In an attempt to contribute in improving studies in the final year, a symposium was organized by WCA on January 23rd at Somatel Hotel with a main objective to empower 265 final year students of 31 higher institutions in Yaoundé and 20 jobseekers. This leadership symposium allow the gathering of final years students of 31 professional institutions in Yaoundé including: Polytechnic, ENAM, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences ,FMBS, UY1, Biotech Center,Public works, Siantou University complex , IRIC , Pan African Institute for Development- West Africa, CITEC, Higher Institute of Environmental Sciences, UYII, Pan African University, Ecole des Postes et telecommunications, ENS, ICT UniversitY, IFORD CRESA, ENAM, CRADAT, INJS, ISSEA, Catholic University of Central Africa, ESSTIC , Yaoundé Business School, (ACCA, CAT & SIMA study centers), Center for international Training, Bastos, Hermes IS-MASA, ISTI , ESCA, ESSACA , Lead Higher Institute, Institut Matamfen, Power batche institute . The speakers were experts from 15 different works of life with rich professional and academic experience. • Keynote speech by Prof. Alfred Njamshi • Tips on the recommended attitude and character of a potential employee by Mr. Lukong Terence, Eneo • How skilled are you by Mr. Tata Bolivian, KOICA • The Importance of Academic mentorship by Mr. Ndach Thierry, SIEMENS • How to write a good CV by Dr. Numbem Simeon, UN • How to make it at the interview by Mr. Acha Harry, Israel Embassy • Using Social media professionally by Dr. Adidja Amani, • Importance of networking by Yaa Gladys Viban, US Embassy • How to write a good dissertation by Prof. Alfred K. Njamnshi, FMBS-UY1 • How not to give a bad talk by Prof. Njilah Isaac K., FS-UY1 • The National Employment Fund: Eye opener by Representative from the National Employment Fund

1. 
BUILD YOUR E-REPUTATION
Dr. Adidja AMANI MD, MPH
1st ACADEMIC WORKSHOP FOR FINAL YEAR
STUDENTS
Somatel Hotel Biyeam-Assi, 23rd January 2016
01/24/16

2. Overview
1. What is your digital identity?
2. SM globally and in Cameroon
3. SM: What, Why and How?
4. Best practices
5. Conclusion
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3. What is your "digital identity”?
01/24/16 3

4. SM Growth globally
01/24/16
"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most
intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." Charles Darwin
Source : "Soc-net-paten-growth-chart" by Nowa.
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

5. SM situation in Cameroon…
 1,400,000 Facebook subscribers
(internetworldstats, 2015)
 4 out of 10 Cameroonian have
subscribed to Linkedin (friedrich-ebert-
foundation-report, 2014)
 Cameroon - top-ten African
countries in terms of the tweeted
volumes
 Blogging is still at its infancy
01/24/16 5

6. Use social medias …
 As an opportunity to maintain a professional identity,
and make yourself known
 As an opportunity to showcase your talents/
accomplishments and stay on the radar of recruiters
 To keep your reputation on track . Don’t leave it to
chance
 not for bragging or boasting. It’s just letting people
know who you are and what you do.

7. Why social medias are good for
your career? (1/2)
1. Having the right skills and experience is not always
enough to secure a job
2. You know what you are doing, but nobody else
knows
3. The more people know what you are capable of, the
more opportunities you find
4. Employers increasingly "Google" candidates to learn
more about them.
5. If you post content that create the demand or what01/24/16 7

8. Why social medias are good for
your career? (2/2)
 Studies have shown that 92% of companies are using
social media for hiring
 ¾ hiring managers will check out a candidate’s social
profiles SM can hurt or help your career.
 78% of recruiters have made a hire through social
media Eg: MTN Cameroon , LinkedIn
 You can’t count on people calling you out of the blue
to hire you, if they don’t know about you.01/24/16 8

9. 9
 “In the 19th Century, people built
railways to connect the world.
The global railway network of
today is the internet. This is
where knowledge is to be found;
this is where jobs will be
created.” Donald Kaberuka,
President AfDB group
Being tech and social media savvy has become an avenue
to career success.

10. "À l'heure de la
mondialisation
l'important n'est plus
de savoir faire, mais
de faire valoir son
savoir faire."
Pr. Jacques Famé Ndongo
VISIBILITY
01/24/16 10

11. SM allows you to…
(1/2)
1. Promote your work at lower/No cost with a global
reach
2. Build a competitive advantage
3. Proactively manage each stage of your career.
4. Make your job search much more effective.
5. Keep track of your reputation . Don’t leave it to
chance01/24/16 11

12. SM allows you
to…
(2/2)
 Scientific impact –a recent study found that researchers
whose work was mentioned on Twitter tended to have a
higher h-index
 Crowdfunding :A study of 97 crowdfunding campaigns
focused on cancer research found that they raised ~
$45,629 from donations
 A strong online outreach can connect you with wealthy
donors and angel investors
 Network on steroids

13. Likewise, not being on social
media, can hurt your career…
 Lack of an online presence can severely limit
your visibility
 Run the risk that undesirable search results
appear before desirable ones
 The more you procrastinate to join, the more you
will be disconnected from opportunities that could
potentially advance your career.
01/24/16 13

14. 
How to market yourself
effectively?
01/24/16 14

15. First, ask yourself:….
1. What do I want to be kown for ?
Define yourself. Write a profile
headline that is clear and memorable.
Highlight your skills.
2. What qualities do I want people to
associate with me?
3. What is the first thing I want to have
pop in their heads when they hear my
name?01/24/16 15

16. TOP Popular social media
sites
 1. Facebook: biggest social networking site
 2. Twitter 255 million monthly active users in 2015
 3. LinkedIn- world’s largest professional network
>332 million users and each second adds two new
members
 4. Blogs. ~300 million monthly active users
 5. YouTube:~ 1 billion videos watched over mobile
phones per day. 16

17. Linked In: The world’s largest
professional network
 Tons of job opportunities posted
 Be introduced to contacts of interest through the
people you already know
 show projects and skills gained from school
 Learn about relevant career paths and
organizations by browsing people/company
 Be active -write and request recommendations
 the more active you are, the more visible your
profile will be 17

18. Leverage TWITTER to your advantage
 Open an account on twitter.com and fill in your bio with career
goals, skills and a professional photo
 Follow people and organizations relevant to your job search
target
 Share and re-tweet from people of interest
 Tweet appropriately: focus on professional topics especially
current events in your field
 The world at your fingertips ~ Eg: Dangote, Gates,
Obama,PRC etc.01/24/16 18

19. Blog about what you do. It is free
 use to showcase your knowledge and interest in a field, and
your writing skills in general.
 news and opinions related to your field
 Update it routinely (daily, weekly, monthly) to gain a devoted
readership
 Leverage your blog to meet and interview prominent
professionals in your field of interest
 Attach writing samples of class assignments or published work
01/24/16 19

20. Stay up to date with Google alerts
 Keep up-to-date
 Developments and news in your
industry
 Ensure your knowledge is always
relevant
 keep abreast of the latest trends
emerging in your field and be at the
cutting edge
01/24/16 20

21. Other essential social medias
 Slideshare – Upload your presentations and start building
your followers around the content.
 ResearchGate’s “ connect researchers and make it easy for
them to share and access scientific output, knowledge, and
expertise.
 Pinterest Follow employers you wish to work for. Get an
idea of their corporate culture and marketing techniques.
01/24/16 21

22. Build your reputation/
Market yourself
 The only way to get people to know who you are and what you
do is to tell them
 Begin early. Start to market yourself even if you are still a
student.
 Your Passion is Your Weapon. Do it with passion, or not at
all.
 Earn attention by creating something interesting and valuable
 Shape your image to the pursuit of your goal
 01/24/16 22

23. Build your reputation/
Market yourself
 Create a professional profile that captures:
skills, abilities, talents, expertise and titles that
you want viewers to know about you.
 Show pride in your work/achievements
 Showcase:communication skills, knowledge,etc.
 Position yourself as an expert in your industry
23

24. Best practices every
professional should observe
 Think of yourself as a brand eg: Nike, Coca-Cola, etc.
 Create a clear identity and use your real name
 Update your profiles regularly
 Use an updated image of yourself
 Keep your image professional and consistent
 Evaluate your overall presence online regularly. It's Not
narcissistic to Google yourself
01/24/16 24

25. Best practices every
professional should observe
 Make it easy for potential employers to identify you.
 Communicate professionally. Keep public content professional
 Make sure your profile is complete
 Use analytics: Know what viewers are looking for, find out
which calls to action generate the most interest, etc.
 Don’t have photos you wouldn’t want an employer to see.
 No drunken escapes, no profanity, or slurs.
 Don’t bad mouth former employers, bosses, co-workers,25

26. Before posting any item on social
medias , ask yourself

27. CONCLUSION
 SM is not a nicety; it is a necessity. Get it, learn it,
use it.
 Focus your SM postings on accomplishments and
skills
 Make frequent updates to your professional profiles
 Manage your career as a business
 By all means make sure you are keeping up with the
technology changes. 27