Tweeting Your Way To A Better Job

Over the last few months, it has become very clear to me that knowing how to use online social media to your advantage is a huge asset for a job candidate. Thanks to the internships that I’m doing, like this blog, an e-learning startup, and yet another one at an online travel magazine, I’m learning how companies use the Internet and technology to raise profits, generate a fan base, connect with possible contributors and sponsors, and build an identity. If large and small companies can do it, then it can be very beneficial for individual professional growth, as well.

So, what do I mean by online social media? According to Wikipedia, it is “media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media uses internet and web-based technologies to transform broadcast media monologues (one to many) into social media dialogues (many to many).” Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and many more are considered social outlets where people can easily share information and make connections.

I recently got approached to create a Facebook fan page and write some content for a growing, entrepreneurial website…via a Facebook message in my inbox. It really hit me that it all the things I’ve been dragging my feet about doing, but have recently done, like creating a Twitter account and getting a LinkedIn profile, are actually working in some respect. I’m seeing it come together in real life and I’m getting the best results ever (job offers).

The fact is we are all using these websites. Your dad is on Facebook “friending” his colleagues. Your brother is tweeting about the stock market. John Legend is announcing his next tour dates. Cosmo is texting sex advice. You can’t escape it. And you shouldn’t try. This is the next big thing.

As an aspiring publishing professional, I’m interested in the fundamental shift in the way information is distributed. It is no longer a one-way conversation between the writer and the reader. The conversation that occurs has a monumental effect on the way the interlocutors conduct themselves. Why does InStyle have a Twitter page? They want to create an ongoing and sustained dialogue with readers, which is a much better marketing strategy than just releasing a monthly issue.

I think professionals in any field and any age group should consider the doors that this opens, especially in our job market. Being technology savvy can only advance you. When I graduated last December and started figuring out what came next, I decided that I needed to beef up my credentials as an editor. In my quest for knowledge and experience, I started noticing that all the publishing gigs I was getting were online and/or technology related. I realized how essential it is to embrace this transition and walk at least in step with it, if not a step ahead of it.

This YouTube video was shown during a presentation at my internship. I would recommend anyone who is interested in using social media as a career advancement tool watch it as well. It’s eye opening.

-Elina is a blogger for The Daily Vine. Check out her bio to see where her view comes from.