College | Caffeinated

Since I read this post the other day, I have been thinking a lot about students/twentysomethings that use social media...

I'll admit, my Facebook is the one thing I keep personal. I have high security settings, keep my last name off of it, avoid being 'friends' with business contacts/coworkers. When I got FB, there were no applications, no photo albums, no high schoolers (or middle schoolers or moms). In fact, all the UM schools- Rolla, Mizzou, UMSL- were grouped under the 'Missouri' network like we went to the same school.

Being actively involved in social media (on the business side), I know I should make my FB account more professional, but I just can't bring myself to let go of those pictures of me taking shots on my 21st birthday.

But, I'm okay with that. It's not like it is my whole life. I also have pictures of me at conferences and events (sober!); pictures of me spending time with my family (sober!); links to articles, videos, blog posts, etc (that aren't about partying!). If my employer ran across my profile, I don't think they would find it offensive or unsettling.

But, I've found that's not the case for every one out there. I've noticed more and more inappropriate things popping up on my newsfeed lately, and not all of them are from my 14 year-old cousin. Most of them are coming from people I know that are in their twenties- about to graduate or already have. I've already admitted that I'm no saint but vulgar (like so much I won't repeat it here) sexual references back and forth on each other's walls is not something I'm okay with. Especially when I know the people are looking for jobs.

We've talked about young people 'using' social media in a personal vs. professional capacity, and I think there has to be some line there. Why do some of my 'friends' not get it? Why do they think posts like that are okay?! The world may never know...

When I started to make more professional connections, one's that became friends, I reassessed my decision to keep my FB on lockdown. Even though many of the people I've had the pleasure to get to know are "professionals", I've become friends with some, so why not be Facebook friends with them. One of the professionals, Arik Hanson, sent me a friend request on FB. At first, I was both honored and weirded out. I thought, "professionals aren't supposed to add me on Facebook, this is my space!" But then I realized that I consider Arik my friend, and our friendship is more than just "professional".

My Facebook was already kept fairly clean because I have a lot of family on it, so I didn't really change anything. Additionally, I'm not friends with everyone on Facebook, only those people that I consider friends- even if they are people that I could be interviewing with in the future.

I think it's something that everyone, whatever your age, has to find their comfort zone in. I'm more comfortable with mine being open to people. I set the same self-guidelines for Twitter and Facebook, as far as what content I'm willing to post. Sure, there is the risk of friends posting immature and offensive things on my wall. It happens. But it's something I'm willing to risk to become better friends with people I care about being friends with.

I hope that makes sense, haha.

Thanks for using my photo! #smlthankyou!

Personally, I think students today who aren't involved in SM are behind the curve. Not sure about other pros, but I think of SM as table stakes today, along with AP Style and the other fundamentals of the craft. If you don't know Twitter, Facebook, etc. and have at least some idea of how to apply them to a client or a company, then I guarantee you'll lose out on your job opportunity to someone who does. The economy is such that there just aren't enough jobs for everyone these days, unfortunately, and that means the ante gets upped for college students looking to break into the business.

But I agree - SM can't be the only thing a candidate brings to the table. You have to have a strong base of the fundamentals of good communication. Plus, I've always felt that a healthy passion about something and sincere curiosity about what goes on in the world is incredibly helpful to launching a career.

Thanks, Colby. Good stuff, as always.
@JasonSprenger

I'm less than a year out of school, and less than a few weeks into my social media job, so I can't really comment on what professionals are looking for in new hires. I will say that I found my job thanks to social media (a tweet linked to a blog post about open positions), so that right there should be motivation for students to get involved.

If anything else, you should get involved in social media because it is a stereotype. If employers expect you to know about it (because you are young and 'hip'), then you should know about it. Why let them down? If it is a skill that is going to help you open (or kick down) some doors, why pass it up?

And, as people have said, if you think understanding SM means that you have 1,000 Facebook friends, follow Stephen Colbert on Twitter, and have an RSS feed set up for FunnyorDie videos, then you are in trouble. We obviously all know this, as we are reading/commenting on this blog, but I think a lot of people don't get it. And you have to understand not just what the tools are, but how to use them- for both personal and professional means. Whether you integrate the two are up to you (and your employer of course).

A knowledge of social media, in my opinion, isn't a 'bonus' skill anymore, it is necessary. Maybe for now SM is a buzzword, a new tool, but it wont stay that way forever. And even if it is just a fad, in order to be successful, you should still be educated in it. What if you had a doctor that said, "Oh sorry, I don't know much about H1N1… that's just a fad."

Great points. The second paragraph is especially true, in my opinion. Generation Y is expected to have a knowledge of social media. Most employers might not know the difference between business knowledge and personal knowledge, though. If you can go into an interview and impress them with your business knowledge of social media and tie it's usage to the company objectives, well, that's a pretty damn good way to own an interview.

I don't think one has to be a SM junkie in their personal time. I think the important thing is a comprehension of how it works, how to use it, etc. One shouldn't have to post an update of a personal variety every five minutes to show their SM skills, but rather understand it thoroughly so that they would be able to do that for a company. That said I think the technical skills should have more weight, but should be complemented by a strong comprehension of SM. If one had amazing technical web skills but was lacking in the SM department, I'd expect they either weren't applying for a job in SM or would only have to do it on the side of their other job and honestly it's not a very difficult thing to pick up.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for college students also, even if they aren't necessarily comfortable being "active" on it. The great thing about LinkedIn is that you can find basically the equivalent of a resume for all kinds of people who share your same field and there's a lot of media types and communicators on there. Not only does it help you "connect" with those people, it also allows students to see what types of skills they need to acquire jobs in their chosen field and also look at the various career paths of professionals who have already been down that road. I think it's invaluable for college students to be on LinkedIn.

When you effectively tune out the noise, social media is an amazing tool for learning business. You have the opportunity to engage with and see what content influences some of the greatest business minds.

That being said, the difficult part is jumping from the saturation in and learning of SM to the effective implementation of business goals and objectives. That effective implementation comes from tools that you can't learn just by being social: Writing skills, analytical thinking, and real business experience.

That being said, the opportunity to learn social networks is a great foundation for any business career, whether it be in the social media marketing space or otherwise.

Agreed. I picked up a minor in business because people like Lauren Fernandez, David Spinks, Arik Hanson, and more continued to stress the importance of understanding business, even in the field of communication.

I think we are doing ourselves, our clients and our employees a disservice if we focus solely on SM. Yes, if you're hired in a digital role, know and participate in the space. But I'd rather have someone who's well-rounded. I want someone who understands the traditional space just as much as social. Those who focus solely on social are in for a world of hurt. Don't limit yourself.

I'd also want someone who understands business development, someone who has a basic understanding of finance and someone who can pick up a phone and talk coherently. Can you get all of these qualities in a new grad? That's the question.

Again, take off the blinders. Yes, social is here to stay. But it won't be in the same form tomorrow, next month, next year. You need a core understanding of a variety of principles to fully integrate social. And that's what it's about: integration.

Couldn't of said it better myself -

"Take off the blinders...You need a core understanding of a variety of principles to fully integrate social. And that's what it's about: integration."

@Colby - I think its a lot to ask for a student fresh out of college or university but I don't think its too much. If a student knows that they want to be a part of the digital revolution - Its up to them to step up and learn as much as they can about it. Ranging from mobile marketing to social media marketing - If they want it bad enough, they will CRUSH IT.

Can you get a new grad that knows how to use a phone for something other than texting and checking Facebook? That's the question.

You're asking an awful lot for a student to know fresh out of college. Wouldn't it be fine for them to understand biz dev, finance, and traditional media strategies out of school and develop social media skills? Hell, I'd be the Twins' starting left fielder if I could hit .750, or even .500.

The key here is "understanding" not "expertise". And yes, I do think you can get this out of a new grad. One who's motivated, has their head on straight and wants to succeed. It's easy for me to say this since I'm no longer in school, but are striving for mediocrity or succeess?

P.S. To call you out - because I know you. You're working on a double major. So why can't one learn multiple faucets? You're getting traditional knowledge, an understanding of how people think/act, social experience...so it's a lot to ask; but you're working toward it yourself!

True. But I have to take on a double major and a minor to even TRY to get an understanding of that much. Most colleges, as they're set up, simply don't allow students to have a breadth of knowledge bases. Hell, I'd love to be able to take more journalism courses- Broadcast 1, Copywriting, etc.- but under MIzzou J-School's current structure, I don't really have that ability. (Well, independent studies- hopefully next semester.)

I'm a PR student, and my choice to achieve a degree was a calculated risk against simply gaining bare experience, which essentially what I believe most employers really look for.

To gain the most out of the time I have before I graduate I believe the best pathway for myself (and other SM students) is to be as involved in SM as possible.

Media like facebook, myspace and twitter are examples of places those day-to-day "OMG Lolz" posts need to be re-assessed and turned into something with more content...and possibly using more creative language!

One of my professors [Professor Bey-Ling Sha, Ph.D., APR] once told me "Don't post anything online that you wouldn't want on the front page of the NY Times", i completely agree, and just maybe, use that to their advantage?

I completely agreed with your professor. Don't tweet anything you don't want CNN to run alongside a news story. Twitter is now a legitimate news source, whether people agree with it or not.

As a Director of Social Media for a PR firm, I want my coworkers connected - from President to intern. Going into the workplace with a knowledge of the industry and some good connections is a major bonus - it shows employers that you take your career seriously and didn't just goof around in college.

Of course, goofing around in college is VERY important and necessary :)

GREAT point. That's a severely underrated part of social media for students and entry-level employees in general. Even if you're headed to a position in a company that isn't SM-related, you can find coworker on SM and connect with them and build friendships before your first day on the job!

Thanks!

I think it just makes sense for students to be active in social media if they have interests and are majoring in communications, PR or a media field.

By all estimations, this is going to be one of the fastest growing areas in terms of employment in the near future. By engaging in social media (which most Gen Yers enjoy anyway), they are preparing themselves for a large number of potential jobs.

Social media also teaches other important skills such as communication, networking, personal branding and relationship building. Even if their career path isn't social media, the skills they will acquire through there can transcend any communications field.

I agree that social media can be a great tool for students of any profession- I preach my friends on this constantly.

To tie it into college sports (and no crying Tebow digs, I promise), every year the Gators bring in a few HS recruits that aren't recruited for a certain position. They're "ATH", or athletes. The have tremendous skill, but need to find where to use that skill. The coaches find a position for them and equip them with the tools to succeed in that spot.

Why can't the same happen for a talented PR/Marketing/Communications student?

Colby,

As a recent college grad and an up and coming professional in the industry, I think it is necessary to familiarize yourself with SM as a student. Like KT, I wish I had used Twitter longer when I was a student. When I was interviewed for the position I have now (Comm Assistant at a non-profit), I was specifically asked about my use of SM and how comfortable I am with it. Now, it is expected to include links on your resume to Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, etc., which I think is great. I agree with Tom- you have to be able to manage your own brand but more importantly, SHOW employers that you can do so. I think that in this economy, in such a cut-throat industry, you have to have SM experience when looking for work.

Great post!

I agree. SM is a great way to get a leg-up in this economic climate and intense industry. But there are plenty of other ways to do that too, right?

Thanks for the comment!

Absolutely. SM is just part of the deal, but a very important one. One that I think gets overlooked sometimes. Great portfolio, professional experience, classroom experience, extra activities, etc. get a leg-up as well! If you want to stand out, you can't be one dimensional- being well rounded will get you much farther. But you already know that haha.

Colby,

I see where you're coming from, but I think you definitely need experience in SM to get a job in SM, especially now, as it's become more and more mainstream. You need to be able to show that you can use it professionally. You need to be able to show that you can handle your own "brand" and that you could handle a company's brand. Students must have an understanding of how SM works for professionals, not just personal use.

I hope your foot's OK!

Tom
@TomOKeefe1

Is there a point at which a student who has handled their own brand excellently on SM loses out on an SM job to someone who has handled other brands excellently outside of SM?

Foot's doing fine. Turns out it was one of those guns with the "BANG!" flag.

Haha, glad you're ok, Bugs.

I think there needs to be a combination. Sure, you can handle brands minus SM, but handling brands on SM is much different (and vice versa). There needs to be experience in both to be a truly viable candidate.

Handling your own brand, and doing it on behalf of a client, are VERY different beasts.

My recommendation: sign a few small consulting clients. Get experience, get numbers, get ROI, and you will be in a MUCH better place to get a job (and have some extra $)

Great post, C! I think that like a lot of people have said already that it's important to at least have some experience - while I would agree that all the "jk-lol-haha" mess probably wouldn't give you an edge...

My best friend in college was also a PR major - she barely uses Facebook and made fun of me when I started using Twitter - but she also had no real desire to do digital/social PR, but has a great job now at a PR firm in DC

I think that being active in the space can't hurt though - I know that it has helped me in several cases now to secure freelance work, etc. But you have to be smart with it.

I wish I had had Twitter longer as a student - I think there's the potential to learn *so* much even if you're not necessarily posting or updating - I started out my Twitter account as a way to *listen* to what PR professionals like @rachelakay were saying so that I could learn from them...

So, even if you're not *engaging* or *active* in the space, I'd say - What can it hurt? Follow some smart people & see what's going on even if you don't post a single thing! :)
-K

I definitely 'liked' your comment. I try to explain the same thing to my PR/Advertising/Marketing friends. That's initially how I started- reading blogs by communications professionals. Even if a student doesn't want to engage for whatever reason, they should be observers so they have a grasp of what digital/social communications is about.

Thanks!

I actually have a handful of friend who don't even have a facebook- and we discussed this whole topic last night! Ironic...

They are going into teaching, so staying off of these social sites is in their best interest. But I asked my friend who is getting her masters in marketing why she stayed away from Twitter-

She responded that some companies after hiring you will not want your personal tweets intertwined with you new professional ones.

Do you agree?

I don't. Personality is a huge part of Marketing, especially PR since it deals with relationships. Plus, if tat truly was the case- you could have two separate Twitter accounts.

Although its probably true that some "companies will not want your personal tweets intertwined with your new professional ones." It is not going to be the situation for all companies. Those companies that put limitations on what their employees can say on social media sites are putting limitations on social media in general.

Its all about connections and connecting with real people forming real relationships. If you are out there using social media to regurgitate press releases and corporate BS - You can look forward to a small community of spam bots.

Marketing/PR/Communications firms that are still holding on to those separated work and play ideals are the ones that are fading out. As we shift towards an interactive marketing environment, firms need to allow more autonomy among their employees. Is this a huge leap of faith for most businesses? Yes, of course. History shows major hesitancy in putting that much responsibility and autonomy in the hands of employees, especially entry-level ones. However, the ones that are able to do that are the ones that are succeeding. (The luxury to do that comes from hiring responsible and quality employees that you can trust- something businesses should be doing anyways you think)

Although this may be a stereotype and not applicable to all students/gen y, students by the mere fact that they are students are more willing and interested in learning SM if they aren't already knowledgeable in it. I think any gen y looking to break into SM is doing themselves a huge disservice by not participating though. However, I think employers who have no grasp at SM will be willing to assume and hire a gen y with limited SM experience at the chance that he/she will put the time and effort into learning and understanding it.

That's a good point. Some employers will think that just because a student is on FB and maybe even Twitter that they "get it". This hurts the company and the students who a really trying to "get" social media from a business perspective.

Thanks for the input!

Just like any other career, you had better have *some* experience before getting into a job. If you want to work in SM, why not build your own brand online? It's not the same as building a corporate brand or pushing the vision of a client, but it is a chance to get your feet wet and learn the ropes (points for cliches?).

No, the tools aren't the endgame in social media, but you better have a solid grasp of the tools so they are second nature when you start implementing social media strategy.

It also doesn't hurt to be visible among the people you hope to work with in the near future. Ask questions, get some knowledge, and start impressing people early.

You nailed what I was thinking, pretty much. First paragraph was my strategy when first realizing I might want to work in SM. Second paragraph is basically what you smarter people told me; have the cornerstones in place before building the house. The third, well, the third is why I tell students going into any field that SM is important.

Will it help my chances of getting a job in SM because I'm active in it? Probably. Could I get beat out by another student with only a slight understanding of SM but whose portfolio is more expansive and shows experience in more mediums, even if one isn't SM? Easily.

Not sure I agree with that. If I had 2 candidates, for an SM job, I am taking the one better in SM. Make sure to have your portfolio set, make sure you can back up what you talk about, but if you have solid SM exp, you should get it over someone who has a flashy portfolio (either that, or you prob. dont want to work for them)

Students have been using social media for quite some time so its not like they wont "get it" - Thats a gaurantee. The problem is however, that when it comes down to an interview for a SM position, all things being equal the kid who is active will get the job before the kid who isn't.

"getting it" and using facebook in class are two VERY different things, though.

I would not think that someone who uses it causally could write a SM press release, or make a fan page for a company, or come up with the strategy.

Extremely different things but we all have witnessed first hand the emergence of "Social Media Experts." Many organizations aren't able to differentiate between someone who truly "gets it" and someone who thinks they "get it." When it comes down to it - Having the experience with social media seems to be what organizations are looking for. It is the buzzword of 2010. If you take a student who worked a summer in sales versus a student who worked as a bartender but also had a successful Social Media blog - The blogger will more than likely get the SM job - That is, all things equal.

All things equal, yeah. But what if you have one candidate that just has a simple grasp of SM but an outstanding and extensive portfolio of work outside of SM while the other is ridiculously active in SM, done some internship and side jobs in the arena, but whose portfolio outside of SM isn't as great? Do you hire at the first one thinking, "well I can teach them the tools.", or hire the second one thinking, "they already have experience in SM."?

Putting myself in the management seat - I think i'd rather someone who has SOME experience but not so much that they have their head stuck up their ass. Although we don't admit it - and I'm a part of the group, Us Generation Y kids are some narcissistic S.O.B's. We go to the doctor and tell them what is wrong with us and a lot of times think that Social media is the answer to everything. Managers want an employee who can bring their expertise to the table but who is open to different solutions. So to answer your question - I think I would follow the "Well I can teach them the tools." way of thinking.

Tough call on the portfolio vs. the activity. If one person has a great portfolio in PR and/or Marketing but no activity in SM, should they get a job (in SM) before somebody that has a weaker portfolio but incredible activity in SM?

Personally, I would go with the activity in SM assuming that it is professional activity and an obvious drive to understand the space and how new communication works. You might notice there is a bunch of work in figuring that out, so the strong portfolio might win out. An SM agency that is strong in the SM space sees this as a time where communication is changing. A strong PR/Mktg portfolio does not necessarily translate online.

I'm not in HR, but I bet it comes down to the specific company and the current needs. I would never assume that somebody from Gen Y just "gets it" though. Like you said, OMGs and LOLs aren't social media marketing.

As a student who is currently in SM, I can answer this from both sides.

As a student, you need to be doing it. You need to keep up. If you just know Facebook and Myspace, and had never heard of Twitter, its going to be hard to get hired into SM. The only way to stay current is to stay in the field. This field is going to be crowded, and fast. You need to be able to rise above the others, and without putting the time in the field, there is no real way to do that.

It takes more that just interning in the field, too. I work at an interactive agency. I speak on SM. I think about it for clients. I do it for clients. I also do web design, development, SEO, PPC, and other geeky stuff.

And I am normal for the field.

If a college kids wants to succeed in this field, they better rock it just as hard.

As someone who has interviewed candidates for a SM job, a lack of SM experience, especially coming out of school, is a HUGE negative. There is a level of knowledge that you MUST have in this field, and if you don't get it by working in SM, its going to be hard to get an SM job.

But have you ever had a job candidate with an excellent background in web design, development, SEO, PPC, etc. who just a slight grasp of social media? Would you hire that person who with the intent of teaching them the tools and uses of social media? Or would the SM job go to someone more active in SM, but didn't understand all that geeky stuff as well?

It depends on the job. I would hire someone with the geeky skills over the non-geeky skills, if they have the same SM experience.

I want to get the person who can help our clients the most, which is the one with the most broad and deep skills.