ followers are all teenagers. Eminem has 8 million (including my privacy-seeking son), Katy Perry 14 million, and Taylor Swift nearly 11 million. The same Pew survey found that most teens are happy using Twitter for benign purposes like following their favorite artists, exploring adolescent angst, and passing along immature humor. If only all kids could be as good as yours and mine.

Kids can be mean, in real life and online

Electronic communication offers a distance that can embolden mean kids. “No one is safe from this new approach to bullying,” says Dawn Spragg, a Licensed Counselor  working with teens and their families in Bentonville, Arkansas, where three high school students were issued citations in Juvenile Court recently for publishing nasty tweets about classmates in a virtual “slam book” on Twitter. Spragg says that the anonymity of online aliases allows kids to bully without having to “back it up” like the bullies of decades past.

Electric PR Media reports:

In an effort to find privacy, teenagers are turning to Twitter as an alternate to Facebook. And although everyone wants to be where their friends are, privacy and a place away from parents is part of the genetic code of any teenager.

Enter Twitter.

Twitter, in comparison to Facebook, offers many appealing features which are just beginning to be appreciated by teenagers. Twitter allows you to have multiple accounts should you chose to do so. Your account name can be a pseudonym, one only your friends know. Your account can also be set to private, allowing you to select your followers. In turn, you chose who you want to follow without seeing their followers, eliminating the social pressure of following friends of friends which can often be the case on Facebook.

In addition to privacy and selectivity, Twitter relies on the use of acronyms and abbreviations (now we’re talking) to send your message in under 140 characters, the equivalent of a text message, but to a circle of friends. It’s a teenager’s dream: Privacy, selectivity and brevity! Does this sound like the parameters of a conversation you’ve had lately with a teenager?

What’s a parent to do?

Your teen is seeking privacy on Twitter…too bad. In 2011, one million children were harassed, threatened, or subjected to cyberbullying in social media. Of these children, only 10% of parents were aware of it. 55% of teens gave out personal information to someone they didn’t know. And only 34% of parents say they regularly check their child’s social network sites.

Unfortunately, unchecked use of social media can lead to hours of lost sleep for teens (yes, teens admit to sleeping with their smartphones and even texting in their sleep), privacy undermined, rumors being spread, school and social life being directly affected by online activity, and worse yet … becoming a victim or perpetrator of cyberbullying.

Teens absolutely need our help and guidance when it comes to online activity, especially in the Twitterverse of anonymity. But how do you help? One mother drew up an iPhone contract when she presented her son with a new phone.

Here are some of the 18 rules (you can read the rest at Huffington Post):

1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren’t I the greatest?
2. I will always know the password.
3. If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads “Mom” or “Dad”. Not ever.
4. Hand the phone to one of your parents promptly at 7:30pm every school night & every weekend night at 9:00pm. It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30am. If you would not make a call to someone’s land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text. Listen to those instincts and respect other families like we would like to be respected.
5. It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It’s a life skill. *Half days, field trips and after school activities will require special consideration.
6. Do not use this technology to lie, fool, or deceive another human being. Do not involve yourself in conversations that are hurtful to others. Be a good friend first or stay the hell out of the crossfire.
7. Do not text, email, or say anything through this device you would not say in person.
8. Do not text, email, or say anything to someone that you would not say out loud with their parents in the room. Censor yourself.

Every parent handles this differently but it goes without saying that hiding your head in the sand and staying technologically challenged can only lead to future problems with your teens and social media. Just as you had to learn parenting skills, take the time to learn about social media platforms and how they work. Your teen may scoff about having their privacy invaded, but that’s what parents do–we parent.

The world of marketing has evolved with the rise of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  Many companies today are seeking their customers’ attention with pictures, articles, videos, tweets and anything else that will drive comments and make a following. And you know what this means, don’t you? They are looking for someone who has the knowledge and ability to create online buzz and jump into the world of social media careers.

An increasing number of job seekers are turning their blogging skills or experience making Facebook fan pages into new careers in social media. Having a background in journalism, copywriting, computer technology or online marketing is usually a plus in landing Web 2.0 jobs. Pay rates are now all over the place in these emerging careers, but big payment is already to be found, with full-time jobs that range from $40,000 to six figures.

Some social media experts said that the rule of thumb is that you get paid in social media for what you have done or invested in the past. A fresh college graduate can make 25 grand as social media marketer, but if you already have a job related to marketing that pays you a minimum of 85 grand per year, your employer might move your tasks over to social media marketing and keep that amount.  A lot of ad agencies today that offer social media help to big companies are hiring. But, the majority of the jobs in social media are still freelance rather than full-time. Hourly rates for a freelancer can be high–about 200 bucks per hour or more.  The lowest pay rate anybody is charged for work related to social media marketing is about 50 bucks an hour.

Let’s take a look at some of the emerging careers in social media and the skills required.

Social Media/Digital Strategist

Strategists develop and maintain comprehensive social media strategies that define how social media marketing techniques will be applied to boost visibility and traffic across all products and brands. They also lead the development of the company’s social media management policies, standards and rule of engagement for social media. Social media strategists also define key performance indicators and implement enterprise level analytics, measurement and reporting methods to measure success. This job requires a BA/BS degree from an accredited university or college and 3-5 years of experience in public relations, marketing, communications and advertising.

Online Community Manager

Community managers manage and update company forums and blogs and forums, keeping visitors coming to the site through creating a buzz on social network, and moderating conversation to ensure nothing insulting or libelous is being said. This job calls for marketing experience as well as work in social media and project management, copywriting, and web publishing.

Blogger

Posting short articles/blogs with links to related websites has become a popular strategy for boosting a website’s ranking in search engines. Pay rates for professional or experienced bloggers working in companies range from $35 to $75 per hour. Many bloggers have experience in journalism, but others who break into the field have their own personal blogs and use them to apply for corporate blogging jobs.

Search Engine Marketing Manager/Specialist

Responsible for determining search engine marketing business opportunities based on industry date/trends, competitive research and key performance metrics of current marketing campaigns. Other responsibilities may include creating search engine volume and efficiency forecasts, running tests (landing pages, ad copy, keyword bids) to boost key metrics (convert, search, click), making recommendations on keyword choices, and managing relationship with SEM partners. The right candidate will have at least seven years of marketing experience, applied analytics sensibility with strong ability to make profitable decisions based on factual information and entrepreneurial spirit.

_________________________________

Author Bio

Joshua Turner is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to business. In this article, he describes career opportunities surrounding social media and aims to encourage further study with a KSU Public Relations Degree.

Sign up for my FREE parent tips email and get my FREE Ebook on college financing!

Social media—it’s a quandary. On the one hand it has become an excellent tool to communicate with family, friends and networking with businesses. On the other hand, it leaves a footprint of everything you do, share or say. Teens are especially vulnerable as they begin to think about college. And as their lives progress, the quantity and the quality of that footprint will affect future job prospects.

Are you friends with your teen on Facebook?

It may sound invasive but it’s a parenting effort that is becoming more and more popular. According to a recent survey, 46% of parents are friends with their kids on Facebook. Why would you do that? It allows you to monitor their friendships, see what they are talking about, and protect their privacy. One mother only allows her son to be friends with his “real life” friends. Whatever you decide about the boundaries, make them clear from the start. Explain to your teens why it’s necessary and remind them that just as you protect them in the world, it’s your responsibility to protect them online.

Does your teen understand “forever”?

Google never forgets. And I mean NEVER. Explain to your kids that whatever they post now will be in cyberspace forever. Even if they delete their pages or pictures, copies might still be accessible by search engines or from others who have saved copies to their computers.

Just the other day, I was looking at a job application for my husband and the company posted this in the ad. Think companies won’t care if you posted questionable content in the past? Think again:

In addition to other background checks the Company or its designees may perform, I also authorize the Company to research information publicly available on the internet, including without limitation social networking sites and blogs, for purposes of evaluating, in the Company’s discretion, my suitability for employment, promotion, retention, and/or reassignment. I recognize that the Company has legitimate business interests in reviewing this information that is available to the public, either now or in the future, and I have no expectation of privacy with respect to such information.

Is their social media “grandparent friendly”?

This is a no-brainer. Just ask them to ask themselves if their grandmother would approve of what they post. Most kids wouldn’t want to disappoint their grandparents. Parents maybe. Grandparents—never.

Who are they friends with?

Keep a close eye on who your teen has on their friend list. Are they people you know? If not, ask them who they are. Remind them to NEVER accept any friend request from someone they don’t know. You never know what an unknown friend will do with your posts or photos.

Have you set the privacy settings?

Facebook recently rolled out a graphing feature that can potentially be misused and abused, especially with children. If you haven’t heard of it, you can see what it does in this article: Facebook graph search gets personal. Your teens are at risk for all kinds of picture mining and it just underscores the fact that information is out there (especially pictures) and you need to safeguard your kids.

Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and your kids

The Online Mom is always my go-to resource for all things tech related that affects our children. On her site, they address the concern about privacy settings:

Understand your site’s privacy policies, and check out the safety tools they make available to parents, if any. Many sites prohibit children under 13. Don’t give your children permission to use these sites: those restrictions are there for a reason. (By the way, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires sites to get your permission before they collect, use, or share any information about your child. If a site lets your child register without notifying you, they’re violating a federal law.)

If you aren’t social media familiar, you best get cracking. Your teens are. They tweet. They post. They post upload photos to Instagram. They interact with everyone using social media tools. The tools are great for connecting but they can also be abused. As parents it’s our responsibility to stay on top of their activity.

Years ago, there was a public service announcement at 10pm every night (curfew time) and it said, “Do you know where your children are?” Parents have the same problem but the parameters are different. I’m asking you the same question, “Do you know where your children are (which sites your kids are active on and who they are talking to)?”

From: BackgroundCheck.org

Courtesy of: OnlineSchools.com

10,000 followers later I would have to say that Twitter has far exceeded my expectations. Not only has it been an effective marketing tool, but it has put me in contact with other college experts; and thus allowing me to exceed my original purpose and plan for using this social media tool. Say what you want about Facebook; Twitter has opened more doors for me than I could have ever imagined.

Here are 10 ways my Twitter followers have made me 1000 times more blessed:

1. I have been able to tap into a vast resource of parents. These parents have made me realize that we all share the same journey that is oftentimes frustration but always rewarding. I’ve been able to draw from their expertise, learn from their experiences, and use all of that to make my blog and my parent college coaching more effective and timely.
2. I have connected with 1000’s of experts in the college arena. I have talked with admissions counselors, college students, college counselors and financial aid advisers. I have gathered all their information and expertise to create a vast network of advice for parents as they navigate the college maze with their teens.
3. I have made friends who have enriched my life. These friends are in all different areas: college experts, test prep experts, breast cancer survivors, parents, tech experts, and even Manilow fans. They have given me all sorts of encouragement and support.
4. I have established business connections. These connections have given me credibility and an opportunity to fine tune my expertise. They have also been valuable mentors and coaches regarding my business and its positive progress.
5. I have had oodles of fun. Yes oodles. I’ve attended chats and laughed as we joked with one another. I’ve had back and forth conversations with other parents and enjoyed learning about their families and their lives.
6. I have stayed up to date on the latest news and controversial topics. Twitter has been a valuable tool to catch up on the news and be the first to know when news breaks: the crash in the Hudson, the Casey Anthony trial, the capture of Bin Laden and the shootings at Ft. Hood just to name a few.
7. I have tapped into the best training in social media. This valuable advice has helped me improve my social media presence and keep current on the latest social media tips and tricks. Following people like @chrisbrogan, @marismith, @joelcomm, @barefoot_exec and @mashable have given me a vast wealth of social media tools to expand my online presence.
8. I have been able to exchange guest posts. Being on Twitter puts me in touch with other experts in my field and enables me to exchange guest posts, thus expanding my internet presence and providing my readers with valuable content.
9. I have been inspired. It goes without saying that there is a wealth of valuable inspiration on Twitter from parents, life coaches, and even parenting experts. They have inspired me to be productive and encouraged me to pursue my passion.
10. I have learned more SAT vocabulary words than I care to mention. With followers like @elizabethonline @akilbello and @sheldonwordnerd you can’t help but pick up on those great vocabulary words that everyone needs to improve their communication skills.

Thanks to all my 10,000+ followers for enriching my life and expanding my reach beyond my small little south Texas world. I will never take you for granted AND if there is EVER anything I can do to help promote you and/or your business just shoot me an email or DM me on Twitter. I’m all about paying it forward!

Special thanks to @GreekforMe for suggesting the topic of this blog!

It’s never too early to start the “branding” process. Lauren Joffe of The Real College Guide lays out a clear strategy to get the ball rolling. Parents should pass this along to their college-bound teens.

********

Just because your GPA has made Dean’s List every semester and your work experience is better than most does not mean you have a slam-dunk when it comes to landing a job or an internship in today’s hypercompetitive market. According to the National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE), all students need to create their own personal “brand.” This is what sets you apart from your equally qualified peers.

Get the Ball Rolling
So what is a personal brand, anyway? “Personal brand is about the unique strengths and attributes each person has. It’s what makes a person stand out and how people think of him or her,” says Paula Loop, U.S. and global talent leader at professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). “Think about how you want to be known, then you can focus on building skills and doing things that will enhance that image. Students who are able to communicate a strong personal brand — the unique strengths they can bring to an organization — are more attractive to employers.”

Start by introducing potential employers to your unique strengths using your resume and cover letter. Remember, these documents will serve as a company’s first impression of you, so it’s critical that you perfect them. Your resume and cover letter will be the first defining aspects of your brand, so make this introduction count by positioning yourself properly, beginning with presentation. Finance majors will have resumes that look much different — in design elements such as font and layout — from those of graphic designers. This also holds true for what your resume says: Certain industries place a heavy emphasis on internships, while others value research or volunteer experience.

Perfecting Your “Elevator Pitch”
Loop affirms the importance of your “elevator pitch,” essentially a 30-second description of who you are, your background and career aspirations. Imagine being in an elevator with a potential employer and he or she asks you to describe yourself and your personal goals. Would you be able to give an articulate, clear response?

Says Loop: “This should consist of no more than five sentences. The first two highlight one’s background. The third displays interests and recent accomplishments. The concluding sentence should address what an individual is seeking in a job and career. The most effective elevator pitches are short and memorable.”

To help guide your pitch, keep in mind these fundamental questions:

• Who are you?
• What are your accomplishments?
• Where are you going, and what are your ultimate goals?

When fine-tuning your pitch, also keep in mind the following points that will help create an outline:

• How have your past experiences with internships, volunteer work, etc., prepared you to meet your goal?
• What are your strongest skills?
• How do you stand apart from other entry-level applicants? What makes you unique and memorable?

Once you’ve drafted something impressive, practice it! Nothing is worse than stumbling through your elevator pitch with a bunch of “um’s” and “you know’s” popping up in every other sentence. Rehearse in front of your mirror, your parents or anyone who can give you constructive feedback regarding body language, tone and fluidity. Be friendly, make eye contact, and give your interviewer a strong, confident handshake.

Brand Yourself — Online!
Despite the ever-expanding social networking sphere, it’s surprising how many students do not properly brand themselves online. Chances are your potential employers are Googling you, which means you need to take advantage of the online world of networking.

“Ignoring or failing to create a business-appropriate image on social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook can create issues,” says Loop. “Establishing and maintaining a professional social network profile is vital because potential employers are also online. A LinkedIn profile that displays your accomplishments, experience and goals can highlight your personal brand and enhance your job search.

Here are a few pointers outlined by PwC when it comes to branding yourself on the Internet:

• Use social media, but use it correctly. Actively participate on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, but ask yourself if your profiles are appropriate to be viewed by an employer. According to a CareerBuilder.com survey, almost 45 percent of employers will look at your social media profiles to get better insight. Post all your contact information and join alumni groups to increase your chances of connecting with a potential employer.

• Be conscious of every email you send. Whether using your smartphone or typing on your computer, always use proper grammar, spelling, punctuation and etiquette whenever writing an email. During networking and job hunting, you will primarily communicate with people via email, which means sloppy emails equal a sloppy image. Don’t discredit yourself by forgetting to give an editorial eye to every email sent.

• Add links to your online signature. When sending emails or creating your social media profiles, include a couple of links to websites you enjoy, published work you’ve written, and your LinkedIn or Twitter accounts. Give employers an easy outlet to further understand who you are and where your interests lie.

B-E Aggressive
While formulating your brand is the first step, it’s important to constantly stay in touch with contacts, actively research your industry and develop a relationship with your university’s career services center.

Loop encourages students to do one thing each week that will help advance their career. This ranges from sending “hello” emails to contacts within your networking sphere to reading informative blogs related to your particular field. And since up to 80 percent of jobs are found through networking, it’s important to keep your networking sphere intact and growing.

One of your best resources as a college student is your university’s career services center, which can provide you with exclusive job offerings, resume critiques and mock interviews. Take advantage of these opportunities while you can to fully maximize your hiring eligibility.

“There are many important facets to personal branding, but networking is critical,” says Loop. “Start with friends, family and alumni from your school. Those are the people who know you best and will want to help.”

And for those interested in seeking further assistance in crafting your personal brand, PwC is launching Personal Brand Week 2.0 in February, so check out PwC.com for more information, helpful worksheets and career tips.

Here is my list of the Top 10 summer activities:

1. SAT/ACT Prep–summer is the best time to spend doing some SAT prep and improving vocabulary. There are awesome sites online for this. Just check out my post Top 5 SAT Prep Sites.
2. Scholarship Searches–Even if your teen isn’t a senior yet, it’s a good practice to do some preliminary searching to make note of qualifications and deadlines. Note: Look locally first. Local scholarships are less competitive and often easily earned. For some search sites, check out my post of the Top 10 Scholarship Search sites.
3. Volunteer–Encourage your teen to start volunteering in his/her community. A consistent pattern of volunteering each summer looks great on applications and shows colleges that your teen is concerned about giving back.
4. Get a job or start a business–Summer is a good time to make some cash for that college fund and also demonstrate responsibility. Many teens actually go the entrepreneurial route and start a business: lawn mowing, babysitting, tutoring, etc.
5. Write–Probably the last thing your teen wants to do over the summer is write. But writing is good preparation for the college essay and the writing portion of the SAT. Journaling is a great way to do this and will also serve to spur your teen’s creativity.
6. Make some preliminary college visits–I stress “preliminary” here since visiting colleges in the summer isn’t the best time to get a clear picture of college life. But it’s a great time to wander around and explore the campuses.
7. iTunes University–iTunes University is an excellent way for your teen to get an idea of what college courses might be like. It’s free and there is a wide array of subject matter to choose from. You can access it on your iPhone or iTouch or by downloading iTunes on your computer.
8. Start or focus on a hobby–Hobbies are great ways that your teen can stand out from the pack on his/her college application. But it needs to be consistent throughout high school.
9. Spend some time on social media–You won’t have to pull their arms to get them to do this; but it needs to be focused. Have them spend some time on Twitter to follow some college tweets. They should also read some blogs from college students and perhaps connect with some on Facebook from the colleges they are considering. Check out my list of the Top 30 College Info Twitterers.
10. Read–Yes. I know…I can hear it now…BORING. But honestly, reading is one of the BEST summer activities to enhance their academic success and improve their vocabulary. And if he/she likes Ayn Rand, there are several big money scholarships given each year for essays on her books!

What are your favorite summer activities with your college-bound teens? Do you have any other suggestions?