Social Media: The
New Resume
With the completion of this degree
program and graduation just around the corner, many of us my be looking to
advance our careers or find a new one. Keeping with the IMC platforms, I thought it would be a good idea to summarize
how to utilize social media to generate contacts for employment placement. I will review Scotts’ Chapter 4 titled Social
Media and Your Targeted Audience.
Scott defines Social media as Social media provide the way people share ideas, content, thoughts, and relationships online. Social media differ from so-called mainstream media in that anyone can create, comment on, and add to social media content. Social media can take the form of text, audio, video, images, and communities (Scott pg. 54).
Scott defines Social media as Social media provide the way people share ideas, content, thoughts, and relationships online. Social media differ from so-called mainstream media in that anyone can create, comment on, and add to social media content. Social media can take the form of text, audio, video, images, and communities (Scott pg. 54).
First, lets define Social Media and
Social Networking:
Social Media- how we refer to the various media that people
use to communicate
online in a social way (pg.54).
Social media includes blogs, wikis, video and photo
sharing.
Social Networking- how people interact on sites like
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and similar sites. Social networking occurs when
people create a personal profile and interact to become part of a community of
friends and like-minded people and to share information (pg. 54).
Scott uses the analogy of the web as like being a city. Social media and the ways that people interact on blogs, forums, and social networking sites as the bars, private clubs, and cocktail parties of the city. With the map as follows:
- Corporate sites -storefronts on Main Street peddling wares
- Craigslist -the bulletin board at the entrance of the corner store
- eBay - garage sale
- Amazon - a superstore
- Main-stream media sites like the New York Times online are the newspapers of the city
- Chat rooms and forums - pubs and saloons of the online world.
- The proverbial wrong-side-of-the-tracks spots: the web’s adult-entertainment and spam underbelly (pg. 54-55)
How can we make this “city” work
for us when searching for a job? By understanding the new rules of for the job
search. Social media is a new platform
that allows a new way to interact and meet potential employers (pg. 58). The
key strategy is to network. Employers are actually looking for people who are
plugged-in and would fit in at their company or in a certain job (pg. 58).
To find a job via social media you
must pay attention to blogs, social networks, and online communities (pg. 59) focusing
on the following:
- Stop thinking like an advertiser of a product and start thinking like a publisher of information
- Create information that people want
- Create an online presence that people are eager to consume
- Establish a virtual front door that people will happily link to—one that employers will find (pg.59)
One example Scott provides us is
the creative utilization of using a Twitter account to publically announce you
are looking for job, generate leads on jobs not posted (pg. 59) as well as performing a search with key words via a
RSS feed search. RSS stand for Really Simple Syndication, allowing certain web
content delivered to you on a daily basis. Twitter is just one example of how
job seekers and employers are utilizing social media.
Here are a few great articles that
further describe Scott’s perspective.
Scott poses the question: What comes up when you Google your name with
the name of your most recent employer?
I have 2 questions for the team:
- Perform Scotts question and see if anything “shocked” you. (share if you like)
- If you were utilizing social media to conduct a job search, what would your strategy be?
Thank you,
Joanna
References
Dan,
I agree that your Facebook page is
a great example of how you are utilizing social media for your councilman
position. Awesome job on your followers.
I like your page. Your have provided your followers with great
information in an educational manner as well as highlighting historical moments
in time. In your position, those that are following you want to know that your
are engaged in the community as well as keeping them up to date with community
happenings. Most importantly, the page provides two-way commination. Scott
notes: “People can get involved because
it is two-way instead of just one direction. You can grow when there is a
dialogue” (pg. 88) Your site provides this.
I recently followed a local weather
station on Twitter and that site re-tweeted a tweet (one that I was interested in) from a local
radio station DJ’s Twitter account. This
is just an example of how social media platforms are providing social
networking.
Very nice example.
Thank you,
-Joanna
References
Scott, D. M. (2013). (4th ed.). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Hoboken,
New Jersey:
John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.coursesmart.com/9781118488768/firstsection
Hey Joanna, great post! I like that you posed the question at the end as it's a great way to engage the readers.
ReplyDeleteWhen I googled my name and employer, I wasn't too surprised by what I found. In addition to the obvious searches (my Linkedin profile and recent corporate blog posts I had written), there was a site called yatedo.com that had outdated information about me. If I was a recruiter researching information about myself, it would look like I was still a marketing intern!
The nice thing is that you can take control of the website and make changes. I'm not quite sure if it's a safe and reliable site though. Has anyone else heard anything about Yatedo before?
To answer your second question, if I was looking for a job, I would first and foremost go to Linkedin and make sure my profile is up-to-date. Then I would use the Jobs function and filter for job titles and locations that I am interested in. Secondly, I would monitor and follow Twitter accounts like nymjobs and check hashtags like #marketingjobs and #nycmarketingjobs. Recruiters are constantly posting job listings using those hashtags.
-Amanda
Amanda,
DeleteThank you. I thought it was an interesting idea.
I was a bit surprised about what I found out about me. I figured it was going to be information about BMW, but the next thing was from a site on Dealer Rater ( a site where car dealerships are rated). In most instances, it provided positive feedback, however, negative ones find they’re way as well.
Until I read this chapter, I never would have thought to look on social media sites for a job. Another great feature of social media. My co-workers husbands just found a job on Craig’s List, and guess where, Marist College. Who would have thought.
I will defiantly be on the look out.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post and answer the questions.
-Joanna
Hi Joanna,
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you wrote your review on this chapter! First because I was torn between this one, and the chapter I chose on Social Commerce by Qualman. Second, because I am currently searching for a new employer, and am using my social media accounts to do my networking.
In my Google search, I found pretty much what I had expected, as I am very private (past 'ex' issues, etc.). I found my LinkedIn profile, along with the profile of some of my 'connections'. I also found the employee directory for my employer, which lists my name and the contact information for my school. Since working within a public high school is considered open information, I was not successful at getting the contact information removed, as it is part of the state law in New York.
For my strategy, I have done the following:
* Updated and Optimized my LinkedIn Profile
* Searched jobs, companies, HR personnel, and past colleagues on LinkedIn and Facebook
* Connected and Friended all that I had a direct connection with, and requested connections with a brief note for those I did not haave a direct connection.
* Followed up with thank you's for all that have connected.
* Wrote recommendations for others, and requested recommendations from others
* Endorsed others and requested endorsements from others
While most of these steps were done within LinkedIn, I am making it more of a priority to connect with people via Facebook also. I am not as Twitter proficient yet, so I am using this class to become more acclimated to the proper usage for Twitter, before using it for my job quest.
Great post, and I look forward to reading your blog in the coming weeks.
Dawn
Dawn,
DeleteThank you for replying to my post and answering the questions. I noted to Amanda’s post, I never would nave thought to look to social media for a job. But boy was I incorrect. Great job strategy! I too, would like to put my degree to use and look for a new job and I am going to really be searching these platforms to work for me. I, like most people am performing my job search using traditional platforms, as Scott mentions, and am experiencing all the problems he notes. I too do not really have Twitter under my belt, but think it is a fantastic tool for the job search. I really like LinkedIn, but I know my current employer is on there and I do not want to create too much of a profile so they will find me. Someone told me to update my profile and when asked by my employer tell them it was a requirement for one of my classes. What a good idea!
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you,
-Joanna
Hi Joanna,
DeleteYou can have your 'public' profile show only certain things, and then when a recruiter contacts you, you can add them as a connection to see your full profile. This may help with your employer. All they would see is what you choose for your 'public' profile, which you can limit quite well.
Yes, I have been interviewed quite a few times for jobs I found on Craigslist. In fact I got my job with the UC Berkeley Police Department that way. Just be careful of all of the spam jobs. They are easy to spot ... if the job sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Lol!
Thanks,
Dawn
Joanna,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your post this week. When I googled my name with my current employer I found what I expected. The first entry that popped up was my biography on the Marist College’s athletics website. This is beneficial as it has a complete history of my professional experience over the last nine years. The next entry was actually RateMyProfessor.com which I found interesting. I taught for one semester at Marist College and was ranked by one student. I guess I didn’t screw up too bad if I only had one ranking that was positive! My social media accounts – Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook – were the next entries that surfaced, in addition to some links to Marist College’s brand standards manual in which my contact information is listed.
If I were using social media in order to conduct a job search, I would first start with LinkedIn. Having an updated profile with your most recent job experience is very important. I use LinkedIn quite a bit when we are conducting job searches at the College. I like to see if a candidate’s resume matches his/her LinkedIn profile. I have discovered some inaccuracies in the past between a candidate’s resumes and their profile, which throws up red flags. LinkedIn also has a good job posting board in which there are many openings listed.
The tricky part using social media is that you do not want to be too aggressive. It is still important to go through the proper channels. You also do not want to appear desperate. I think being active on social media sometimes speaks for itself. It signifies to employers that you are keeping up with recent trends, are engaged with other users and forward-thinking in your approach to communication.
Travis
Travis,
DeleteThank you. That is great that your search has positive feed back attributes. To be honest, mine was a bit boing. However, I did find that there was more personal information accessible that professional. I really need to try and change this. I have to be a bit more proactive to have my social media accounts surface especially when performing job searches.
Great way to prescreen job applicants using social media. I will keep that in mind when updating my profiles.
I mentioned in a prior post that my co-workers husband found a job at Marist on Craig’s List. Until I read this chapter, I never would have thought to utilize Craig’s List for a job.
Thank you for replying and answering the questions.
-Joanna
Thanks Joanna. I have not used Craiglist as a tool for job searches. I will have to look into that.
DeleteOne of the topics that we are constantly discussing with our student-athletes is their digital footprint. When an employer Google’s their name, what is the first thing that appears. Also, are their social media accounts appropriate? Are there pictures of them drinking, posts that contain profanity or inappropriate discussions?
Since this week’s discussion involves using social media to gain a job, here are a few questions to consider:
1) How do you make an 18-21 year old understand that what they post in college can have an impact on their job search?
2) Should they refrain from using social media so that they do not ruin their chances of landing a job upon graduation?
3) What advice would you give a graduating senior about social media in regards to the job search process?
Travis
Travis,
DeleteOur digital footprint is on important. It’s very difficult for an 18-21 year old to think about their future. I have a 12year old niece and I am constantly telling her to watch what she is posting.
I think the best method of teens/early adults would be to be properly educate them as well as their parents in social media. Possibly offering a class in middle/high school to show them the importance of social media and how it can help and in some situations hurt you. Give examples of how employers are searching for you and show what those findings are. Let them understand what their digital footprint is and how things affect it.
My advice would be to be careful in what you say and post because you are what you post; well on social media.
Thank you.
Joanna
Great questions Travis. I have a 17-year-old son and this is a constant conversation between us. He has actually seen first hand what happens when you are not careful with what you post: someone he goes to school with lost a college soccer scholarship because of continually posted photos and updates from parties throughout the fall.
DeleteI don't think it's possible for the generation coming of age now to forego social media. When I think about the changes since he was born, it's incredible. Classmates and AOL were the most well-known online entities. Blogging, social networking, etc. were barely being considered. Now, he's moved through Facebook, onto Twitter and Instagram, and now Snapchat. It's been a part of their lives from almost the earliest stages.
Rather than social media abstinence -- and this is a parent/mentor thing -- we need to continually talk about self-respect, dignity, integrity. If you think your Grandma or next door neighbor would think less of you for posting something, then you probably shouldn't post it.
Mike
Joanna & Mike,
DeleteThanks for your responses. I agree that it is very difficult for a teenager to understand that what they post now can come back and haunt them years later. The important thing that Mike pointed out is that it is not going away. Social media is something that has to be embraced and young people have to continually be educated about.
We now live in an era where everyone needs to share their lives for the world to see. My wife and I were eating breakfast this morning at IHop and in the booth next to us the dad was on an iPad with headphones in, the mom was playing on her cell phone and the young daughter was staring into space. I fear that mobile devices have taken over our lives and will change the way we communicate.
However, people were probably saying that about the telephone when it came to fruition!
Travis
I see that most people mentioned Twitter and Linkedin. What are your thoughts on using Facebook for job searching? I know I would proceed with caution as I am friends with many of my coworkers, and I would not want anything showing up on Facebook that I was following specific Facebook groups or recruiters.
ReplyDeleteThe same holds true for Twitter too though. If coworkers were following you, it would not be wise to tweet using any job-related hashtags. Direct message, although a bit intrusive, would be the way to go.
Hello fellow Team 2er...
DeleteYour reply here made me think of a different scenario. One Facebook account or two? Same question applies to Twitter, I guess and other platforms. I see people in class using both models -- with a personal account and then a professional one.
What's the preferred option for you?
To me, it seems like it depends on where you set your work/life boundaries. Me...I am me...no matter where I post. If there were something to post to my personal page that my professional world shouldn't see, then I probably shouldn't be posting it to my personal page in the first place.
Where do you stand?
Mike
Amanda and Mike,
DeleteI feel that Facebook would be a great tool to perform research on a company and can be used possibly for interview questions. For example, if you are interested or applying for a position and that company has a Facebook page, you can research it and see how involved they are in the community, what they are posting, etc. This can be used let’s say if you were applying for a social media coordinator position within that company, you can make suggestions of what you can bring to their social media platforms by noting what they are already doing vs. what they can and should be doing.
I agree, that if it is something you don’t want people to see, that you should not post it. However, we are adults and understand that. Teens/young adults do not. As I noted in a prior post., teens/young adults as well as their parents need to be educated in social media and be taught right from wrong on social media.
Thank you,
Joanna
Hey Joanna, I completely agree. While it may seem obvious for some people, others may not understand the do's and don't of social media. Last year, our marketing team held an internal webinar to educate employees about the correct way to use social media. We provided them specific example of when it's okay to use social media and when it's not in addition to how we both can work together to benefit from social networking.
DeleteAs I mentioned before, this is what started our internal social sharing program. We saw the power of social media, and we wanted to give our employees a chance to be brand advocates for our company.
Has anyone else had a similar social media training at work? I'd be interested to understand what other companies are doing to provide educate when it comes to social networking.
Hi Joanna,
ReplyDeleteGreat post, and a good way to illustrate the points Scott was making. I answered the question and found the first page filled with mentions of me across our campus website via directories, policies,etc. I was glad to see both my LinkedIn and Google+ profiles make the first page also, Second page goes on to include me in my spokesman role in The New York Times and other outlets.
I've yet to use social media to conduct any portion of a job search as I've been where I currently work for some time. I do get to experience the other end of it, though, with people regularly contacting me via social media seeking positions.
As a prospective employer, I only really pay attention to those who come to me through contacts with whom I have a long history. It's that trust factor kicking in.
I think it also speaks to what is most effective via social media -- authenticity. If it does not seem like you should make unsolicited contact with a stranger, you probably shouldn't!
Mike
Hi Joanna - great organization of this chapter's content. I googled myself and apparently I'm pretty boring. Just kidding, the results populated what I expected, which was work related. I have my Facebook and Twitter accounts on lock-down for privacy so no surprise they didn't pull in much.
ReplyDeleteLike many of our classmates, I would opt to use LinkedIn first and foremost because I know my HR friends and colleagues review that source first before moving on to Facebook and Twitter. I feel that LinkedIn is a more trusted source for professional associations.
While I haven't personally used Facebook or Twitter to seek employment opportunities for myself, I recently posted a position to my accounts for an opening in my department. It led to re-connecting me with a former colleague of mine who was a great resource. Fast forward several months...spoiler alert...we hired her and she fit right in to the team seamlessly.
I liked that you focused your recap on this topic as it has given me a different perspective on how employers seek talent to fill positions. It certainly reinforces that social networking has changed much of how we conduct ourselves whether it's how engage with brands, how we search for news, or in this case how we seek employment and how it seeks us.