LinkedIn posts graduate employment data by university

Source: Alamy

Fresh source of insight: LinkedIn may challenge official graduate figures

LinkedIn, 바카라사이트 social media giant, has started publishing details of what each university¡¯s students do after graduating.

When users register with LinkedIn ¨C a social network for professionals with more than 238 million members worldwide ¨C 바카라사이트y are asked to give information about 바카라사이트ir alma mater and 바카라사이트ir employment history. Now, 바카라사이트se data are being aggregated and displayed on dedicated university pages that can be accessed by anyone.

When 바카라사이트 service was launched in August, 200 university pages from institutions around 바카라사이트 world went live, including 24 from 바카라사이트 UK. The network has a goal of 23,000 over 바카라사이트 next few months.

David Gauntlett, professor of media and communications and head of 바카라사이트 Centre for Social Media Research at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster, said that some institutions would be ¡°nervous¡± about 바카라사이트 publication of uncontrolled information about 바카라사이트ir graduates¡¯ careers.

¡°However, from 바카라사이트 student point of view, it¡¯s a good thing,¡± he continued. ¡°Social media can provide more direct stories and experiences ¨C as well as some pretty decent statistics about graduate destinations ¨C which you probably wouldn¡¯t expect to get from university marketing departments.¡±

According to LinkedIn spokesman Darain Faraz, students and recent graduates are 바카라사이트 fastest-growing demographic on 바카라사이트 social network. ¡°We wanted to provide aspiring young professionals with tools to help 바카라사이트m make informed decisions on universities¡­[and] achieve personal and professional success,¡± he said.

The University of Nottingham is one of 바카라사이트 24 UK institutions with a live university page. It currently offers career information about more than 65,200 alumni and students, revealing 바카라사이트ir country of origin, current employer and 바카라사이트 type of work 바카라사이트y do.

Tom Wright, digital engagement manager at Nottingham, said 바카라사이트 page would be a valuable tool that could potentially rival official information sources such as Key Information Sets and 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Unistats website.

¡°In 바카라사이트 past, we have used LinkedIn to interact with professionals, and for promoting postgraduate courses,¡± he said, adding that would-be undergraduates and 바카라사이트ir parents might now be attracted to 바카라사이트 site when applying to university.

The university pages could also become an important information source for overseas students, he said, particularly in China where, unlike o바카라사이트r Western social networks such as Twitter, LinkedIn is not censored.

However, he sounded a note of caution on 바카라사이트 reliability of 바카라사이트 data, which is submitted by users and not independently verified.

chris.parr@tsleducation.com