For the next month and a half, Kelly Lux is playing doctor to students’ social media woes.

Because employers often use social media in the professional atmosphere, Lux, professor and director of social media for the School of Information Studies, decided to take it into her own hands to help students update their online profiles. Lux is hosting “social media checkups” from 2-4 p.m. on Mondays and 1-3 p.m. on Thursdays in the iSchool Student Services center in 114G Hinds Hall. The help sessions are scheduled to run until Spring Break.

Lux was recognized last month as one of HootSuite’s Top 100 Community Managers of 2014 on Twitter for her efforts in social media collaboration. The list was designed to recognize people who brand accounts, keep social networks running smoothly and engage with others online.

After Lux moved into a new office to fill in for a co-worker on maternity leave, she said she noticed a lot of students coming in to Student Services to ask for help with their websites, how to use Twitter properly and whether their LinkedIn profile was adequate.

“I realized that recruiters are using LinkedIn to find people,” Lux said. “Beyond recruiters, pretty much anyone that you reach out to and try to network with is going to look you up on LinkedIn right away.”

After Spring Break, she said, she will return to her original office and won’t have the space to host the sessions.

“If it goes over well, I’ll probably continue it or do it again next semester,” Lux said.

Lux said having no social media presence is equal to having a bad social media presence. Making sure employers can find potential employees and get to know them is crucial to landing a job, she said.

She stressed the importance of having a complete online identity and showcasing it through a variety of websites, including Twitter and LinkedIn.

“If you’re a creative person, Tumblr is also a really great avenue to showcase your stuff,” she said. “Pinterest depends on how you use it, but if you’re pinning things and people are following you, it’s another way to show your interest in the field you’re going into.”

It’s important to have mature online interactions, Lux said, and advised against posting anything that shouldn’t be made public. She also said students should stay away from having private profiles, because it defeats the purpose of having a social media account.

Anthony Rotolo, an assistant social media professor in the iSchool, said he thought the social media checkups are a great resource. He said all SU students should take advantage of Lux’s social media checkups and turn their online profiles into an asset.

“Getting this kind of advice from Kelly Lux is a great opportunity that should not be missed,” Rotolo said. “Kelly is one of the best social media and content strategists in the nation.”

Devon Balk, a junior information management and technology major, said she frequently uses Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“I use LinkedIn, too,” she said. “I think LinkedIn’s pretty important and I think it’s under-utilized right now, but it’s a great way to have all of your connections in one place online.”

Balk said social media is an integral part of the professional world, no matter what profession you’re in, and added that she is thinking of going to one of Lux’s checkups. She said she follows her on Twitter and has seen Lux’s social media expertise.

“It’s something that’s going to be in our lives for a while and I think regardless of whatever field you’re going into in the future, the company you’re working for is bound to be using social media,” Balk said, concerning the importance of complete online profiles.

Rotolo uses social media in his classes and said a resource like Lux is an opportunity that should not be missed.

Said Rotolo: “It’s a chance to get some individual attention for your networks to make sure you’re doing all you can to ‘do you’ well.”

Published on February 3, 2014 at 12:56 am