Society

Paige Redstone

Curated For Hire: How Digital Self-Presentation Shapes Perceptions of Professionalism and Employability Among Young Adults

A close-up headshot of a young woman with a fair complexion, featuring long, wavy, medium-brown hair parted slightly off-center. She has blue-grey eyes and a gentle, closed-mouth smile with pink-tinted lips. She wears a dark teal button-up cardigan, a single pearl drop earring on her left ear, and two layered gold chain necklaces, one with a small, rounded gold-toned pendant. The background is softly blurred with muted light and dark tones, suggesting an indoor setting with natural light.

Paige is a fourth-year Professional Communication student with minors in both French and Graphic Communications Management. Outside of school, her profession involves hiring, recruiting, and training high-performing teams in the hospitality industry, where she works in fast-paced, people-focused environments. Her work draws from both her academic background and professional experience, focusing on how communication shapes perception in high-stakes settings. Her research explores how digital self-presentation influences perceptions of professionalism and employability among young adults, with a particular interest in how individuals strategically present themselves across platforms. She is especially interested in the intersection of communication, identity, and audience perception, and how these dynamics impact both hiring decisions and organizational culture.

This research examines how digital self-presentation shapes perceptions of professionalism and employability among young adults. As social media becomes increasingly integrated into hiring and recruitment processes, the way individuals present themselves online plays a critical role in how they are evaluated by employers. Through an analysis of existing research and current digital practices, this study explores how elements such as content, tone, and platform influence credibility, personal branding, and perceived fit within professional environments. The findings highlight the growing importance of strategic self-presentation and suggest that navigating the balance between authenticity and professionalism is essential for success in today’s digital job market.

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A headshot features a young woman with long, straight, dark brown hair parted down the middle, looking directly at the viewer with a broad, radiant smile. She has light green eyes and a natural complexion. She wears a light blue textured knit sweater over a black lace top, and two delicate gold necklaces with pendants. The background is a soft, plain light gray.

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A detailed headshot of a young woman with a radiant, gentle smile, looking directly forward. Her light skin is adorned with numerous warm-toned freckles across her nose and cheeks. Her large, expressive dark brown eyes sparkle softly. Her voluminous, dark brown curly hair, parted in the middle, frames her face and flows down past her shoulders. She wears a crisp white linen-style collared shirt, unbuttoned slightly at the top, over a white undershirt. A slender silver chain necklace with a small gold-colored cross pendant rests on her collarbone. Her lips are glossy and slightly parted, showing a natural pink hue. The background is a soft, out-of-focus blur of light grey, white, and hints of muted blue, suggesting an indoor, possibly office or commercial, environment.

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