So for a couple of weeks I've been meaning to write about twitter. I love it. I get breaking news via twitter, follow a host of @handles that advertise restaurant bargains in DC (I'm working on a student budget after all), and generally keep track with what is going on in the world in 140 characters or less.
One thing I am not, is a tweeter myself. I may retweet stories of interest, but I rarely post anything of my own and that may cost me in the long term. Here's why:
With Twitter becoming an increasingly influential forum, it is an obvious next step for people to be curious about who are the most influential people within this burgeoning world within social media. Hence, the creation of websites like Klout, PeerIndex and YourBuzz that all measure the impact that your twitter handle has on your followers. For example, I have (what I consider to be) a reasonably respectable Kloutscore of 40. However, that falls into the 9th percentile of tweeters worldwide according to Twitalyzer. #epicfail
Now this may seem harmless, maybe even interesting, but here's where it can get interesting. Let's assume that a recent graduate of a prestigious university in Washington, DC is looking for a job. Problem number one, 50 other people all applied to the same job. Let us assume that this graduate's resume makes it to the top of the pile and is picked for final interviews with three other candidates. All four do great in the interview and in person and on paper there is really nothing to choose between them. "Well," says the potential employer. "What about online?"
And herein lies the rub. The employer wants to hire somebody who will have the greatest impact for their company, and why shouldn't that include online presence as well? Even if the company is merely background information that appears only occasionally on the twitter page, a candidate who is an "influencer" on twitter will be more appealing to the employer.
So where does that leave those of us in the single digit percentile group? Well, to paraphrase Shawshank Redemption in an overly dramatic way: get busy tweeting, or get busy dying. This may be the newest pressure on jobseekers in the 21st century and it may not be long before Kloutscores and Twitalyzer ratings are appearing on resumes and cover letters. You may have worked hard to get a fantastic education, you have experience in your field, your facebook page may be well scrubbed of embarrassing pictures, but in the 21st century, is that enough any more?
Great post Evan! It reminds me of some articles I read not long ago discussing what social media means for us today and specifically how it empowers us. Not only do we have access to the conversation, but we can participate in the conversation. But, at the same time it empowers us, it gives us a lot of responsibility. Because we can participate in the conversation, we are increasingly expected to participate. Otherwise, if that is where the conversation is happening, and you don't, how will you represent yourself? With all the social media available our voice, thoughts and actions are increasingly out in the public, branding ourselves becomes increasingly more important. How are you going to distinguish yourself from the others? How are you going to distinguish yourself as a leader? How are you going to make sure you're even picked up at all? I think your point is right on.
ReplyDeleteThis is terrifying and probably true. I'd like to think that since a personal brand is about who we are as people, it should be genuine - and therefore shouldn't need to include fabricated online personas. Those in my classes know I'm old-school and don't have a Twitter account, smartphone, or active Facebook presence. I still hold leftover disdain for the pretension inherent in things like personal brand creation. Shouldn't our personal brand be about who we really are? And if we're not naturally sucked into the online world, why should we have to pretend? Might we not be able to highlight other skills instead, ones we actually care about cultivating?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to believe there's still some power in our good old-fashioned people skills...and networking/knowing the right people still trumps online influence...but with that said, I'm sure you're completely right and I will be calling all of you when I'm unemployed and desperate, asking how to use hashtags. When that happens, please be kind.
Evan:
ReplyDeleteThis post is absolutely necessary. In the competitive climate of D.C., Individuals are always seeking to gain an edge. Getting an edge is not always about landing the most popular internship or having the most contacts, but it has a lot to do with character. An employer must know that they can trust you in and out of the office. When a company offers you a job , they are bearing the responsibility of attaching you to their brand. This is both a risk and an investment on behalf of the company, because your every move has a direct impact on the image of the company, Social media is a part of that brand where millions of people have access. A persons media activity can have a direct impact on a firms advertisements, contracts, relationships and overall integrity.
I'm constantly brought to think of this technology in new lights. Great post, Evan. I don't know that I can add much to what was said, but I do think we are starting to see this change in, let's say, blogging assignments. lol.
ReplyDelete