Thoughts on Social Media Careers
I’ve been working in the technology field for a long time and the thing that really keeps me engaged is the fact that it’s always changing. Technology evolves and there is a constant need to be upgrading or planning on upgrading. It’s made a great career for myself with a number of great projects and experiences that I can look back on with fond memories.
"IT" as it’s called has also enabled me to push boundaries that were uncomfortable for me, allowing me to grow and continue to learn about things that I needed to but was uninterested in. To my mind, this is what a career should deliver; experiences, personal growth, team participation, leadership, and providing a decent living for a family. This is something that a technology career has rewarded me with for my investment.
So with that knowledge, experience and expectation, I wonder just how big the social media market is for it’s practitioners. As every site integrates more social media and "web 2.0" technologies and methods, how will social media professionals remain in demand? Ensuing generations will be even more well versed in the concepts, tools, technologies than even the much celebrated millennials today.
As the online world continues to circle around and pick up the once-forgotten "human face" that it lacked in the .com boom/bust, it becomes harder to distinguish just what a social media professional is. I fear that most of them will simply be absorbed into the existing professions as Marketing and Public Relations – already, the social media sphere is mostly made up of this demographic.
Am I off base here or is there really a career path for social media specialists or professionals as we know them today? Or will it just become another skill listed by bullet point on the resume of future marketing professionals? What do you think?
Photo credit: Jay Dugger
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Comments
Comment by Jeff Cutler Ari and Rick,
I think the primary barrier to this industry becoming a boon for the people currently in the fishbowl is the education of those who aren’t using or even acknowledging the power, reach and utility of social media communities and tools.
From any perspective, social media tools are just one more way to get in touch with constituents – be they other businesses, customers, audiences, readers or friends. If we learn how to use them correctly, we’re poised to capitalize on this knowledge. But until the world becomes more versed in the value of these tools, our impact will still be akin to speaking to ourselves in a sound-proof booth.
Make no mistake, there are jobs to be had performing social media tasks. But for the most part, we’re still guppies swirling about inside the fishbowl looking out at the rest of the ocean – where the waves of change have yet to fall.
Jeff Cutler´s last blog post..Softwariness. A response to Alex Payne.
Comment by Agolf Cartson I think that most jobs and career paths will evolve over time so that will be no different for social media specialists. One most remember though that even though marketing has been around for maybe 100 years there are still a lot of aspects to it that most “normal” people don’t know about and don’t care about. I’m sure that will be no different for the social media space.
Agolf Cartson´s last blog post..Electric Golf Carts for Kids
Comment by Rick Mahn Ari, that’s a good point. As we “live it” as you point out, it’s very easy to forget that the bulk of the Internet folks are users of information and services and are just starting to take notice of social media.
Jeff, I love the analogy… “we’re still guppies swirling about inside the fishbowl, looking out at the rest of the ocean where the waves of change have yet to fall” that sums it up very nicely. 
Agolf, maybe it’s my perspective – coming from a purely technical background rather than a marketing one. I probably, incorrectly, confuse some of the concepts and tend to lump categories together when I shouldn’t be.
As social media has become more mainstream, I’ve been wondering what direction the “live it” group, as Ari puts it, should pursue. Personally, I fear that social media concepts and tools will become so pervasive that it will not develop into a definable profession. Time will tell, and I hope to be proven very wrong.
Cheers!
Comment by MN Headhunter | Paul DeBettignies Rick,
A good question to ask but let me suggest you take about 4 steps back and see if you see it the same way.
Everyone you know is into it in their personal and professional lives.
Now take a walk down the street, do you see everyone into it?
Translate that to companies.
For me, I see so many recruiters (getting) in the social media space and think, crap I need to keep evolving. While I do of course but taking the 4 steps back I am still seeing recruiters with no, little, bad web sites wondering what a RSS feed is and LinkedIn profiles that suck.
We are OK for now. Just need to be really good at what we do.
MN Headhunter | Paul DeBettignies´s last blog post..MBA: Yes or No????
Comment by teresa boardman I am seeing examples of companies in the real estate industry that are hiring “social” people to be social media managers. They are the folks that go out and connect. They are well versed in technology, at least how to use and exploit web 2.0 apps but do not have backgrounds in IT. Instead their backgrounds are in marketing or sales. They may not be exactly the type of job you mean but they are new jobs and have been created to help companies work with social media and to build strong online communities.
teresa boardman´s last blog post..Equally Predictable
Comment by Rick Mahn @Paul – This is a great point, and good advice. I’ve been paying a lot of attention to the numbers of people getting involved in social media of every type, but not to exactly “who” is jumping in. There are too many companies that just don’t see this wave coming yet.
@Teresa I like how you point out that people who are not technology professionals are leveraging social media. That is part of what I was trying to get at. Folks who have a passion or vision for their business can see how to use these tools in the social media world. That’s especially rewarding to folks like me (tech geek) who enjoy building and disseminating these social media tools. It’s also what I’m working hard at doing – changing focus from being so tech oriented, and helping people find a way to use social media as a business accelerator.
Comment by Kathy Drewien I’ve been “social” all my life. In elementary school I was the kid sent to the hall because I was much too chatty. In high school… the best friend who listened well. In college… pursued a graduate degree in social work.
Technology entered my life in the early ’80s and I discovered a passion that has transcended my career as a therapist, and my current career in real estate. It is only natural that I share that passion with others in my industry, helping them understand how technology – including social media – can enhance business growth.
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Comment by distance education mba Great article on obtaining your MBA. Online MBA degreesa are becoming more popular and respected as the internet offers programs from the top schools in the world.
Comment by mba degree online Online MBA degreesa are becoming more popular and respected as the internet offers programs from the top schools in the world.
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I don’t foresee a dilution but a wider gap between those who “get it” and those who “use it” and others who “live it.”
You and I are in the “live it” group, and you probably know many in both of the other groups.
The thing to keep in mind is the internet is international and much of the world (let alone cities a couple hundred miles from your home) only have dial-up service. Until broadband is the norm, there will continue to be a digital gap. I intend to remain in the “live it” group to help teach the teachers.
Ari Herzog´s last blog post..Why I Donate to Wikipedia