Reputation Management Starts in College

Reputation management on a chalkboard. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Reputation management might not be something that you start thinking about when you are still in college. However, it is never too early to start thinking about building your reputation up. Maintaining a reputation as a hard working college student will carry over into your career since many of the same students you go to school with might be people you work with in the future, and they even might influence whether or not you get a job. Your professors in college can have a direct influence on your future hiring possibilities. Therefore, employing reputation management tips and maintaining a professional persona throughout college can help you secure your dream job once you graduate.

Clothes and Your Reputation

College students have been known to roll out of bed and head off to class. Making an effort when dressing for class can enhance your reputation. It will show your fellow classmates as well as your professors that you care, you mean business, and you are taking your college courses seriously. We are not talking about dressing in a business suit, or even business casual attire, just showing that you are making that effort will go a long way. Standing out and looking stylish instead of wearing sweats and pajama-like clothes will lead to enhancing your reputation as a student who should be taken seriously.

Befriend Your Professors

Most students just go to class, do their work, take their exams and that is the end of the story. You can make yourself stand out by visiting your professors during their office hours that are listed on the syllabus when you start each semester. Visiting your teachers during their office hours can help you with study tips, gaining information that can help you study and on test exams. However, there is another benefit that you can experience when you get to know your professors, and that is the potential for extra projects, internships, and letters of reference. Those letters of reference and internships will help build your reputation up. Adding those to your resume will certainly weigh heavily in your favor when applying for a position.

Your College Reputation and Social Media

This point has been made over and over again, but it is worth mentioning again. Your social profiles may not be as private as you think. Even if you employ all the privacy and security methods available from the social networks, remember that your friends will still see those pictures of you partying and living the college lifestyle. As mentioned above, those same friends might also have some influence in referring you to jobs later on in your career. You never know where a job might come from, so never exhaust your possibilities that might lead to opportunity.

Building Your Online Reputation

Nowadays, a potential employer will almost certainly check you out online in the process known as “Googling” someone. What results are returned when someone searches your name on Google or another search engine? Of course, you don’t want anything negative to appear, but not having anything show up can also be damaging and negatively affect hiring decisions. It is easy to start building a positive reputation for yourself online while you are in college. Start with a Google profile, it only takes a few minutes to complete. You can also start your own web page on About.me or similar websites that allow you to create a profile and add some personality, interests, and link to your social profiles. Set up your LinkedIn profile and start building contacts with fellow students, professors, past employers, co-workers, and professionals in the industry you are studying to work in. Those 3 steps will go a long way to showing future potential employers that you are serious about appearing in a professional light.

Summary of Building Your Reputation While in College

These four steps above will help your reputation and show fellow students, professors, and your future employers that you are serious about your career. It may not secure your job position, however it will go a long way towards showing others that you mean business and want to be treated as a professional. When you think about it, this is very little effort for a huge return.

Bio: Tegan Connor is blogger and Brand Manager for Neverlandstore.com.au. She enjoys writing about trending topics, fashion and lifestyle tips and ideas.