**Update: I must add a comment regarding this title. It is meant to get your attention. This post is not stating that social media is useless, it is stating my opinion that most job seekers are wasting too much time using it. I welcome and love to hear rebuttals and disagreements! …now that I’ve stated that, feel free to read on.
Do I think social media is a necessity for job seekers? No.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty damn cool. I have tons of fun with it and have met some amazing people through using these tools. Have I spent too much time using Twitter and Facebook? Heck yes. If you’re on my website reading this you can clearly see I have spent too much time on the internet. And obviously, I’m a fan of all social media outlets, technology, marketing…all of it! I love it!
As a job seeker, no matter what industry you are in, you do not need to be an expert in social media. You do not need to be online all the time. You do not need a “Personal Brand.”
Here are the reasons why:
The most successful people I know who actually get paid for using social media are hardly ever using it!
If this is what you want to do as a job, companies don’t care if you’re tweeting constantly or have thousands of followers. They just want someone who knows how to use it as a tool. Because that is what it is. A tool. I can think of two people who are working for very well known companies as the Director Of Social Media, and neither of them are highly visible online. They are what I like to call the “lurkers”.
The more people post on Twitter and Facebook, the more it looks like they are wasting time.
I waste tons of time on Twitter, I’ll admit it. But I actually make my living by connecting people. So this is a good waste of time for someone like me. As a recruiter, I’m also observing. I’m observing people who are using Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to find a job. I’m also observing the majority of people going about this the wrong way. There are plenty of do’s & don’ts for this. The most important rule for using social media on a job search is, if you won’t say it in a face to face interview, don’t say it on the internet.
Every time a company comes to me asking about hiring social media talent…
The number one thing they all say is, “they don’t have to have tons of experience, they just need to know how to use the basics.” Not one company has mentioned to me or requested a “personal brand” when they are looking for any kind of talent.
The majority of job seeker success stories I’ve heard and seen have nothing to do with the amount of time someone spent on the internet.
When a candidate tells me they found a job, it’s the best news I could hear! And of course I ask them what they did to get it. The people who are getting the jobs are spending the majority of their time networking with people who are actually working. Going to industry related events, volunteering using their professional skill set, not “over-networking” themselves. They have used their time wisely and though some of them are using social media, they are not using it to beg for work. They are using it to advance themselves as a professional by sharing industry related news and participating in like-minded discussions.
Tip: Watch out for the “lurkers”. { 15 comments }
I’m often one of them. Sometimes I don’t have anything to say (yes, shocking, I know) and I will watch what other people are talking about. Just because someone isn’t joining the conversation doesn’t mean they aren’t seeing it. I’ve seen a lot funny and crazy stuff…as I’m sure people have seen coming from me…especially during the #latenightcrowd hours. Again, back to the only rule that matters:
If you won’t say it in an interview, don’t say it online.