Social Media For College And Career Goals?

Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites have become an integral part of teenage culture. Yet the snarky comment or inappropriate picture we share with our friends just might not project the image we want the rest of the world to see, especially as we get older - How careful are you online?

In this Preoccupations column, Cal Newport argues that social media can hurt your career:

As you become more valuable to the marketplace, good things will find you. To be clear, I’m not arguing that new opportunities and connections are unimportant. I’m instead arguing that you don’t need social media’s help to attract them.

Related Article: 20 Social Media Taboo Business Topics?

My second objection concerns the idea that social media is harmless. Consider that the ability to concentrate without distraction on hard tasks is becoming increasingly valuable in an increasingly complicated economy. Social media weakens this skill because it’s engineered to be addictive. The more you use social media in the way it’s designed to be used — persistently throughout your waking hours — the more your brain learns to crave a quick hit of stimulus at the slightest hint of boredom.

Once this Pavlovian connection is solidified, it becomes hard to give difficult tasks the unbroken concentration they require, and your brain simply won’t tolerate such a long period without a fix. Indeed, part of my own rejection of social media comes from this fear that these services will diminish my ability to concentrate — the skill on which I make my living.

The idea of purposefully introducing into my life a service designed to fragment my attention is as scary to me as the idea of smoking would be to an endurance athlete, and it should be to you if you’re serious about creating things that matter.

In contrast, Patrick Gillooly argues in this column that your social media presence can be as important as your résumé.

Most employers and customers I’ve talked to are ultimately looking for confirmation of their excitement about you, not reasons for suspicions or doubts. Not having any profile could be seen as a red flag, so why give a potential employer any reason to question your candidacy?

Related Article: Millennial Talent Recruiting Social Media?

Your social media presence — and, really, your whole digital footprint — is no longer just an extension of your résumé. It’s as important as your résumé. Social media use is now a standard of the hiring process, and there’s little chance of going back.

You need to realize that social media wields great power: What you say there — including saying nothing at all — has an effect on your network or on the employer who is checking out your Instagram account. But remember that you control what people see. By being more judicious about what you share or by altering the platform settings where possible, you can manage your digital trail to increase the odds that a potential employer will form a positive impression of you.

Students: Read both articles, then tell us:

• Do you think social media will help or hurt your college and career goals? Why?
• Was either columnist more persuasive, in your opinion? Which one, and why?
• Did you have a strong opinion about the value of social media to a person’s professional life before you read the articles? Regardless of your stand either way, did reading the columns sway you to one side or the other? Why or why not?

Guest Authored By Caroline Crosson Gilpin. Caroline is a staff editor at The Learning Network. She's a former High School English Teacher, Writing Tutor, Newspaper Education Editor and Children's Book Author. Follow Caroline on Twitter.

Related Article: Can YOUR Business Afford To Ignore Social Media?

“Conduct a personal social media audit.

Make a list of your social media accounts, including old platforms you no longer use.

How do think admissions officers or employers might view your social media presence on those accounts.."

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  Authored by:

  Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at GetMoreHere.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)

Follow Me Yonder..                     

Becoming A Social Media Rockstar?

Social media seems like an easy and appealing career, right? You usually work from home, and all you have to do is be yourself..

Not so fast, buckaroo. Before you go charging off on your quest for social media fame, there are a few things you need to know.

Social media professionals are in demand, but getting the really plum jobs can be challenging. Much like sales careers, you have to prove yourself before big companies - with big payrolls - will be willing to consider you. Here are some steps you can take to stand out from your competitors and land a prestigious job in social media.

Build Your Own Network

Your loyal followers are a big plus. If you have the personality to build a big network on your own, building a brand network should be easy. Plus, your followers will help you launch your career with the brand. An engaged following is a huge leg up on your competition, especially if you can point out that your audience fits the demographic of the business you're applying to. If you want to work for a specific type of company, say retail fashion, cultivate a following heavy in young women.

Related Article: Tools to Catapult YOUR Brand?

Protect Your Personal Brand

Social media is built on personality. Potential employers will search for you on every social network. Your online presence should be consistent, professional and interesting across every platform. Post with reputation management in mind, and that includes minding what groups you join, who you interact with and what photos you're tagged in. Potential employers really don't need to know about that drunken college weekend in Cabo. Plenty of people lose their jobs for doing something horrible on social media or when a video ends up online (not safe for work - bad language).

Related Article: Personal Brand Protection - 5 Easy Steps?

Include Customer-Service Skills and Experience

Contrary to popular opinion, social media is not only about delivering clever one-liners. As a social media professional representing a company, you are customer service, marketing and the face of the company. While you are not applying to be a face-to-face or field service representative, your customer-service skills must be on point. Customers will come to you with complaints, issues and kudos. The ability to respond professionally and de-escalate volatile confrontations is a critical social media skill.

Build Experience

Consider being an intern or volunteering for a business to build experience. Look for a charity, local politician, school or local business and offer to help out, or combine social media with a compatible job. For example, a company blog writer, receptionist or office assistant could volunteer to take on social media and build experience for the next move.

Get Cozy With Analytics

Let's be honest here - creatives aren't always analytical thinkers. Numbers come hard to some of us. If your aim is to be a social media superstar, suck it up. The social media game is all about analytics. Sure, a big company will have people to analyze data and run numbers, but to do your job right, you need real-time analysis. You need to check the reaction on each post or tweet, figure out what works best and adjust your performance before anyone else sees it. With a basic understanding of analytics, you can show an upward trend instead of waiting for some numbers guy to tell you where you're failing.

Related Article: Brand Management Social Media Selfies?

Embrace The Selfie

Some people are just terrible at selfies. It's a skill that takes practice, and selfies are an inevitable part of social media presence. Practice until you can find your best angle and take the picture without fumbling, taking a photo of your finger or taking so long your phone battery dies while you're trying to find the sun.

Get Certified

While you may not be able to get a college degree in social media (yet), you can get a social media certification by taking a comprehensive online course. Take advantage of any educational opportunity you can find. Classes and certifications look great on a resume and show employers you're serious about your career.

Guest Authored By Sherry Gray. Sherry is a freelance content writer from Key West, Fla., currently suffering in the suburbs of Orlando. She is a science geek, a social media junkie and an unapologetic fan of all things bacon. Follow Sherry on Twitter.

Related Article: Becoming A Social Media Consultant?

"Being a social media professional is a dream job for some people.

Imagine working from anywhere and making a living on your wits alone. Who knew that being friendly would someday become a job classification?

It's a job a lot of people would love to do, so competition can really be fierce. To land your dream job, make sure you stand out from everyone else.." -Sherry Gray

• 

  Authored by:

  Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at GetMoreHere.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)

Follow Me Yonder..