Sue Beckingham of Sheffield Hallam University discusses how our graduates of tomorrow face an increasingly competitive job market. Competing for jobs will no longer be confined to the communication channels we have traditionally used for decades and there is a growing shift to digital alternatives. What is clear therefore is that there is a vital need to ensure that our students have the opportunity to develop the necessary digital skills they will need to prepare them for their future. The notion of the digital native /digital immigrant must be challenged as whilst many are visitors to online forums, this does not necessarily indicate that they have given consideration to the development of their own professional online presence or indeed have the skills to do this most effectively.

This presentation explores some of the innovative ways students are already using social media and technology to give them the edge and the changing approach to the way employers are recruiting.