So, you’ve decided you want a job in social media. Here are 3 ideas/resources that will help you land the social media job of your dreams, and get that career in social media off the ground:
1. Know Your Stuff
Being qualified for a job is probably a really obvious point to start with, but many people don’t take the time to understand the industry they want to work in, or actually spend the time preparing to do the job that they so desperately want.
If you are not active on the majority of the major social media platforms yourself, you will find it very hard to even get in the door to interview for a job in social media.
Here is a list of the 5 platforms that you absolutely MUST have an active, well-maintained, curated, well-followed and professional presence on:
Personal Blog – WordPress, Posterous, Blogger, or a personal website
It’s not enough just to have a presence on the social media networks/platforms, you also need to be aware of what is changing, and what additional tools are being added so that you can truly be seen as a leader in the space. There are probably thousands of websites and blogs that try to keep up with all the changes in world of social media. While it’s not possible to keep up with them all, it’s essential to be reading Mashable. I also recommend Web Strategist and Search Engine Watch. You should also be following companies whose social media strategies you like on their respective social networks.
2. Look in the Right Places
There are more and more companies looking for talented people to help them with their social media strategy. Many of these jobs trickle onto the regular job boards, but for those who have absolutely decided that social media is the way to go, here are a few social media specific job boards:
Marketing Pilgrim Internet Marketing Jobs
Web Strategy and Social Media Jobs
LinkedIn – I personally like the idea of using a social media platform to find a social media job…but that’s just me.
3. Learn to Love Infographics
If you haven’t yet learned how to read, interpret, and ultimately bask in the glory that is the infographic, you are missing an essential element in the way social media is communicated. Just in case you need a primer, here’s a great social media infographic made just for you:
