The Digital Identity of Graduate Students

Abstract

Graduate students need a digital identity in order to be found by an academic colleague or a future employer. However, the lack of technical skills and familiarity with the necessary digital tools is a handicap even when graduate students use their personal social network accounts. The construction of their own professional brand starts with the choice of the right strategy and tools. Not all graduate students have the same goals, needs, requirements, and skills. Those who are doing a PhD do not need the same digital identity as those who are getting a master’s degree. In fact, their online visibility and their personal and professional goals are different. So the structure of their digital identity and the tools necessary for this identity must also be somewhat different. Furthermore, the use of the right online tools is not always easy to manage. The proper use of a tool and the right content for publication on social media are of prime importance. The use of different platforms such as scholarly social networks or professional social networks must be clearly distinguished. It is true that gaining online visibility helps the graduate student, and not only in his or her personal or professional lives. In the long term, online visibility also helps the institution where the graduate student is enrolled. Therefore, online reputation must be treated carefully.