You’ll no doubt be very well aware that I recently attended a job interview. If not then I’m surprised, after all, I’ve been crowing about the outcome on Twitter for days now.
I’m not normally so brash, inconsiderate, insensitive and disrespectful to colleagues that I’d publicly share the outcome at such an early stage, especially while I’m still in my current role and prior to the administration being completed. However, on this occasion, it is a secondment that my employers first externally agreed, then invited internal expressions of interest. Somehow, that feels a little different.
Regardless of the initiator, instigation or outcome, getting socially networked has presented me with new direction. And the developmental prospects beyond that are limitless.
I love social media
There is a huge diversion ahead, directing us all toward social media. If you ignore that then you do so at your peril. For some, for a while, that might feel like the road to hell but we’ll get through that, together, just give it time.
Social media, you see, is just one aspect of my new role, one part of the marcomms mix, but in today’s society not one that can be ignored. And I love social media.
Essentially social media is a channel. Another, alternate channel, albeit a new and important one. However in reality it is more than that. For me, it’s a way of life.
Excellence is a habit
That is what I’ve been trying to persuade a few sceptics of recently. Kids growing up now are doing so with technology as an every day part of their life.
They aren’t learning it. They live it. And it’s not just kids. As the LinkedIn stats in my last blog highlight, people of all ages are getting social, from young people to old.
Infact it was only this week my 84-year-old Gran asked me for a recommendation about where she could do a course about getting online and doing internet banking.
And just weeks ago I spotted a hugely inspiring tweet from Holly Rodgers (@Holly_R27) stating, ‘I got a new job today, didn’t need to apply or have an interview. They were following me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.’
That was a turning point for me. I’d heard of this happening but never read about it in real time, and here was Holly breaking new ground before me.
Of course I assume it won’t just be her social media presence alone that was the catalyst for her recruitment. What Holly does and says through social media will be reflective of her approach to life and part of her portfolio. Holly’s social media persona will have played a huge part but other criteria will also have had to be met, such as education and skills.
Nonetheless, getting social and doing it well has propelled Holly’s profile and connectivity forward and that’s a lesson that we should all consider; excellence is a habit.
It’s where you’re going that’s important
If you’re reading this then my guess is you’re already on that journey. To reiterate my point last week, it doesn’t matter where you are, it’s where you’re going that’s important.
Without my ongoing interest in, and experience of, digital and especially social media then at best I would have been further down the pecking order in the interview process, at worst driving down the wrong road.
As is the way, it’s likely to be a few weeks before I’m actually in post, which simply whets my appetite and merely serves to heighten my anticipation.
In the meantime I’ll be continuing my assessment of some of the social media channels I’ve recently been using, as evidenced in recent blog posts, then reporting those here.
Ha, Blether and Blogger indeed. Ignore those at your peril!
Take it easy
Marcommskenny
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Blether And Blogger 
If that’s the case, I suspect my chances of being head hunted are rapidly diminishing!
It’s all a journey Mike, it’s the evolution that is important!
Congrats! Hope the new job gives plenty of opportunities to use social media!
Thank you! I’ll post details of it on my LinkedIn profile once I’m in post.
Well done in the new role, hope it goes well.
Great post too, have to say I think successful use of social media is down to how sociable people are, how they come across and actually ‘judged’.
I think how you are perceived (which becomes reality actually) through your various socmed channels probably mirrors how you are in real life. I imagine it would be quite hard to portray something other than who you really are and effectively pull it off, and I’m thinking that might be a little underhand anyway. And I know we all have our posh phone voice etc.
So what is it they say? you have 20 seconds to make an impression before you have been judged. I’ve often wondered how other people do that on Twitter. If someone follows me or if I go looking for people, I look at the avatar, read the profile to see why the follower would be of interest to me, have a quick glance at followers and following (this is not a deal breaker though) then read their last few tweets, and then either; follow and add to list, or just add to list and not follow or worst case…..ignore.
Harsh when you come to write it down, but that’s how it happens.
All food for thought.
Thanks for the good wishes Phil and glad you like the post. You’re right, being judged is a growing part of social media. I wonder if that is less so with platforms such as instagram or cowbird.com, where engagement is based more on what is being shared than the person behind it?
Having said that, while that snap 20-second decision based on first impressions is a make-or-break moment, I do think what you describe in the last paragraph is actually, rather than being judgmental per se, simply prudent research that helps you make a more informed decision to support you engage as effectively as possible.
With growing proliferation of platforms and users, if anyone isn’t employing this approach, then they ignore your tactic at their peril!
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