Students' Attitudes on Social Network Sites and their Actual Use for Career Management Competences and Professional Identity Development

Abstract

Social network sites (SNSs) have become strategic networking tools for employment-related activities. They shape professional identity and influence professional and career practices, providing new paths for career, employment and recruitment processes. Students’ professional identity is influenced by their career management and work experience. There is a lack of research on the use of SNSs for students’ on-line career management competences. A survey was conducted to examine students’ attitudes regarding the use of SNSs for career management competences and professional identity development. The students’ attitudes manifested career control, networking for learning, career reflection, self-presentation and work exploration. These attitudes have been identified as predictors for students’ actual use of SNSs for career management and professional identity development. For the career competences the main influencing predictors were found to be students’ beliefs that SNSs support work exploration, processes of self-presentation and career control. For professional identity development, the main influencing predictors were students’ beliefs that SNSs support career control and students’ engagement in professional events through networking for learning. Findings could contribute to understanding and facilitation of the SNS-related career management competences.