Your Career and You: "Social Media...Why Not?"

I presented a session recently at Regis College, where I teach part-time in the graduate “Organizational and Professional Communication” area, on social media’s role in career progression.

We had a good turnout comprising, interestingly enough, mostly grad students and faculty from Regis’ nursing program.

Social media is an area I’ve gotten even more interested in after having noticed that my grad students at Regis, as well as my undergrad Communication students at Curry College, my full-time gig where I oversee the Public Relations Concentration and teach most of the PR courses, are not as “fluent” in social media as I had expected.

This realization really hit home when I launched a “Social Media Communication” course at Curry and discovered, when I polled the class, that less than 10 percent were active on any social media platform other than Facebook.

Now I’m not advocating devoting your life to hanging out on Twitter, Facebook, and the other “usual suspects” all the time.

But I am suggesting that you acknowledge the realities of the 21st-century and accept that online communication…in addition to…not in place of…face-to-face dialogue…is here…and expected.

The gist of my Regis presentation was that human resources folks as well as hiring managers are turning more and more to social media as a means of identifying potential candidates for jobs they’re trying to fill…and to get a sense of who the person is that they’ve pinpointed (personality, interests, etc.).

How this relates to you, my loyal reader, is that, if you don’t have a presence on at least some of the major social media platforms, you may be missing out on opportunities to move up in your profession…to expand your career beginning or advancement possibilities.

My questions to you…

• Does your Facebook page give an indication of your interests (outside of keg parties and other generally inane activities)? How about photos of interesting places you’ve visited? Or links to other websites with interesting information?
• Are you on Twitter? If I looked at your recent Tweets, what would I see? Thoughtful comments or retweets of others’ equally thoughtful comments? Or profanity-laced diatribes directed at the football game du jour??
• LinkedIn? This platform has taken firm hold as the de facto job and job candidate resource. Do you have a LinkedIn page and, if so, does it give a clear picture of your experience, your knowledge, and your professional capabilities?

These three represent just the tip of the iceberg, with many others also available.

The question for you is…if you’re on these social media platforms…are you maximizing their potential in helping you either find a job or move up in your profession?

And, if you’re not using social media as a means of “getting the word out”…why not?

"The codfish lays ten thousand eggs,

The homely hen lays one.

The codfish never cackles

To tell you what she's done.

And so we scorn the codfish,

While the humble hen we prize,

Which only goes to show you

That it pays to advertise."

Anonymous ~ "It Pays to Advertise"

Your Career and You: "Don't Be Invisible"

I’ve noticed recently, especially since I launched a “Social Media Communication” course at Curry College, where I oversee the Public Relations Concentration and teach most of the undergrad PR courses, the incredibly low profile that a majority of my students have.

It’s not that they’re not aware of the need to “see and be seen.”

It’s just that they don’t seem to have grasped the true meaning of “social media presence” in today’s ultra-wired world…the need to “see and be seen” on at least the most popular platforms.

If they were studying science (I’m gonna hear from the Biology Department on this!), this might not be so much of an issue. But they’re Communication majors, and the very name implies a knowledge…and utilization…of current avenues for both getting the message out and being “seen” by others.

It’s not confined to my troops at Curry, however. I’ve been invited to present a seminar on social media’s role in career advancement and job search at Regis College, where I teach part-time in the graduate Organizational and Professional Communication area. The objective is to present a clear explanation of why social media, in this case LinkedIn specifically but also other platforms, is a “must be there” reality today.

I “get” that not everyone is or is going to be social media savvy. But I’m not talking about “everyone.” I’m talking about college seniors and grad students who are feverishly combing online job sites and (or at least, I hope) career services job listings at their college or university.

Note the emphasis on “I hope.”

Colleges' career services offices, from what I saw in my peregrinations about the state a few years back as a part-time professor at several colleges in the Boston area, are a woefully underutilized resource. Granted not all are what I would classify as “with it,” but the majority have databases that can at least pry open the employment gates so that you can catch a glimpse of the wonders that await you.

At Curry, I'm happy to say, we offer a robust selection of services and resources for both current students as well as alums...and people find jobs or internships regularly by taking advantage of the advice, assistance, and guidance offered.

But that’s just one piece of the puzzle.

The other is establishing yourself “out there”…creating an online “you” that I, as a potential employer, can access and learn more about you.

An obvious start would be LinkedIn…populated by employees, employers, would-be employees, employment specialists (recruiters), and others. To use my explanation (that those smarter than I absolutely hate), it’s the professional’s Facebook. Yes…before you start spamming me with your protestations…I know it’s much more than that. But let’s K.I.S.S…Keep It Simple, Savant.

And there are other “value-added” options such as Twitter (where you can post frequent and regular comments about events in the news, your own observations on life/business/college, etc.), Pinterest (where you can create boards to post articles, cartoons, and such that show your interest areas)…your blog (created with a clear vision of who you are or want to be and populated with regular posts showing the depth and breadth of your thoughts).

I’m not suggesting you have to be using all these, or even most of these.

What I am suggesting is that you have a presence on at least one so that, if I meet you at a professional event (PRSA, Social Media Club, IABC, or elsewhere) and you give me your card, I can do a quick Google search or visit the website that you indicate on your card to find out a little bit more about you…and…perhaps…pass on your name to someone who I know is looking to fill a vacant position.

But this isn’t going to happen unless I can find you online…so don’t be invisible!!

"As I was going up the stair
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today.
I wish, I wish he'd stay away"
Hughes Mearns, "The Psychoed"

Your Career and You: "I found a day!"

Once in a while I seem to not have my head glued on completely. For those of you who have already crossed my path, you know this.

My students...my undergrad Communication students at Curry College in particular, but also my grad students at Regis College...figure this out fast.

I'm known for saying: “Of all the things I’ve lost in life, I miss my mind the most.”

Ø  Absent-minded? Yes.

Ø  Disorganized? Absolutely.

But I’ve learned over the years to roll with those minor afflictions and, most of the time, to find a way to capitalize on the outcome.

This week is a case in point.

I am a long-time member of the Board of Directors of Boston Harborfest, a nonprofit organization that coordinates a week-long series of events in Boston that attract thousands of people from New England and around the world.

As part of my involvement, I volunteer my time to help out where needed…in the Information Booth that will be located on Boston’s City Hall Plaza and as the ticket-collector at the gate for Chowderfest.

Well…I signed up for my stint in the Information Booth and dutifully blocked the hours off on my calendar (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) for the Monday I would be there.

I then went about organizing the day and the remainder of the week.

Easy enough.

But…

I realized this morning as I was eating breakfast that I had marked off the wrong date...I was a week early in my planning.

Instead of getting all flustered and chewing myself out for being (for me) “normal,” though, I was delighted.

I “found a day”! A day for which nothing is scheduled!!

I now have an “extra” day that I can use to take care of some projects that I have been putting off “until I had time.”

Ø  I can write posts for this blog as well as for “Waxing Unlyrical,” an amazing blog created and managed by the equally amazing Shonali Burke.

Ø  I also can continue reading The Social Media Bible and preparing for my new course at Curry… “Social Media Communication.”

I have time!!

I know this sounds a little weird, but there’s a point to this.

The lesson we should learn, to re-phrase my South Park idols’ favorite saying, is that flexibility is key to job…and life…satisfaction.

Things don’t always go as planned.

Ø  Meetings get cancelled…or scheduled…at the last minute.

Ø  Clients “remember” projects that they “absolutely must have completed by the end of the day” (Friday, usually) at noon on Friday.

Ø  The electricity goes out.

The “trick” is to quickly identify an alternative solution or course of action.

It can be maddening at first, especially if you are like my wife, who plans everything out to the N^th degree. She absolutely loathes schedule changes…sees them as a direct insult.

But, over the course of some 40 years of marriage, she has mellowed and has learned how to adapt…to either find something else to fill in the unscheduled gap or (gasp!) simply do nothing…to relax and enjoy the downtime.

I’m not suggesting doing nothing if you are in the workplace. What I am suggesting is that you learn to adapt quickly and quietly.

Not only will you find yourself less stressed. You very likely will impress others around you with your adaptability and ability to “roll with the punches.”

Trust me…It's possible, and that’s a good thing!

“'There’s no use trying,’ she said: ‘One can’t believe impossible things.’

‘I daresay you haven’t had much practice,’ said the Queen. ‘When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.’” – Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, ‘The Walrus and the Carpenter’” [1865]

Your Career and You: "Holiday List-Making"

Okay…I know you’re still munching on leftover Halloween candy. But now’s the time to start on this important part of your career development or job search…holiday networking.

I’m constantly on my students both at Curry College, where I head the undergraduate Public Relations concentration and teach most of the PR courses, and at Regis College, where I teach part-time in the graduate Organizational and Professional Communication area, to do this one thing and do it well…network.

If you’ve kind of been letting your outreach to folks you’ve met at professional and/or social functions lie fallow, now’s the perfect time to ramp up activities.

It’s not rocket-science, friends. It’s a simple direct message on Twitter or Facebook or whatever social media platform(s) you’re on…please tell me you’re on several!! It’s a (legibly) handwritten holiday card or simple note. It’s an invitation to get together for coffee. It’s networking at its simplest and finest!

Now…today…this weekend…is the ideal time to comb your contacts and identify those individuals on whose radar screen you really, really, really should be seen. (Even as I write this, I realize there are two people with whom I haven’t communicated in eons and with whom I must reconnect…
so this post has already been of value to me!)

Then plan your outreach. Who via Twitter? Facebook? Snail mail?? Sort it out…the task won’t seem so daunting.

When? Make it an organized operation…not hit-or-miss. Set aside an hour two or three days a week (early morning/evening…whenever you can without throwing your regular work or school routine into a tailspin).

Finally, keep track of your efforts. Sounds simplistic, but if you’re reaching out to a boatload of people, you want to make sure that (a) you do and (b) you don’t duplicate…kinda makes you look disorganized if you contact me through Facebook and snail mail at the same time. I tend to think “okay, mass mailing…not personal.”

Of course face-to-face is the best way to do your networking, but that’s obviously not always feasible. The energy that I always gain, though, from having sat and chatted with a friend or professional colleague over a cup of coffee is sooo worth the extra effort.

And that’s your assignment for the short-term. The holiday season, when everyone is all about friendships and giving and camaraderie, is an ideal time to re-kindle relationships.

Granted, you should be doing this all year long. But, just in case…start now making your lists!

“There are many ways to increase your knowledge of people through personal contact…Talk to people beyond the confines of your own business, social, professional, or even community group. Get new points of view.”
Edward L. Bernays, “A Definitive Study of Your Future in Public Relations” [1961], p. 122

Your Career and You: "Changing Fishbowls"

Conversations with a variety of current and former students over the past couple of weeks gave me cause to think about just how we tend to stick within the real or imagined walls of our "universe."

I was reminded of the time we bought a new aquarium for our goldfish...the equivalent for the fish of moving from a studio apartment to a three-bedroom penthouse with roofdeck.

The guys totally freaked.

For the first week, they wouldn't venture beyond what they remembered as the boundaries of their old "apartment." They would be chasing each other (playing, I hope) and, when they reached what used to be the side...screech!!! A dead stop.

Took nearly two weeks for them to figure out that they actually could explore "outside the walls." (One of them...not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree...knocked himself senseless once, apparently figuring that, since the original wall was no longer there, no walls were there! He only did this once, but it was a lesson painfully learned!)

Which brings me back to the students' plights...all job-search related.

It's not that they haven't been looking. It's just that they've been looking right around their familiar stomping grounds. Those who live south of Boston are looking south of Boston. Ditto for north and west.

I understand the natural urge to stay close to home, and some of them have real reasons for doing so. But...

Common sense (and a quick conversation with their former professor) should help them realize that the odds are stacked against them... after all, I'm the guy who has lived and worked in five states and two foreign countries...and that's not counting internships and training in three other states.

If you've been looking for a job for a year or so and nothing has come up for which you had a shot, maybe it's time to change your fishbowl...broaden your search horizons.

Just because you move away for a few years doesn't mean that you've forsaken family and friends. It should be...and they should realize this...a sign that you've grown up and are making grown-up decisions!!

This isn't to say that searching elsewhere is the magic potion...that it's going to be the solution to your dilemma. But at least, at the end of the day, you can say to yourself and to others, "I took full advantage of the opportunities that were available to me in my job search."

And you don't have to be alone as you venture into those uncharted waters. Think back on the things I've mentioned/ urged you to do/preached about over the years...

1. Expand your network...Use LinkedIn, Facebook, Happo, Brazen Careerist, and the dozens of other social networking sites to make connections, establish new relationships, and ferret out job opportunities.

For my Public Relations students, I remind them constantly of the value of professional organizations like the Public Relations Society of America, the International Association of Business Communicators, the American Marketing Association, and others.

2. Call on others for advice...Even at Curry College, a small private college just south of Boston, faculty are from all over the place...and have contacts all over the place. Talk to them; find out who they know where and what they know about various cities around the country (or world, for that matter).

This is a start, and you will build on your resource base as you move forward. But first, you have to take that one step that moves you out of your "same ol'-same ol'" routine. You have to change your fishbowl!

"Nature--that is, biological evolution--has not fitted man to any specific environment...His imagination, his reason, his emotional subtlety and toughness, make it possible for him not to accept the environment, but to change it." Jacob Bronowski, "The Ascent of Man" [1973]

Your Career and You: Have a Reason to Connect

I just "inherited" another follower on Twitter...checked her feeds and didn't find anything obscene (I won't get into the gazillion typos I found in her tweets), so didn't block her.

The occurrence sparked the idea for this week's post, though...along with a chat that I've been following on LinkedIn about "introductions."

When I get notice of a new follower on Twitter, or a friend request on Facebook, or an invitation to connect on LinkedIn, I always ask a simple question: "Why me?"

I'd like to pamper myself with the notion that perhaps my thoughts are regarded as interesting or worthwhile by these folks. But I'm not convinced...in fact, kinda doubt it most of the time.

I'm nowhere near as erudite as my colleague Todd Defren at SHIFT, who writes a great blog on topics near and dear to my PR-prone heart. Nor do my topics have as great a significance for senior management as those addressed by Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross at Weber Shandwick.

So why do you want to follow/friend/connect with me? The answer to that little question seems to be where the real connection isn't being made.

At first I was grateful that someone wanted to share a common social media link with me...until I checked up on a few and found some "interesting" photos or comments...blocked and reported those puppies immediately!

Now I'm more cautious. If I don't recognize your name, I'm going to do some quick sleuthing. Who are you? And what common connection do we have in our backgrounds?

So, to speed up the process and increase your chances of my complying with your request, tell me why you're reaching out!

What mutual friend recommended that you connect with me?

What  organization do we both belong to?

What job are you applying for that I have some connection with?

Tell me!!

This applies in all aspects of your job search. Don't assume that I'm going to do your homework and find out who you are.

And this applies equally to your resume and cover letter. When I've been part of search committees over the years tasked with slogging through piles of resumes from everyone from highly-qualified communication professionals to laid-off cab drivers, the most annoying part of the process has been reading the cover letter and resume of someone who assumed that I was going to know what he or she wanted to do.

We always had three piles: (1) definitely talk to this person ASAP; (2) hmmm, let's think about this one, and (3) naah.

Want to guess where the ones that I was just talking about wound up? Without being read fully and discussed??

Especially in my world of public relations, the ability to communicate is paramount. And if you can't make your case right up front in your initial introduction, your chances have gotten way smaller.

So back to reasons. Here are a few that I used in my job search in Hawaii:

1. Before moving from Massachusetts to Hawaii..."I'm writing as a fellow member of the Public Relations Society of America..."

2. After relocating..."We met at a recent meeting of the PRSA/Hawaii Chapter..."
or

3. "I'm writing at the suggestion of XXXX at the Bank of Hawaii who, after chatting with me about job opportunities, thought that my background and experience might be just what you're looking for to fill your open XXXX position..."

Three short but clear reasons/connections, all of which resulted in informational or job-specific interviews. No guesswork involved.

I'm constantly reminding my Communication students at Curry College, especially my Public Relations concentration disciples, as well as my graduate Communications students at Regis College, of the importance of results-oriented communication with target audiences.

Your target audience in this case is someone who either can point you in the direction of a job opportunity or might consider you for a specific job. Give him or her a reason to connect!

"A man always has two reasons for what he does - a good one, and the real one."
John Pierpont Morgan, "From OWEN WISTER, Roosevelt: The Story of Friendship" [1930]

Your Career and You: "Find Your Inspiration"

I read a truly inspiring feature this morning in the Boston Sunday Globe about a young man...Lane Sutton...from Framingham, MA, who at age 13 has established himself as a social media maven.

I also read some genuinely idiotic comments from some Globe readers who apparently are appalled that this young man has emerged as a budding leader in the social media world. Seems like some folks are not prepared for the fact that some young men and women actually do care and actually do such shockingly adult things as read, use grown-up language, and have a vision.

This might explain why some of the young adults with whom I come in contact both at Curry College, where I teach undergrad Communication courses and oversee the Public Relations Concentration, and Regis College, where I teach graduate communication courses, are clueless about where they would like to go in life. They have gotten zip as guidance from their parents!

This is obviously a problem as we are talking about young men and women who are within shouting distance of their entry into the professional working world and are investing a not-inconsiderable chunk of cash into their educational preparation. They don't know why they're doing it!!

It's not entirely hopeless, though, and this is why I (and many other of my colleagues) take the time to meet with students to guide...nudge... shove(?) them along a particular path. We see the glimmer of a possibility, and we make it our crusade to help those who will accept our help find their way.

So what does all this mean for you?

It means you look to others...teachers, peers, parents, whoever you respect...for guidance and advice.

And you start paying attention to the success stories of those who have found their way and see how what they have done might apply to you.

What fascinated me about Lane Sutton's story is the fact that, in spite of his being, to use the trite phrase, "ahead of his time," he is a normal, decent kid who does his homework, has friends in school, and rides his bike.

Where he diverges from the norm is the fact that he reads newspapers and magazines. He associates with and talks to adults. He has figured out where his interests lie, and he's doing something about it. OMG...he reads?!?

Maybe this isn't you. Maybe this isn't where your interest lies. And that's ok. You don't have to be like someone just because he or she is successful.

What you do have to do is ask yourself, "What is it about this person that made him what he is today?"

When you answer that question, you're ready to find your own role model...someone who you would like to be like...someone whose interests are similar to yours.

Pay attention to what he or she does...reads...says...thinks. Ask yourself, "Am I like that? Do I want to be like that?"

I'm not saying become a mindless clone. What I am saying is you don't have to create everything yourself. Someone, somewhere, has done or is doing what you would like to be and do.

I would venture to say that, when you do find this person and pay attention to all these things, you will start getting a sense of how you would like to conduct yourself. You will start doing things that bring you a sense of satisfaction, that make you proud of your abilities. You will find that others are starting to listen to you and, sometimes, asking you for advice.

It may feel a little unnatural in the beginning, but as you grow into your new "you," you will become more comfortable and sure of yourself.

It all starts, though, with the initial challenge...find your inspiration!

"Yet this we ask ere you leave us, that you speak to us and give us of your truth.
And we will give it unto our children, and they unto their children, and it shall not perish."
Kahlil Gibran, "The Prophet" [1923]

Your Job Search: Are You "Social Savvy"?

I had a somewhat spirited discussion with my Intro to Mass Communication class at Curry College today on social media and the booby traps that lie in wait.

Many of the students couldn't make the connection between "public persona" and, in their minds, the "privacy" of Facebook.

"Yes," they conceded, "the personal information is there...but no one has the right to pry into my personal stuff."

We were talking about job interviews and the reality that employers will, in fact, use whatever resources are available to them to check a potential employee out. The students saw this as an invasion of their privacy (we just happened to be talking about mass communication and the law...invasion of privacy, libel and slander, etc.).

A presence on some social media site is almost universally expected today. Let's face it, particularly for communicators, you had better be there; I can guarantee your competition is!

But we're talking about college students. Shouldn't they have the right to post any- and everything they want?

Maybe so. But what should you have on your site?

Well, if you're planning to venture into some aspect of communication, I would recommend things that reflect your communication expertise as well as your accomplishments while in college.

Links to publications to which you have contributed. Links to websites you have played a role in designing. Your well-written, concise resume. Information about likes and dislikes, skills and abilities, but ditch the profanity-enhanced groups that you "belong" to.

But what about photos, you ask? Good question. As one student pointed out during our discussion, "Facebook has been here and we've been on it forever. We have a lot of photos posted."

He's right. You have been there forever. And, if you have a dream of finding a really great job with a really great organization, you would be wise to do some housecleaning. Get rid of the bare-belly, beer-swilling party photos. Keep the ones where you're having fun like the adult you hope to some day become. Show me your interest in travel or art or sports. Show me what an interesting employee you will be for my organization.

This could go on forever, but I'll leave off right here with my usual caution: "You only get one chance to make a first impression." Facebook (or LinkedIn or Twitter, for that matter) more and more is providing employers with that first impression. Are you "social savvy"?