How To Get A Job In Social Media
Published on Friday, June 11, 2010 – 8:32 am
So, you want a job in social media? Well, here is some solid advice that will get you that little bit closer, based on a recent email conversation.
Hi Jacob,
I was reading your “Twitter / job success story” and the one thing that I’m curious about, is what kind of things were you tweeting / blogging about that drew Carrot Creative in to hire you? As you know, there are a bazillion designers out there on Twitter looking for a job (including me), tweeting about all kinds of things design and career-related. I’m just curious if there was anything in particular, or any specific tweet or blog post, that initially drew them in? Was landing a NYC design job part of your strategy, or was just pure “happenstance” that brought you two together?
Congratulations. It is indeed a fascinating story, mostly because of the miles involved between Australia & NYC.
Regards,
Mitch
Rather than answering the email myself, I forwarded the email to one of the Carrot Creative founders, Chris Petescia, to get his honest reply. Here is what he replied:
Really, it was your initiative with your brand & authority in the online design space, your initiative on the freelance space and communication / presence across the whole social web. Being pro-active is a big thing for us and you demonstrated that enough with your own brand so we thought you’d fit in with us. There is a lot of talent out there but our agency values motivation, eagerness, enthusiasm and online interaction as much as we do talent in some instances. Make the effort – showing up or being passive doesn’t demonstrate drive.
So, in a nutshell, it’s not what you’re tweeting or blogging about, it’s about being pro-active in all areas of your business and online presence.
For further insight on how to get a job in social media check out this article by Katy Kelley, another Carrot Creative employee. You can get even more advice here.
Have you got any further advice for getting a job in the social media / design industry?
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14 Responses
to “How To Get A Job In Social Media”
3 Trackback(s)
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Rob V on Jun 11, 2010 said:
Hi Jacob,
Isn’t this more so a case of getting a job THROUGH social media, rather than IN? I’m assuming you used twitter to get a job in the design industry, rather than the social media industry?
Some nice advice regardless, thanks for sharing!
Rob V
Duane Kinsey on Jun 11, 2010 said:
Hey Jacob, interesting to hear what the Carrot Creative founder said – obviously a very smart guy.
While I am not an expert in social media (yet), I think the way to give yourself of getting a job in the field is.
1. Develop authority (though blogging)
2. Put your time in learning how to leverage different social media tools.
3. Actively demonstrate your ability (whether it be design or something else) in a public setting.
As I am sure you can attest to becoming qualified to work in social media wont happen over night. From what I understand you put in 2 years of hard work to get this opportunity.
I think that if you put in the hard work you are bound to be noticed….eventually!
Duane Kinsey on Jun 11, 2010 said:
I should really proofread my comments – read the 3rd line as “I think the best way to give yourself a chance of getting a job in the field is”
Cheers!
Carlos Yabar on Jun 12, 2010 said:
Hey Jacob, thanks for sharing this info.
I’m not looking for job in social media, but freelance work is always welcome and it’s always nice to read these kinds of stories…
Jacob Cass on Jun 12, 2010 said:
Hi Rob,
You could say it either way however the majority of my job at Carrot Creative is based around design for social media… eg. iphone apps, websites, facebook apps, fan pages, twitter pages, etc.
Duane,
Some great tips there Duane. I would definitely stress your second point though… understand and leverage how to use social media for your own personal goals and if you don’t have any goals yet, set them.
Hard work definitely does pay off and you are correct, it won’t happen over night.
Carlos,
You’re welcome and yeah this advice could be used for many industries.
Martin on Jun 15, 2010 said:
I have read a lot of blogs and article about social media jobs, and I’m kinda worried that I won’t succeed as this is something really new for me. But with this article, maybe I’ll give it a shot.
Andrew on Jun 18, 2010 said:
I love the last line by Chris Petescia: Make the effort – showing up or being passive doesn’t demonstrate drive.
Well said!
Lawson on Jul 28, 2010 said:
Social Media is a way to interact . Big companies now a days uses social media to interact and spread their PR news. It is widely used as a public relation news to disseminate / share news. The main task of any social media campaign is to build trust and credibility on a long run.
Rob Baughan on Nov 29, 2010 said:
I work for an online recruitment business (specifically media/social media jobs) and the importance of sites such as Twitter/LinkedIn are huge. We frequently use these sites to find candidates for our roles and I know a number of people who have been headhunted. So even if you are not looking for a job at the moment it is well worth staying active as the offer of your dreams could be around the corner!
Nick on Sep 8, 2011 said:
This is a very good post revealing a totally new way of finding a job. I never thought you can find a job in the social media. Maybe I’m not in this field. But I think this does give people opportunities and they will welcome this way.
Lowell on Sep 29, 2011 said:
Social media is a very competitive job market right now. Everyone is on the band wagon. Thanks for the info on a way for job seekers to stand out.