At the end of last month I graduated from Temple University with a Master’s in Communication Management. The speaker for the School of Theater and Communication’s ceremony was Marjorie Brody, a graduate of the program in 1968 and now CEO of Brody Professional Development, a communication and presentation skills training company. Her message to the newly unemployed was that this is a crappy time to be graduating (thanks for the positive words), and that it’s going to take a lot of persistence, creativity and tenacity to land that first job. I couldn’t agree more. The thought of having to start a job search right now sends chills down my spine.
Her next words of advice however I must disagree with. She told the class of 2009 to put their texting fingers to rest, close their facebook pages, chill out for a while on Twitter and go dormant on email (gasp!). Instead talk to friends and family, attend networking events and (wait for it) follow up with handwritten notes instead of sending an email. Now I can understand where she is coming from. Kids these days (yes, I can say it, I’m almost 30) have lost, or never gained, the ability to appropriately socialize as a result of communicating via cell phones and laptops. Shunning technology is not going to solve this…but that’s a topic for another time.
My reaction to her advice is that it is short sighted. It assumes that your friends and family have the contacts that you need. It assumes that those that attend a networking event in your city and within your interest area are the right connections. It assumes that your network is sufficient enough to help you get a job in this economy. Let me tell you 2009 graduate, it’s not.
What I’m sure this very well intentioned speaker meant was that you can’t hide behind your computer or your cell phone and expect to get a job today, which is true. However, her advice completely misses the most powerful element that social media offers us: weak ties. The “friend” on facebook that you met once at that party last summer, fellow members of the “I love Philly” group, your 250 “followers” on Twitter who you’ve never met before and possibly more importantly, their followers. These are the folks who allow you to expand your network.
Weak ties are the threads that make social media possible. They may also be the individuals who open the door to new opportunities or introductions. I’m not saying that by tweeting “looking for a job in marketing!” you’re all set and don’t have to get out there, because you still need to get out there. But you can do this online as well as off. Create a webpage and post your resume, contact information, writing samples, letters of recommendation, projects and whatever else might be in your portfolio and then tweet, facebook, and yes, email out the link. When you add new content let people know. Think of yourself as a brand and market the heck out of it. Make those weak ties understand who are you are and what you’re looking for and don’t be surprised when opportunities come knocking.
Graduates of the class of 2009 have something that I never had, and that’s the ability to reach way beyond our traditional networks. Social media gives an opportunity to reach people we may otherwise would never have had the opportunity to connect to. This is an amazing thing! Enough with the excuses – get out there and make those weak ties work for you!
I don’t dispute that there is some limited usefulness to the type of advertisement you describe. It’s a bit like eating a bowl of chicken soup when you’re under the weather (it couldn’t hurt!). However, I do think you’re overestimating the efficacy of the social network once you get outside the dunbar number.
Comment by John Touey — September 21, 2009 @ 12:53 pm