Brian Ward lost his job on a Friday afternoon. Eleven days later he had a new one. With nearly 1 in 10 people out of work and the typical job search lasting 12 weeks, how did the Cleveland-based software architect pull it off? In a phrase: online social networking…. -Time Magazine
I recently led a class and facilitated about job-search-strategies for the chronically and long-term unemployed. The room was bursting with discussion, passion and a vibrant energy. That is, until people started noticing that LinkedIn and Twitter were the next screen shots. It was almost as though I committed a violent online act.
There the logos were, and about 70% of my (40+ aged,) job seekers slumped with their heads down and completely closed themselves off. I tried to explain it like the following.
We are all in a huge, swimming pool. Most job seekers are getting to the point where they are sick of being wet, sick of floating and their arms are aching from treading water. A couple people have given up and are floating in the deep end- tummies down and absolutely exhausted from the mental and physical stress of the hunt. The first thing I want you to do? Is put your feet down. It’s not as deep as you think. When your feet touch the bottom, there’s no need to overuse muscles from paddling or trying to stay afloat. Asses the water. Social Media: Is a way to put your foot down, or mark your job search. Job seekers are still struggling, but they now have way to showcase their key accomplishments online- in a not-so-routine way. With your feet firmly planted at the bottom of the pool, you’re able to walk in small steps, making more progress than those who are just merely floating and waiting for someone to pull them out.
Social Media: Is not a lifesaver and it’s certainly not the ‘be all and end all’ of the career search spectrum, but it is- a way for you to stand strongly on your own and commend attention.
Honest to God: A job seeker in a recent class mentioned that Twitter and LinkedIn were just another violation of her privacy and that it would take a miracle to get her online and viewable in these interfaces. She had been unemployed, (and still very bitter,) for quite a while. I didn’t know whether to just hug her and listen, (we all have our fears and pain that we carry,) or tell her: You’re better than this. Don’t hide behind your fear and miss a fantastic opportunity. I showed her the importance of showcasing her value in a way that was fresh and different. She only came around when I showed her specific examples, and asked her, “It’s easier floating isn’t it? You don’t know if the bottom is even there until you try, right?” She’s attending a special Social Media class next week. I’m sure she’ll be the one asking all the questions that I’m happy to answer.
Who really ‘get’s Twitter, anyway? You have the ‘social media guru’s’ who claim that twitter is the mostincrediblethingever that has ever hit the interwebs. You have the middle aged women who don’t want to understand and just shift uncomfortably in their seats over the thought of ‘tweeting’ anything about their life. And lastly: You have the job counselors who are calling it a waste of time. It’s the latter that makes me the angriest. I did the stupid thing: I started spouting numbers like it was no one’s business, (like a salesgirl on acid.) That didn’t work- so I spoke passionately about the value of everything at the job seeker’s fingertips, (to which my counterpart snorted.)
“I wouldn’t be anywhere in the whole mobile community if I wasn’t using Twitter. I received my opportunity because my future employer saw I was ‘tweeting’ about Android.” -Breon Nagy
The number one thing I hear about Twitter is: Who the hell cares what I ate for breakfast? And in all honesty: I care. Not because I have far too much time on my hands, or because I’m secretly a loser- it’s because if you are tweeting the value in something: I might want to know. (That’s how news started: This is oral history in our fingertips.) If you are a job seeker and you tweet: “Find me a job.” I won’t bite. There’s no value statement there- no reason for me to be connected to you besides answering your self-serving question. However, if you tweet, “Local Architect looking- 10+years experience. Check out my Linked In Here, or DM.” I might, check out your linked in. Because… you gave me a reason to.
Can you really ‘sell’ yourself in 140 characters or less? (If you can, please email me so that we can take over the world and help HR people conduct strategies to save time and money worldwide.) There’s no formula on how to get a job in 140 characters or less- but there is a formula to help you gain exposure within your community and that will lead to a job- simply by doing the following: Using Twitter and tweeting regularly about news in your field, expertise or job isms to help you build your network and NETWORTH.
Twitter is a pointer: It’s not the destination, but rather a way to get there.
We are only as valuable as we believe ourselves to be. Time to put those feet down and walk to your destination.
