Facebook, Twitter skills now wanted in workplace

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The landscape of today’s job market is shifting and the shift favours individuals who are savvy in social media.

Increasingly Job postings on a number of Australian, Canadian and American websites include Twitter and Facebook requirements for applicants.

For Exampl

• Mosaic Sales Solutions describes the "key characteristics" of its ideal market training specialist as "an avid user of the Internet, blogs, Twitter and/or has a Facebook page or other social networking account."
• Valtech Technologies seeks a scrum master/project manager whose critical responsibilities will include "social collaboration including work spaces like Wiki’s, blogs, Twitter, etc."

That’s listed right above "proven ability to establish clear and effective objectives and milestones."

Kevin Stoddart, vice-president with executive search specialist Robertson Surrette in Halifax, said it is ironic that many of the companies that once worried about lost employee productivity because of time spent on Facebook are now requiring it as a skill.

"It’s not a requirement for every position. If someone is hiring a finance professional I don’t see the relevance, but social media skills are important for jobs in tech business, sales, public relations and media."

That’s because social media networks provide cost-effective ways for companies to put out their message and provide information to people in a personal, one-on-one way.

"Companies want to know if we are using social media as a recruiting tool and (the) answer is a definitive yes," he said. "Our use of Facebook has faded in favour of LinkedIn, but tomorrow it could be something else. The websites and platforms may change, but social media is here to stay."

Over time, he said, social media skills will become important to everyone — not just those in marketing and communications.

"Social media will become very accepted and even if you’re an IT person or an accounting person, long-term, you will need to be able to use social media and be able to communicate on behalf of your company," Mr. Van Rossum said.

In the meantime, if you really love Tweeting and Facebooking, there are plenty of jobs requiring only that.

A sampling of job postings on Monster.com: "Social Media Ninja," "Social Media Strategist," "Director of Public Relations and Social Media" and "Conversation Manager."

These kinds of social media jobs began emerging about six months ago, Van Rossum said. Most of them are six- to nine-month contract positions with companies looking to have a social media strategy set up for them.

This social media craze among employers is creating some complications for job applicants and employees, Mr. Van Rossum said, such as blurring the lines between personal and professional lives.

"Facebook pages aren’t about business, they’re about you as a person, but how people perceive you as a person will ultimately impact how they perceive the place where you work," Van Rossum said. "It’s a very complicated challenge."

What is Van Rossum’s advice to job applicants? Use social media to search for jobs and use your own Facebook pages and Twitter accounts to protect your "brand" image.

Social media competency might still be worth a small mention on a resume, but Mr. Stoddart believes within a short period of time it will be so commonplace it will be like including such startlingly unimpressive capabilities as Microsoft Word savvy or email literate.

Source: TheChronicalHerald.ca


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