Hey Everyone!
This week I focused on Chapter 4 of David Meerman Scott’s, The
New Rules of Marketing and PR. This
chapter is titled, Social Media and Your Targeted Audience. There were so many good topics in this
chapter so it is hard to pick one that really stands out. I think it is important to review Scott’s
definitions of social media and networking and then focus on the points he made
about how to use social media for job searching.
Scott starts out by briefly mentions all types of social
media sites, all of which we are most likely familiar with at this point (2013). He makes it a point to mention; social
networking, blogs, photo sharing, chat rooms, wikis, mobile applications, etc.
(Scott, 2013). He defines social media
as a way for people to share anything from their ideas to their relationships
(Scott, 2013). Social media allows
people to interact on a different medium than was ever done in the past. A point that I found particularly interesting
is that Scott differentiates social media and social networking. In my experience the two phrases have been
used interchangeably. According to Scott
social media is defined as, “…how we refer to the various media that people use
to communicate online in a social way (2013).”
This is referring to all of the sites I previously mentioned. Social networking is, “…to refer to how
people interact on sites (Scott, 2013).”
He believes networking occurs when people develop their own pages and
begin to share information with each other (Scott, 2013). We see how quickly these pages can grow and
create interaction with Scott’s example of the Singapore tattoo show. Due to the Facebook page that was created for
this tattoo show, it had three times the amount of people come than were
expected (Scott, 2013). People with
similar interests become instant friends on sites like Facebook and allow
people around the world to connect.
Scott then goes on to teach us how to use social media for
job searching. Social media allows for
us as job seekers to interact with potential employers, something that has not
been done in past years (Scott, 2013). LinkedIn
is one of the business oriented sites that allows people to directly connect
with other business professionals. Scott
gives advice that I find particularly important, “Create information that
people want. Create an online presence
that people are eager to consume (2013).”
He is not asking you to be something you are not but more so to put your
best foot forward. Scott mentions two
different people that used social networking professionally and succeeded. One of his mentions even found a job through
Twitter that had not officially been posted yet (2013). This is the power of social networking. You can put yourself out there and people
will come to you.
As a side note, I found this book, at right, Job
Searching with Social Media for Dummies, that I thought tied into Scott’s
chapter this week. I did not know this
book was out there and it is amazing to see that there is a whole book
dedicated to helping people use social media to find a job. I thought that this was an interesting fun
fact to add to this weeks discussion.
Any other thoughts on this chapter?!
-Michele
Works Cited:
Scott, D.(2013). The
New Rules of Marketing and PR. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, John & Sons,
Incorporated
Hi Michele - nice post this week!
ReplyDeleteI read through this chapter, and was also struck by the comments that Scott made around finding a job using social media.
In this article by contributor Natalia Jones on CareerPath360, she offers up the negatives of using social media for job hunting (an area of research that Scott avoids)
"Your profiles are subject to scrutiny as well unless you are careful to change permissions so only those who are already approved friends can see your information. There is also a tendency to be more informal online and this can hurt your chances of projecting a professional image" (Jones, 2013).
For example - I'm currently conducting interviews for our summer internship. I am checking out the social profiles of all our applicants, and have been very surprised at the lack of filter between the "personal" and "professional". Some applicants have actually sent over blogs with entries that, frankly, are inappropriate to circulate amongst potential employeers.
Those individuals who completely block all social network access seem closed off, and unapproachable.
Where do you think "the line" is drawn between how to use social media for personal use, while at the same time, making it a professional representation of yourself?
Citations -
Jones, N. (2012). "Pros and Cons of using Social Media for Job Hunting" CareerPath360.com Retrieved from http://www.careerpath360.com/index.php/pros-and-cons-of-using-social-media-for-job-hunting-2-2383/
Hey Adrienne
DeleteI think that there is a very prevalent "line" when it comes to making your social media sites personal and professional. Pictures of a person partying and drinking are certainly not professional even if it is someones lifestyle. If you know that an employer is going to be looking through your social media sites you really need to reassess them.
It frustrates me to an extent because I feel like whatever you do outside of work is your business. If you want to go out and post pictures about it, that is your business. If a person shows up to work everyday and does what they are supposed to then there is not a problem. As long as the person shows up to work and does what needs to get done, their private life is just that.
Unfortunately with all of the technology we have now, there is no way to keep companies from being curious about their potential employees' private lives. An employee should not bring their whole private life to work if it could interfere with work but outside of work should be their business.
-Michele
Hi Michele, Nice post. I liked how Scott broke down the definition of social media and social networking. Finding a job through social networking is like the new "it" thing. With so many ways to get your name, experience and goals out into a public, it seems easy to catch the eye of someone that can give you a job or lead you in the right direction to find one.
ReplyDeleteA study made by Careerbuilder found that "37% of employers use social networks to screen potential job candidates and 34% of employers who scan social media profiles said they found content that has caused them not to hire a candidate" (Bullock, 2013).
I think when it comes to social networking and social media, if one is looking for a job, they need to have a professional account and a private account. The professional account should not be bare, but should not include pictures of things that can be taken negatively. It's easy to delete tweets, but on sites like Facebook, a person should definitely have two profiles. It's difficult to monitor every picture someone tags you in or every message someone posts on your wall. I would separate the two, I rather be safe than sorry.
Bullock, L. (2013, August 9). How to use social media to find a job. Retrieved from
http://socialmediatoday.com/lilachbullock/1655511/how-use-social-media-find-job
Andrea - you bring up a really interesting point - having 2 Facebook profiles to manage personal and business. Do you have two profiles?
DeleteI, personally, have two Twitter accounts - one for work, and one for persona - because for me, the audience (i.e. the tech folks who follow my work twitter) may not care about how my veggie stew experiment came out :)
I have made a personal decision to make my Facebook strictly non-business. You can't even find me on FB unless you have a link. I have a public Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIN and Google+ page (along with this blog now!) which provides more than enough information about me and my online presence.
Do you (and others) think it's OK to make a strategic decision to make some social platforms private to employeers? Or should we (as employees) have to be completely transparent with our employeers?
No, I don't have two profiles because I don't really use Facebook or any social networks. I have them, but don't really post on them, I mostly just use them to see what everyone else is talking about. My FB is also private, but my Twitter is not.
DeleteI think it's ok to have some strictly private social media pages. Employeers don't need to know EVERYTHING you are doing or thinking. As long as you are doing your job and not misrepresenting the company, everything else shouldn't matter.
My personal best practice would be, if you have to think twice about posting it, don't post it!
Hey Andrea
DeleteI was actually thinking the same thing! Two accounts on each site you use (personal and professional) could be a smart idea. I do have two potential problems with it though. First it could be really hard to manage two accounts. It may get confusing and ruin the experience of using social media. Also, who is to say that a business cannot find your personal one? I suppose you could make it private, but if they come across it they may have questions that are going to be hard to answer.
-Michele
I was also pleased to read the distinction that Scott offered between social media and social networking. I was previously confused about the difference and his explanation helped me to clarify it in my mind.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am amazed at the change LinkedIn has made to the job search process. “LinkedIn is used for identifying buyers and potential partners, understanding the competitors, conducting market research, sharing information, and promoting events” (Scott, p. 255). Because of LinkedIn, employers and employees are now tapping into the valuable networks created at work. “Simply finding a job and submitting a resume isn’t enough – now companies are looking for personalized approaches and recommendations from networks” (Yeung, 2013, para. 2). What I find most remarkable is the employer’s ability to approach potential employees, whether or not the workers are even in the job hunt.
After all the examples we have read regarding how companies poorly managed crisis situations, it was nice to read how well B&H Photo handled their issue with the shortage of Nikkon’s D200 camera. B&H took orders for the cameras, but then cancelled them. Their first-come-first –serve policy was broken. Within a few hours, there were several dozen negative forum posts. One social media minded employee save the day. He provided an honest explanation for the difficulties the customers were experiencing, accepted full responsibility, apologized for the inconvenience and promised to make it right. This was not a one-time situation for B&H. “The message boards and online forums are a critical component of the company’s marketing and communications strategy” (Scott, 2013, p. 66). This example was a refreshing change from the poor crisis management that we read about more commonly.
Scott, D. M. (2013). The new rules of marketing & pr. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Yeung, K. (2013, May 5). LinkedIn is 10 years old: here's how it changed the way we work. Retrieved February 2, 2014, from http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/05/05/linkedin-10-years-social-network/
Hey Susan
DeleteLindedin seems like an extremely useful site. I have yet to set up an account but I find myself thinking about it more and more. It could really use help with with job searching and seeing what is out there. I feel like every time I search jobs online it is a struggle. I will see openings but there is no direct person to get in contact with and Linkedin seems like a good way to go. I have no experience with this site but it seems to be helping more and more people so I just might start getting into it.
Do you have a personal experience with Linkedin? Has it helped you?
.-Michele
I do not. I have not used the site much, but I know my brother and friends have had quite a bit of success with it.
Delete-Sue
Hi Michele,
ReplyDeleteI love it that you found this Dummies book, and I even went to my Amazon account and added it to my wish list. :)
You, and the others who have commented, make an interesting point about privacy and being professional while job searching with social media. Plus, your point about being 'blocked off'.
I am currently searching for a new career position - one that better compliments what my education and experience. I am using LinkedIn for searching jobs, HR personnel at companies I am interested in, and for connecting with those I have worked with in the past. I only allow prospective employers see a partial profile, until they connect with a message letting me know who they are. I am not one of those people who connect to everyone, and let anyone connect to me. That profile is a reflection of who I am as an individual, but more importantly who I am as a professional. Some may say I am closing off possible key connections, which is true. However, I am also closing off those individuals that may have a 'negative' effect on my profile, and this is more important to me. I can always expand my connections with others once I know who they are, but changing someone's perspective of who you are through a profile is almost impossible ... first impressions are always what is remembered first and foremost! I also keep my connections 'private' to everyone, as I have connections from my time in the music business that are very private and do not want to be bombarded with connect requests. The key point with LinkedIn is that I use it to get an interview ... not a job. Of course, if a job lands in my lap, I will certainly consider it, but I don't want to give so much information that an employer doesn't need to interview me. I want that face-to-face opportunity.
I have two accounts on Facebook. One business account with all of my connections through the music industry, and one with my family and friends. When a business connection becomes a close friend, I just ask them to friend me on my second account, and we both know to be laid back on the personal account, and professional on the other. It works out perfect! I keep both of these accounts private. This is for two reasons: the business one is private because of my 'friends', and the personal one is private due to a crazy ex that can't seem to let the past go.
I only set up my Google+, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest accounts when this class began. However, I have begun to set up business accounts on these mediums, due to my seeing the true benefits of their use.
As for Adrienne's question:
I live my life transparent. The only difference when it is involving social media and employers is that employers use social media to 'weed out' candidates, as much as they use it to 'find candidates'. For this reason, I think full transparency is always a risk. Face-to-face is the only way to truly judge a person's ability to 'fit in', as word on a page or computer can be read many different ways, with many differing views and perceptions attached.
Great post, and discussion!
Dawn
Hey Dawn
DeleteI am so glad you found the book interesting! I did not even know that the book existed until I did some research. It could be extremely helpful. Thanks for sharing your experience on Linkedin. It certainly clarified how to use the site for me because as I mentioned in a previous post today, I do not have an account with them but I am looking into setting one up. It seems to be going fairly well for you.
Do you think Linkedin is actually helping you on the job search or is it just something else to have to think about? I would love your input!
-Michele
Hi Michele,
DeleteIn all honesty, I believe LinkedIn will be the way I find my next job. Currently, I have not been on it as much, because I am trying really hard to get an A in this class, and I am one of those folks who don't use social media, so it is taking up all of my time thus far.
I do plan on returning to searching and connecting on a regular basis once this class is over though. With the graduation ceremony in May and my Capstone class starting after that, I need to get moving on finding that next job before the loans kick in.
Best of luck in the job search, and let me know if you need any other tips on LinkedIn.
Dawn
Hi Dawn -
DeleteYou mention that you have two accounts on FB - one for personal, and one for business. If you believe (as do I) that LinkedIn is going to be the foremost popular job / professional networking site - do you plan on getting rid of your professional FB account, and migrating your contacts to your LinkedIn profile?
Or - to help manage time - are you planning on getting rid of other social profiles on other sites to help focus in on the ones that are most influential? This would be great advice for a lot of folks in this class who are in the same job-hunting mode as you are!
Hi Adrienne,
DeleteI have thought about switching my professional contacts within Facebook over to LinkedIn, but many of the bands and musicians do not have LinkedIn accounts. Many have MySpace accounts, which I do not have, so I just keep the Facebook account.
I would like to combine all of my accounts after school is finished, and will probably keep Facebook and Pinterest for personal. Then I will use my LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter for professional. I was thinking of keeping my Blogger account to help me get web exposure, and get my name on the searches more, but since I am always worrying about my past with my ex, I most likely will not.
I wish all of us job-hunters the very best of luck in finding the job that matches our skills and ambitions to the fullest!
Dawn
Great conversation so far everyone!
ReplyDeleteI know a lot of us are either "job-hunting" or "job-hiring"
Scott offers a lot of great ideas and suggestions. If you had to offer one piece of advice about job hunting on social media - what would it be?
I'll give you an example - I'm currently interviewing summer interns for my Communications team. I've read a lot of paper resumes - and scrolled through numerous blogs, Twitter accounts and Pinterest pages. Based on some of the appropriate (and inappropriate) things I've seen - my personal advice would be;
"Don't write anything that you wouldn't want on the bathroom walls!" (an old saying from my mother :)
Employers can see everything - and if you're looking for a job - err on the side of caution when sharing your content!
So I ask everyone - What would be your personal "best practice"?
Adrienne and Michele,
DeleteAdrienne, your mom gave you some great advice. I give presentations to various student groups on campus about social media etiquette (it's called "You Are What You Tweet") and one lesson I really try and drive home with them is: If you don't want something to be seen by anyone, don't write it down. (Also something my mother taught me!).
Michele, I am in the process of beginning a job search and am attempting to take Scott's advice to heart, particularly on Twitter.
Kait
Adrienne- I love your mother's advice!!! I think I will pass it along to my daughters. The impact of the written word is so much greater on social media. Think of how viral messages become and how massive the exposure.
DeleteMy best practice in social media and in life in general is to be honest, transparent and think twice before writing or even saying anything. Words can be very useful but extremely damaging as well.
Haha. That's great advice, Adrienne! And, in fact, it's something I already live by in the social media space. I'm with Susan on this. Every single thing you put online can come under intense scrutiny if you aren't careful. A great teaching example of this is Justine Sacco, a PR executive who was fired after tweeting an ill-advised AIDS joke. Those who knew her and got her sense of humor weren't nearly as offended as the millions of people that this was re-tweeted to. (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/22/pr-exec-fired-racist-tweet-aids-africa-apology)
DeleteSo, its not just about being careful what you do before you get the job but what you do after as well. As marketers, and employees of our respective companies, we can come to represent the brand of the company you work for. Social media is a powerful tool for sharing every aspect of our lives and thoughts but its always good to take an extra second to think: does the rest of the world need to know this funny joke I just thought up?
Michele,
ReplyDeleteReally great, informative post. And I’m loving the conversation that has sprung up because of it. As someone who is currently going through the whole job search process, I’m finding this all very helpful and informative. It has also re-confirmed a lot of things I have been finding as well. I like how Scott makes a clear distinction between social media and social networking. When it comes to building out your communications with the public, you are building a relationship. Essentially, you are networking on a mass scale.
When it comes to looking for work, networking is probably THE most important way to find a job. Looking at these two facts together, it is only natural to leap at the opportunity social media provides to make connections between employers and potential employees. I know I have found sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter incredibly helpful resources as I look for work. In fact, I know many companies have their HR departments maintain a social media presence, especially on Twitter, with dedicated tweets to job searchers about openings with a company. I also know that many recruiters from these same companies have a presence as well, tweeting helpful advice to job seekers. I think this shows companies with great organizational structures, with a consistent company message shown throughout each and every one of their social media channels.
Because of the line of work I’m looking into, I know many media companies maintain these kind of Twitter handles, such as @HBOCareers, @TimeWarnerJobs, and @NBCUniCareers. NBC Universal’s account is actually very interesting to follow as they will occasionally hold an open forum with Twitter followers, fielding questions about working at the company and the best way to find a job there through the hashtag #talk2nbcu. (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23talk2nbcu&src=hash)
To your above questions about LinkedIn, I’ve found it a great resource in finding people who are already in my network of friends, former co-workers, and classmates who may be in a position to help me somewhere down the road. Many of the recent opportunities I’ve had over the past couple of years have come from my connections on LinkedIn. I have even blind messaged people in different aspects of the industry I want to work in to ask for advice and gain insights into their role in the company. Many have graciously taken me up on this and great relationships have come from that to the point where they send me a long job leads on occasion. Also, I know if I see an opening that might be a good fit for me in that company, I have a friendly face to approach about it.
Job searching has always been about networking. However, now with social media at our fingertips, it's easier than ever, but of course, like many people here have said, you have to be careful how to use it. First impressions are everything and I know my generation is very much into over sharing in the digital space. For myself, I never put anything about myself that I wouldn’t want out there in the first place. I don’t know how or why people share the things they do, essentially taking away their own privacy, but anything and everything you post these days is a comment on you. Taking this into account, people need to be smarter about what they decide to post about themselves.