Social media no longer falls under the terms “procrastination” and “time wasting,” but instead “building your brand” and “working on your resume.” According to the Student Development Conference, hosted Friday at Eastern Michigan University’s Student Center, social media platforms are career builders.
The Public Relations Student Society of America on EMU’s campus invited four guest speakers to talk to EMU students, specifically within the Public Relations Department. The goal of the program was to talk to students about ways to create a name and to make one’s resume more unique yet professional. The way many of the speakers suggested this was by using social media.
As Lisa Vallee-Smith, Co-CEO of Airfoil Public Relations, said, “Social media is like public relations 101.”
Vallee-Smith was the first presenter at the conference. Throughout her speech she discussed how one of her company’s accounts is on the site LinkedIn, a social media site for making career connections.
“LinkedIn should be a friend of yours,” she said.
Chad Wiebesick, director of social media and interactive marketing for Travel Michigan, also highly recommends students create and utilize a LinkedIn account. Wiebesick recommended students make sure to include a photo, use status updates, constantly update recommendations and settings and use apps.
“Don’t beg for a job; build a repertoire,” Wiebesick said.
Wiebesick also suggested students create and edit their other sources of social media. Wiebesick discussed how he utilizes nine different forms of social media for the Pure Michigan campaign.
“Social media can humanize your brand,” he said.
While a student at EMU may not be part of a brand, like Wiebesick is with Pure Michigan, Lindsay
Blackwell, social media manager for Fluency Media, said, “You’re selling yourself; you’re always selling yourself.”
Blackwell is recognized for the extreme measures she took in order to gain an interview for a position as a social media director at the University of Michigan. Because Blackwell lacked the previous experience needed for the position, she decided to find another way to stand out against the other résumés being sent to U of M.
Thus, over the course of a weekend, Blackwell created the website, www.dearlisarudgers.com. The site includes a YouTube video showing Blackwell’s personality, links explaining her experience and reasons why she wants the job, as well as means to contact her. Also on the site is a link to a Twitter page where Blackwell’s friends and family tweeted on her behalf. Because of the site, Blackwell got the interview she wanted.
“I want students to constantly be thinking and strategizing,” Blackwell said.
Blackwell strongly encourages students to use all forms of social media, as well as creativity, in order to stand out in the job market.
“Facebook includes the people who are already invested in you; they want to watch you succeed,” she said. “You should use Twitter to follow the people you want. It’s a form of research. You learn what the CEO likes and doesn’t like, and you can use that to build connections. Even try a Pinterest résumé. Dedicate a board to describing your professional skills and personality.”
While it may not be the best idea to send a business a link to your Pinterest résumé board if you’re applying to work at a hospital or morgue, keep in mind what Christine Olszewski, manager of special projects for Eisbrenner Public Relations, said.
“There’s no Bible to writing a résumé,” Olszewski said.
Throughout the conference, the four different speakers offered students ways to contact them. As they discussed using social media to be part of the job market and still unique, they also stressed the idea of social media being, as Vallee-Smith called it, a blend of work and life.
