Can Social Media Get Me a Job?

Is it important to have a professional profile to be on social media?

Better yet, can social media get you the job you want most?

Last week I spoke to the South Carolina Speech Language Hearing Association (SCSHA) about ways to amplify their professional presence online.

Many people are used to hearing the horror stories of employers looking at their employees' personal social media accounts and finding inappropriate content. They've secured their Facebook posts and made sure to keep proof of their inebriation in college off of Google. Some are adequately frightened enough to avoid most social media all together.

But most people I speak to have not considered how to proactively improve their own digital footprints with a professional goal in mind.

There were several people who participated in the presentation who told me they had never considered their social media presence in this way before.

It's a fascinating area to me because a lack of a digital footprint can potentially cause all kinds of problems that people don't even realize, such as hindering your ability in some countries to get a loan, making people suspicious of what you are hiding, and even preventing you from getting the job you are perfectly qualified for in every other way.

This is a topic I'm going to be writing about more in the future, but it lends itself to this latest podcast episode that just posted today on the Getting Social podcast that I did with my co-host Blake Althen and special guest Lauren LeMunyan, talking about how people can use social media to benefit their careers. You can listen to it here: http://throughthenoise.us/mediacast/2-can-social-media-get-job/.

What do you think? Are you proactively using your social media and overall digital presence to achieve your professional goals? Please share in the comments!

Some things we discuss during the podcast:

• What do most people get wrong about using social to their benefit for their careers?
• If people are limited on time, what is the one thing they should make sure they do on social?
• What are you thinking of starting or stopping on social media?
• Thinking of getting new professional photos taken to use for your social media profiles?
• Thinking of deleting all your accounts and just saying forget it?

More about our guest:
Lauren LeMunyan is the owner of Lauren LeMunyan Coaching, LLC and The Spitfire Coach and is also the host of the web-series, Water Cooler Wednesdays. Lauren works individuals and organizations to identify their purpose, vision, mission and brand to increase life engagement, accountability, motivation, and enjoyment.

About Getting Social:
Getting Social explores social media challenges and opportunities with special guests, examining everything from building your “personal brand” SEO online to social media’s impact on today’s politics. Host KiKi L’Italien thinks everyone should “Google themselves,” which is not as naughty as it sounds.

http://throughthenoise.us/gettingsocial

Why You Already Love EventCamp HQ

They say they are just everyday people, like you and me.

The EventCamp Headquarters Team includes industry thought-leaders, innovative meeting planners, and knowledge-management heavyweights.

Part of a dynamic, ongoing online conversation using the hashtag, eventprofs; Christina Coster had an idea…why couldn’t a group of event professionals come together for a face to face meeting using all the talents they had for a creative learning experience similar to the social media bar camps she’d attended?

And they did it.

We’ll hear more about the history of EventCamp on Monday when I will have the chance to interview the leaders of EventCamp Headquarters for Social Media Sweet Spot Radio at 11:30 am ET. You can tune in on your computers or by dialing in and there will be a chance for the audience to ask questions. Feel free to tweet about the show using #eventprofs or #sweetspot hashtags.

Monday’s show will feature:

Christina Coster is an award winning special event and meeting planner based in New York City. She is a blogger on Eventcoup.com and is the founder of EventCamp. She's a social media enthusiast, lover of all things tech, and an avid Mets fan. You can connect with her on Twitter at @Mizcity or on LinkedIn.

[Editor’s Note: She is also someone whom others refer to as brilliant, but who doesn’t seem keen to promote herself that way…I’ll love talking with her on Monday!]

Michael M McCurry is a 30 year veteran of the meetings and events industry. McCurry is currently a Strategic Account Manager with Experient and is responsible for oversight of the relationship between Experient and numerous corporate and association clients. He has been an active member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) since 1993 and most recently 2009 President of the Greater Midwest Chapter.

Mike has a special affinity for technology and has become a strong social media advocate and active blogger. Outside of work, he is an accomplished musician, guitarist and songwriter. When he’s not riding his Harley, he’s rooting for the Chicago Bears and Cubs.

Jessica Levin - With a background in marketing and event planning, Jessica’s dual forte is networking and netweaving. She has a reputation as the “Go To” person re: marketing, meeting planning and anything involving trends in technology. Jessica uses social networking tools to build and strengthen both personal and business relationships and teaches others how to embrace social media as a way to create both corporate and personal brands.

Jessica’s professional background includes experience in the professional services arena, association management and industrial marketing. Her strategic approach to marketing includes a mix of both traditional marketing channels and web 2.0 tactics. She focuses on creating, strengthening and maintaining relationships for business and for the people that drive them.

Jessica is the President of the New Jersey Professional Marketers Association (NJPSMG) and the social media moderator for the MeCo list. She is also a member of the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). She was named Planner of the Year by the New Jersey chapter of MPI and is a JASPER Award winner in the special event planning category. Jessica holds the designation Certified Meeting Professional (CMP). She was named New Jersey’s 2009 Top Forty Under 40. a 2010 Planner to Watch by Convention South magazine and was inducted into the New Jersey Social Media Hall of Fame in 2010.

Jeff Hurt has worked in events/nonprofit arena for more than 20 years including Keep America Beautiful as a consultant/trainer/writer; Keep Texas Beautiful as Education Coordinator; Professional Development Manager for Meeting Professionals International; Professional Development Manager for Promotional Products Association International; and Director of Education and Events for the National Association of Dental Plans. He has also served on several board of directors for several North Texas, state and national charities and organizations. Currently he serves as Director of Education and Engagement at Velvet Chainsaw Consulting.

[Editor’s Note: He is also one of my all-time favorite bloggers with his Midcourse Corrections blog.]

Mike McAllen helps companies save time, energy, and money for Meeting Production. The focus is on educating, motivating, networking and smart budgeting. He has a passion for helping meetings and event professionals through production solutions for live events and meetings...also through the internet with his show, MeetingsPodcast.com.

McAllen has been producing events and meetings, videos, and new media for 15 years. Co-founder of Grass Shack Events and Media 8 years ago - A corporate meetings and video production company. Co-founder of MeetingsPodcast.com and internet radio show which is in its 3rd year and more than 135 weekly shows. He is co-founder of EventCamp.org a "wordcamp" style event put together from the Eventprofs Twitter group.

[Editor’s Note: I am still waiting for an official headshot from Mike. So far, I’ve only found shots of him with other people online, including one photo titled, “The Godfathers of Eventprofs” from www.michaelmccurry.net/]

Do you have questions you would like for me to ask this crew of EventCamp leaders? I’ll be happy to include them for you!

EventCamp HQ - Why You Already Love It

Date / Time: 10/4/2010 11:30 AM

Category: Business

Call-in Number: (347) 884-9582