Job Hunt 2.0: 5 reasons it’s more than just social media

May 12, 2:47 PMWork Life ExaminerJudy Martin

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This weekend NPR aired my feature on All Things Considered which gave a taste of the job hunt in the social media landscape. You can click here to listen to Socializing on Line can Get you a Job. Can you nail a job by playing your cards right on-line? There are numerous variables and far too many to get into in my three-minute time slot, so I wanted to share some fuel for thought here at WorkLife Nation. 

In the feature, I interviewed the author of the Personal Branding Blog and author of Me 2.0, Dan Schawbel. Also in the segment was Steve Rubel, author ofMicropersuasion.com and SVP/Director of Insights at Edelman Digital. Rubel authored Edelman’s white paper on Digital Trends for 2009 which included a view on an emerging trend which he calls Corporate All-Stars (blogging company executives who are building their personal brand while marketing their company).

Rubel and Schawbel made some valid points about why the  job hunt in today’s 2.0 era is about more than just on-line eye candy. 

1. The personal brand on-line is a needed addendum to the paper resume: Schawbel says the 21st Century practical need for one to create a personal brand on line ups the ante regarding competition.  ”Employers are using social networks as background checks. Personal brands are much more visible than before because of social media, so you have promote and protect yourself at the same time. You can use personal branding to maintain your on-line reputation as you develop and grow your career.”
2. Excellence in performance trumps anything: Rubel says you can be plastered across every social media site but unless you can deliver the goods - you’re dead in the water. “I think excellence will always prevail. You want to make sure you’re doing what you’re doing -  and doing it well.  But excellence and having a personal brand can help you , especially if that brand is being used to connect you to customers, partners and others who can help the company. In fields like in IT for example and marketing, that’s pivotal. Ultimately, if you perform, fill a role and have a track record of success, you’ll do well in your career.”
3. Accountability is crucial: Schawbel says beware of everything you put on line and your behavior at work. Both can equally influence your career path. “To be the commander of your career is to control your destiny.  The key is to be accountable for your career and to be the driver on-line and at work. Things are not going to happen for you – you have to make them happen. That means letting your managers and directors know what you are doing, and the value of your work. Keeping your on-line profile up to date is part of that.”
4. You don’t have to be Madonna to strike a pose at work or on-line to garner attention: Rubel says anyone can stand out in our web 2.o world. “ I think you have to be known in a niche. And that can be on a message board,LinkedIn, Facebook or a Facebook group , it doesn’t not have to be massive. You can have an influence on a small scale where ever there are people who are looking to you as a peer and a trusted source of Information.”
5. Being a digital native can help you in your career depending on the workplace culture: “If a company views social networking and social media as important to them they will target employees who they feel can help them build relationships -  while understanding their business. They are looking for those digital natives. Is it widespread?  Not necessarily. It depends on the industry, subject matter and the culture of the company. But I think it’s going to be much more widespread as companies recognize  they need a footprint in social media to build relationships.”