Career TOOLBOX #28: Social Media and Your Career

Time to Branch Out

A few years ago, the following conversation took place between a close friend of mine and me:

Friend: Why are you on Facebook all day? Don’t you have a job?
Me: It’s my job to be on Facebook all day.

What’s funny is that I had a version of this exchange with at least three close friends – people who genuinely care for me and are well-respected in their fields.

I still know a few individuals for whom social media is the equivalent of TV watching or playing video games. And, in some cases it may be. But the reality of today’s professional universe is that you’re supposed to be present in the virtual world. This is no longer a nice-to-have. It is, in fact, the expectation.

I’ve written pieces on the specifics of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and these days, that universe has expanded to Pinterest, Instagram and many other platforms, some industry specific, some broader.

Many folks I know, tremendously talented in their areas of expertise, are legitimately concerned that once they are on the grid, Big Brother will know everything about them. Truth is, most of the details of our lives are no longer private. So, if you’ve already taken the step to order something off Amazon, and provided the company with your info, you might as well do the same for sites that will help boost your career.

The other concern I hear from clients is that social media is overwhelming to them and they don’t know where or how to begin. They don’t know the differences between all the platforms. The good news is that markets never rest. That means that each of these social media websites continues to evolve, with new features, new firms arise constantly and the moving target is moving so quickly that the law can’t keep up with the technology.

The goal is to get yourself on something, nurture it daily and explore which platform will deliver the results you want. The process is on-going, takes time and the results aren’t always predictable. But whether you’re a college student, in grad school, starting your career, are a mid-level manager or an entrepreneur, the one thing I promise you is that you will suddenly be exposed to and have contact with people you will never otherwise meet.

Two years ago, I had a Twitter account, but I had no idea what to say on it. 140 characters seemed so limiting. But that summer I had a film student who would only communicate with me via Twitter – not via phone or school email. He would even send his assignment links that way. Twitter was his lingua franca. And as an instructor I wanted to meet this student where he was at – especially since he was a good kid, talented and hard-working. So he challenged me. And for that I am thankful.

By 2013, via Twitter, I had followers, favorites or even message exchanges with Anthony Quinn’s son Alex, Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s great-nephew Josh Mankiewicz (of Dateline NBC), The Godfather producer Robert Evans and the one only John Cusack.

None of these people is in my current social circle. But, they are all now part of my social media circle.

As a writer, career coach and entrepreneur, exposure to these people, and having the right thing to say to them, about them and about what I do is critical. They consistently signal what’s on their mind and how the industry keeps shifting and I pay attention. I do this on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and several other platforms. Not only does this help me be on pulse, but, also, in turn, I then help my clients navigate their social media paths.

So as 2014 begins, challenge yourself to learning and participating in at least 2 – 3 new social media platforms. You never know with whom you’ll connect, who will notice your work and how any of that can lead to the right professional opportunity. And next time someone asks you what you’re doing on Facebook all day, just say, “It’s my job.”

First published in January, 2014.

Reprinted with permission and gratitude from Cool Cleveland.