Social Media Networking: A fad or an essential career tool

Jenni Proctor | Career Clarityjenni@careerclarity.com.au

CDAA | Brisbane | 3 March 2010

Essential career tool always It used to be …..“It’s not what you know, it’s

who you know.” Now it is more……”It’s not what you know,

it’s who knows that you know it”

Networking

Traditional networks

“It’s not what you know, it’s who knows that you know about it.”

Networking – A new dimension

Linked In Twitter Facebook

Power TrioBest sites for career management

Social Mainly social for most people Can ask anyone to be your friend News Sharing – Status, New babies, Holidays,

Parties, Photos

Business Heavily used by small business Fan pages and groups to share specific information News Sharing – Workshops, Products Meetup groups – networking events

Facebook

Ernst & Young Careers

<A way of communicating to many using only 140 characters Used a lot by celebs and business US trend to advertise jobs through Twitter >

That’s 138 characters! Headline pointing to your website or article Expand your job or business network Can search on daily basis – find out what

jobs are coming up Expert status

Twitter

www.linkedin.com More professionally oriented Can’t just link with anyone Interest groups Resume uploaded research people, companies, groups

Linked In

August, 2009 - ComScore

70% of internet users visited social networking websites in 2009 Nearly 9 million Australians visited a social networking site in June, 2009 Only 29% in 2008

Popularity Worldwide:

Facebook followed by MySpace, Windows Live, Bebo and Twitter. Facebook - 6 million visitors and growing 95 % from the previous year. MySpace Sites -3.5 million visitors, up 5 % Windows Live Profile with nearly 2 million visitors. Twitter witnessed the most substantial growth, surging to 8,000,000

visitors in June, 2009 Orkut also achieved significant growth, up 607 percent. Talent Bar and yworld are upcoming sites.

Social networking in Australia

World’s largest professional network 48 million members and growing 875,000 members in Australia Over 1,000 companies using LinkedIn Talent Advantage to hire

employees. Telcos and banks are most likely to take advantage of the

business network site Telstra, IBM, Optus, National Australia Bank and ANZ listed as

the top five companies in Australia with the most employees on LinkedIn.

Top five positions for Australians on LinkedIn include: business owner, director, manager, consultant and project manager.

Industries - information technology and services industry, financial services, computer software, telecommunications, marketing and advertising, accounting, education management, human resources, banking and management consulting.

Reference: http://www.smarte-commerce.com/social-networking-usage-in-australia/

Linked In

Preferred option for professional networking Network - Informational interviews Integrates blog posts and Twitter Can join groups to show expertise and

interest Can submit articles to showcase expertise

and link to website Can be useful for researching companies

and individuals

Linked In Advantages

Is Social Media Networking helpful in finding a new job?

14% some contact 7% “My career profile is available for public

view.”

The Age….

Social Networking FreedomsIn 2003 – 2004, Social Media was BLOCKED

Traditional companies Problems with Workplace Internet Leisure

Browsing

Contemporary companies want someone who Can promote their brand Can acquire new business Social personality usually uses social media!

Ciaran Norris, head of social media at the WPP agency Mindshare, says:

“Last year was definitely a tipping-point for social media. Advertisers can now see it’s not just for kids, it’s not just for geeks – that was the worry before. More clients are asking about what we can do in social media..”

Evening Standard, London, 25th January, 2010

Advertisers take it seriously

Globalisation Economic changes Flexible labour practices Information technology

New techniques New practices New strategies New approaches

World of work

1. Impacts on job seekers2. What we need to tell our clients3. Professional practice4. The use of social media within our

profession

What career practitioners need to know

Employers use search engines and social media to evaluate clients

Internet content = new or lost opportunities New opportunities – market skills, establish

contacts, promote themself Lost opportunities –photos, comments Blurred boundaries between public &

private Privacy being tightened on Facebook

1. Impacts on job seekers

Be aware, not naïve Be consistent Be respectful Update regularly

2. What we need to tell our clients

Their use of Social Media Their level of privacy Anything on site that is private information Their level of awareness about privacy Their “exposure” – How would you feel if

your employer or prospective employer looked at your site? Help or hinder your prospects?

Keeping up to date with changes on a site

Questions for clients

Be consistently branded How often is it updated? Is the information consistent with your

resume? Professional or social profile? Shorts and thongs or business suit? Skills, accomplishments, passions,

professional interests – Are they visible anywhere?

Risk minimisation

Profile Savvy

Same Advice, Different ContextUntil about 2009 Now

Present yourself well in applications and interviews

Present yourself in a good light to potential employers

Look, act and sound as if you would be a good employee

Utilise your network well

Manage your online profile carefully

Maintain consistency of your personal brand

Does an online search make you seem employable?

Utilise your online and offline networks

Are you networking online? Are you learning from others online? Are you using social media to promote your

own professional interests or business? Are you helping your clients to use social

networking to their advantage?

3. Professional Practice

Best example I have seen:Career Success Radio – Keith Keller and Annemarie Cross Weekly broadcasts International Highly visible on main social media sites Creating links with many career development

organisations and individuals internationally

www.careersuccessradio.com

4. Social media with our profession

Talent Bar Yworld Global Career Coaching Alliance Yahoo Groups – Career coaches

Other sites to explore

To be Career Development Practitioners of the current times, relevant to all generations and aware of the main modes of communication that people are using………

Therefore Social Networking is an essential contemporary career development tool.

Our challenge

Contact: Jenni Proctor

Career Clarity

jenni@careerclarity.com.au

www.careerclarity.com.au