The Grove | Valencia College

Students Get Social With Orlando City Social Media Expert; Gain Valuable Insight About Social Media Careers

Feb

27

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Often, the most powerful educational experiences occur outside of the classroom, which is what makes extracurricular learning experiences so important. Rebecca Newman, professor, mass communication and journalism and Valencia Voice advisor, embraces this fact and was pleased to welcome Orlando City Social Media Manager Ryan Martinez to East Campus for a workshop designed to support Valencia students.

Sponsored by the Valencia Voice and the Valencia Tech Club, the workshop was held on Tuesday, February 5, 2019, and Valencia Voice writers, as well as students from New Media Communication, the Valencia Tech Club and students in other media classes, were encouraged to attend.

According to Rebecca, students learned about the importance of building a portfolio, creating a professional brand and social media presence, as well as building a professional network through volunteer opportunities and industry events.

In summarizing the importance of these types of events, Rebecca says students develop realistic expectations about their careers, as they’re able to connect with people who were once in their shoes.

“They get to know what the expectations of a social media job are,” Rebecca explained. “For example, simply using Instagram or Snapchat does not qualify you for a social media position.”

Likewise, she noted, students learn about the day-to-day requirements of a social media role and how people navigate their careers to achieve aspirational positions.

“Students begin to realize from events like these that the first job is not the dream job; it is a stepping stone to a greater aspiration,” Rebecca said.

Related Tags: rebecca newman, social media