Tech Primer #2

Let's continue our quest to get over the prerequisites.
Today, our digital identity is as important as our physical identity. Getting these things done is equally important for your future as a tech-student as it is to become a great techie.
1. Email ID
Create an email id if you don't have it already. Create a new one if your previous id doesn’t sound professional. For example. Suppose my email id is srinivas2785@gmail.com. I won't term it to be a professional one. It has unnecessary numbers and is cluttered up. Try to find one which has just parts of your name and is as simple as possible. If I try to remove the clutter, I get b.srinivas@gmail.com. There is no specific rule but I hope you get the point. Email is going to be your prime mode of communication and how professional your id looks is going to have a significant impression on the people you would come into contact.
Besides this, try to know your email space. Check out all different facilities you have. Check out different ways you can sort the mails, different divisions, labels and so on. It is a very good practice to check all possible links and options available whenever you first start with something new or explore a new website. Again the goal is to get comfortable with your space and to be an active learner. Check out some websites for writing etiquette and email formats.
It is a good practice to check your mail as frequently as you can so that you wont miss anything important.
2. LinkedIn
Sign up for LinkedIn. It is the one essential professional social-medium you should be on. It has great benefits. First of all, you should connect with most of the people you know on LinkedIn. Next are your seniors and peers. Follow as many students of your institute (and others if you find) as you can. Also, follow general topics you like. LinkedIn would help you keep a tab on the activities of your aquaintances. You would get to know what new things people are up to and thus it would be your key to stay updated.
Making a good LinkedIn profile is equally important. Later on, whenever you go for some professional activities like workshops, competitions, internships and at last for placements, your LinkedIn account would have a tremendous impression on the recruiters and selection committees. Google "how to make a good LinkedIn profile." and see what you can do about it. Check out this link. You need to search for similar websites.
Let's continue in the next post.