Taking Control of Social Media for Your CareerCindy Royal, Ph.D

Associate Professor

Texas State University

School of Journalism and Mass Communication

croyal@txstate.edu

cindyroyal.com

@cindyroyal

slideshare.net/cindyroyal

When nothing, or nothing good, is found about you, you end up in the "less likely" or "no" piles.

•Google yourself•Google others in your field and compare•Work on public image•Not optional any longer

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-p-joyce/job-search-tips_b_4834361.html

Start a BlogBlogging allows you to explore your passions, improve writing skills, communicate with others who share your interest

LinkedIn • Your LinkedIn profile can connect you to thousands of professionals

• Search for connections at companies of interest

• Create a LinkedIn profile that reflects your interests and background much like a resume

• Include your Website on your LinkedIn profile

Facebook • Facebook is a fun place to share with friends

• But remember, any friend can be a potential career contact

• Friend faculty and professional contacts, as long as you keep your Facebook activities professional and above board. Use privacy settings and friends lists carefully. As an alternate, subscribe to people, allow them to subscribe to you

Twitter• Start a Twitter account; free & simple

• Follow interesting people. Some suggestions at the end of the presentation

• Use widgets to repurpose to your Web site or blog. New content all the time.

• Respond to questions

• Retweet interesting items

Photosand Visuals

• Instagram - add filters to photos; share with your friends (Facebook purchased in 2013)

• Pinterest – another visual platform; pin items; grouping

• Tumblr – a blogging platform that relies heavily on the visual (Yahoo purchased in 2013)

• Other photo sharing sites still exist like Picasa and Flickr

Video • Use your phone

• Learn to use simple editing software like iMovie or Windows MovieMaker

• YouTube

Go Mobile

• Find apps that will allow you to expandyour social media activities

• News apps help you stay in touch

• Twitter apps – allow you to Tweet when you are on the go.

• Meerkat and Periscope – live stream video from phone

Location-based • Foursquare (NYC)

• Location as part of other apps, like Yelp, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

• Share location, photos with friends

• Get tips and recommendations

• Locations can provide incentives to users

• Integration with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.

Messaging

• WhatsApp• GroupMe• Threema, Line• SnapChat

AnalyticsUse Google Analytics or those associated with your blog platform to get information about users, locations, link referrals, etc.

Future

• Wearables• Virtual Reality• Robotics• Data• Drones & sensors• Second-screen

engagement• Coding for

everyone• Bitcoin

Leveraging Social• Employers look at social presence• Digital/social media planning likely a part of many careers:

social media editor, PR, event planners, marketing• Demonstrate comfort, expertise, enthusiasm• Social media careers include strategy and analytics• Make contacts, ask questions, learn about companies• Use social network to complement in-person networking• Stay up-to-date conceptually, as well • Try new things, have fun!

Don’t…

• Curse or use foul language• Describe illegal activities• Exhibit rude behavior, explicitly sexual• Denigrate religion, politician, political group,

ethnicity, etc.• Use poor spelling and grammar• Seem to be drunk/drugged• Slam current employer• Discuss your search for a new job

http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=6%2F26%2F2014&id=pr829&ed=12%2F31%2F2014

Some Twitter follow recommendationsTX State faculty/recent grads@cindyroyal@jonzmikly @jacieyang@daleblasingame@kymfox@sjmctxst@txst – that's the official txstate twitter

Professional Media@nytimes@mashable@smashingmag@techcrunch@statesman@universitystar

Other organizations@ona@sxsw@niemanlab@PBSMediaShift@aejmc

Resources− SXSW Interactive − Read Tech blogs like Mashable, Read Write Web,

TechCrunch, SmashingMag, 10,000 Words, Wired.Tech section of NY Times and FastCompany.com

− Nieman Lab, PBS MediaShift− We The Media by Dan Gillmor− Convergence Culture by Henry Jenkins− The Long Tail and Free by Chris Anderson− What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis− Remix by Lawrence Lessig− Digital Journalism journal –

www.tandfonline.com/loi/rdij20− International Symposium in Online Journalism –

https://online.journalism.utexas.edu/− Digital Riptide – digitalriptide.org