VASQUEZ: Get a Twitter

This year has been a wake-up call. When I was in high school, I never imagined all the ways college would completely change my perspective on life. Living in Boston and studying at Boston University has been the major contributor to all the new experiences I have had. But the College of Communication has been the biggest influence in opening my eyes to the world I am going to be working and living in.

I know there is a running joke in the BU community about COM students and their obsession with social media. There is even a sign in the COM building that says, “In case of fire, exit building first before tweeting about it!” I always say how I deeply judge anyone in COM who does not have a Twitter account. Most of the time, I’m joking, but I am starting to realize more and more the rising importance of social media in our world. So maybe we COM students are actually ahead of the curve on this one.

It is interesting for me because at this time last year, I did not have a Twitter account. I did not see the point of it, and for a while I refused to get one. I figured I was distracted enough with Facebook, and to me Twitter was a website for constant status updates. I caved at the end of last summer, and I quickly began to realize that this is not just another social media website for teenagers to waste time on. This is the future.

Social media is exploding. And current employers have no idea how to handle it. The previous generations grew up with completely different lifestyles. But this is the digital era. We share birthdays with social media. Our use and input throughout the years has shaped the networks we use now. From the olden days of MySpace to the current trends of Instagram and Pinterest, we have always defined social media, and we have always been the most influential group in bringing it to the next level.

The truth is that no other generation understands social networking like we do. It is a legitimate skill in the worlds of business, marketing and communication. Whether or not, these are your areas of study. Everyone needs to embrace it. Why? One word: connections.

I am here to tell you that Twitter is not just for COM students. After graduation, the next step is getting a job and starting your career. And the world we are entering is a digital one. More employers are looking to social networking sites to scout potential hires or promote open positions. And that’s not all. If you make use of social media sites throughout college, you will already be connected to an array of professionals in your specific field that will help you when you enter the workforce.

And that is still not all. As I mentioned before, no other generation understands these sites like we do. We grew up with them. We spend a significant portion of our time using them. Current employers are completely at a loss when it comes to bringing their companies up to speed with this fast-paced digital world. They are looking for students like us who know how to navigate the different mazes of social media. What does this mean for us, as BU students? We need to learn how to use these sites for what they are created: networking. This is what will make us stand out from other people in our generation who may know all the ins and outs of the websites, but have no idea how to effectively use them to help companies market themselves in our current society.

There is a ton of different social media websites out there already, and there will no doubt be more to come. As a COM student, I have realized the importance of maximizing my time spent on the computer into a legitimate skill. Whatever your major and whatever you want to do after you graduate, never underestimate the importance of having connections. It’s not too late to start. Even if the extent of your social media experience is occasionally checking Facebook, there is still plenty of time to build a solid network through a few key social media sites.

So what are you waiting for? Start making yourself known. And get a Twitter.

Dany Vasquez is a sophomore in the College of Communication and a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. She can    be reached at vasquezd@bu.edu.