Do You Really Want That Social Media Gig?
Something to think about before you set your sights on being the next Twitter rockstar: it’s not easy.
“Don’t misunderstand,” writes Amber Naslund, director of community for Radian6, a social media monitoring company. “I love my job. I love what I do. But it’s not cake. It’s challenging. It’s real work, not just sitting on the internet all day. It’s every bit of a professional commitment as many of the jobs I’ve held in the past, probably even more so.” But there are some drawbacks you might not have thought of.
One: the personal becomes public. “The lines start to blur between what’s personal and what’s professional, and all the disclaimers in the world won’t always mean that you can or should post whatever’s on your mind. The personal and professional profiles you keep might be and feel physically separate, but Google doesn’t know the difference.” You’re suddenly “always on.”
Two: it’s not all “fun.” “Social media is just the vehicle,” Naslund says. “What you’re accountable for is the success of the business and your performance on the projects that matter. Not all of it will be sexy. The CEO can’t and won’t cash a check against how many ‘likes’ you have on your latest blog post.”
And three: your job is ultimately about business, not pleasure. “I execute projects, work long hours (the internet doesn’t sleep very well), get my hands dirty, find things that aren’t working and fix them,” says Naslund.
A commenter to the post, who’s been looking to hire some social media specialists, added that massive follower counts and witty comments are exactly what doesn’t land you a social media job. “If you’re looking for a social media job and I’m doing the interviewing, don’t show me your “personal brand”–I could care less that you really, really like yourself. Show me your freaking case studies.”
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