Michael Long, aka “The Red Recruiter”, hosted a lively, and up to this point, our most energetic and active Unpanel. We asked Michael what his takeaway’s might have been from the 1 hour session:
The transparency issue is a big one and we are all trying to figure
out what we can and cannot do. From a candidate perspective, employers
range in the weight that they put on your social media presence. With that
said, the future looks bleak for those who want to hide their online
presence. Advancing tools and search savvy recruiters are quickly learning
how to dig in deeper. The buzz would indicate a future filled with both
your paper resume and an online characterization.
The second takeaway from our discussion on transparency was about being
yourself. If you have to pretend to be someone else in order to get that
perfect job, it probably isn’t the perfect job for you. With that said,
social media has created a platform for people where they can be themselves.
Generational judgments and differences aside, as a recruiter I have learned
that there is a perfect work-home for almost everyone. It’s a matter of
matching up with a culture that suits your desires and a company that
dedicates to something you are passionate about. Long-term, this is the
situation that works out best for all parties involved.
The final major takeaway about this topic… and the one that stuck with me
the most, was regarding the “issue” of transparency existing at all. One
comment specifically pointed out that the “issue” has remained a topic
simply because the X and Baby Boomer Generations make it one. Once their
voice has faded in the marketplace, the issue of transparency won’t be an
issue at all. At first (since I personally sit on the boarder of X & Y)
this comment caught me off guard. However, once I thought about it more, it brought up some good questions.
Do the Y Gen’s have any issue with being transparent? If not, then perhaps this issue is something that early generations have to deal with.
Perhaps we are staring change in the face and we are just having a hard time accepting it.
PERHAPS, that should be another UnPanel!
Tags: HR, michael long, social media, social media marketing, socialmedia, The red recruiter, the unpanel, transparency in job searches, twitter
I believe you have to market yourself as if you were a brand. When you are out and about and networking you are building your network. This also happens on Twitter when influential people find you interesting and they see what you are doing.
I know of a person who is doing the opposite. HE does not have his last name, isn’t meeting anyone in person, and just isn’t listening to any advice I give him. Am I doing it the correct way, I am not sure, I am getting recognized by a few newspapers who aren’t in my State.
Jamie,
good comment. It’s interesting to hear everyone’s idea about the perfect Twitter strategy. Very much to what you are alluding to, it’s up to the individual. What are they trying to accomplish? Is it for business? pleasure? both?
Interesting note: I have a friend who is SVP at a major interactive agency who works on their largest global accounts. His purpose using the tools is to figure out how to game them, how to not get found (providing more insight as to how to get found) and to ultimately break it. Think he has 22 firends on twitter, yet is one of the most knowledgeable on the topic that you will ever meet.
On the topic, if your goal is to use social media in your job search, then it would make sense that you be as available as possible. Like in work, though, some people are just bad at their jobs no matter what they are doing….
@Jamie – Now that a month has gone by… as I think back on this UnPanel, I’m still feeling that the “strategy” can and should be simple. Be yourself, be yourself, be yourself
Not every person (or company for that matter) will like who we really are… but, when the right company finds the person in question, it will seem like a match made in heaven.
@Jason – Twitter strategy is probably the most over analyzed and relative topic out there right now. The real strategy (in my humble opinion) is probably as unique to the person as their fingerprint is. It’s going to be a tough one to analyze! The tricky part, as I see it, is the weight that employers may put on simply having a presence. While this might not hurt your friend, it could be very hurtful for the mid-level manager who has flown under the radar in an attempt to avoid having his/her life captured online. Good for privacy… not so good for being evaluated.
All other factors equal, a company would probably be more willing to hire someone with a presence before a person without one. This same criteria would hold true for a number of other competitive advantages as well when you think about it… all other factors equal, a company would be more willing to hire someone with a better (insert skill, personality trait, educational history, work history). So… the question for me is – has the “presence” aspect of all this become a marketable trait… has it joined the club of common differentiators? Time will ultimately tell.