Re: Are You Good Enough?

Do you think social media plays a huge part in the hiring process?

I agree with everyone else. I think it depends on the company. Some companies do an in-depth social media background check and others may just google you. Employers look for more than just job experience. They want to see how you will fit in the culture that has been established. It doesn’t seem fair to be judged professionally according to your personal life. But thats just one of the prices we have to pay for being “connected.”

What sites do you focus on for social media and networking? 

I deleted all my social media accounts December of last year. I just signed up for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter again. I told myself I was doing it for my freelance design––to get my name out there. I have a personal and business page on FB. I rarely use twitter anymore but I do follow a lot of design professionals. Instagram is a combination of my personal and professional life. I know I should probably separate the two. I also use linkedin for networking purposes.  

Do you see all social media as an avenue for a networking possibility/ career opportunity?

I do. Social media has a lot of disadvantages in my opinion but I’ve also had a lot opportunities because of the networks I belong to. In undergrad, I did a research paper and poster about Luba Lukova (crazy amazing illustrator). I posted it to my FB page and tagged her to it. She not only commented on my but she sent me a friend request and we’ve been friends ever since. I probably would’ve never had that opportunity before. 

How important do you think it is to have a social media presence? 

I think it depends on what field you are working in. It can be important and beneficial to those of us that are in the design community. Showing your work or reading a blog post can set you apart from your peers. 

Re: Are you good enough?

Do you think social media plays a huge part in the hiring process?

This is going to sound familiar: I think it depends on the company. A tech company like Google or one of the social media companies will probably want you to have a significant presence and probably also a large platform. Other companies who are hiring people specifically for social media will probably want that, too. I know of a couple people who found certain niches, focusing their social media accounts on specific things, where that has gotten them jobs in that industry.

I think for creatives (this includes designers and writers), you almost have to have something. It doesn't necessarily have to be unified social media accounts--maybe just a portfolio-type website--but it does help to be able to have a place people can go if they see your work published. A lot of writers will put their sites or their twitter/blog names in their bios so people who like a poem or story printed in one magazine can find out where else to look for them. There are plenty of creative who've had a one-topic Tumblr that's gained a following and then they've gotten a book out of it. Whether that attracts any recruiters...

I think Kim's probably right when it comes to most employers, especially smaller places. I imagine they check social media accounts to determine if there's someone on their short list who won't represent them as they'd prefer. Having been a public school teacher and university lecturer, I try to keep my social media somewhat tame and/or friends-only if it's personal (I have a special privacy setting for former students for facebook, for example). While I'm not so much a fan of employers telling their employees how to behave online, I understand where it comes from--remember when we talked about all employees being brand ambassadors? But I guess I look at that this way: if a company or its hiring manager has a problem with something that I say online (and like I said, I tend to be pretty aware of what I'm saying and how visible it is), I probably don't want to work for that company anyway.

What sites do you focus on for social media and networking?

I'm on LinkedIn for networking at this point--it's somewhat outdated, though, like my resume. I post to Twitter, but it overwhelms me, so my feed is probably mostly Instagram because they're linked. Twitter just seems like listening to every television channel at once to me, so it kind of makes me crazy. I like the idea of it, but I can only spend a few minutes looking at it before I have to do something else. My facebook is set to be pretty private, like I said, so it's more for friends and not for networking. I have a Tumblr, too, but haven't been on it in a looooooong time. It wasn't specific, which I think is kind of a problem--Tumblrs tend to work best when you have a single focus, and I don't think I'm clever enough to come up with something new (this is kind of my problem with blogging, in general--I don't want to be just another wordpress blog...). Related: I started a blog a couple of times, but probably only posted twice.

I know that I should be using sites for networking, and I should be writing blog posts and trying to pick up a following--name recognition can help with writing and with freelance design even if it doesn't get you noticed by some big company's recruiting system. I just ultimately come back to the same problem--what do I have to say that's so different from all the other voices out there? And I have very little desire to let myself get into navel-gazing. It's a pitfall for writers.

Thoughts on the article

I looked at the writer's site: michaelpeggs.com. What I take from his article, and what I take from his site, is that you kind of have to do what makes the most sense for you and for where you want to be and the job that you want. I used to watch What Not to Wear all. the. time., and the thing that made that show cool is that Stacy and Clinton used to make people really think about who they are, what they do, how they present themselves to the world, and how to make that presentation match them as a person. I think that's good advice here--set up your brand to match the person you are, the job you want, and the way you want your audience to see you. (It's no different than any design project, really--what message are you sending to your audience?) If you're into social media, go all out. If your job needs social media, go all out. If you're just not that into social media, and you're not that interested in working for Google, and you'd rather start up a business with your friend who IS good at social media, then no worries.

Re: Are you good enough?

Do you think social media plays a huge part in the hiring process?
From what I've seen on both sides of process, most organizations use social media as a screening tool, not to figure out who you do want to work for you, but who you don't. At least in my case, I have weeded through resumes to find ones that seem to fit well, then I search social media sites as a sort of mini background check.

From the other side, I try to keep my social media clean, but it is still far from professional. I do not post my design work on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter because of the privacy policies.

So overall, I think that for most organizations social media plays a minimal roll in the hiring process, but it is definitely still something that you need to think about.


How do you feel about the points the author is making in this section of his post? What are your thoughts on the article.... do you feel it is accurate?
I suppose this article is accurate for corporate titans like Google and Facebook, but I personally find it hard to relate to for the job I currently have. I am interested in working in an institutional setting, so it would be interesting to see how heavily they rely on social media and ATS.


What sites do you focus on for social media and networking?
As I said, I do not post professionally on social media, but I do have a LinkedIn profile that I believe is somewhat helpful with networking.

I am certainly far from being an expert on this one. It is really hard for me to get into social media, even posting to friends (except for Pinterest - I can't seem to get away from Pinterest).

Off Topic: New Resource for Free Photographs

Hi, all.

I, of course, forgot we had to post Thanksgiving week. That will be coming shortly, as will this week's post.

I didn't want to delay with this new resource, though, as I think it could be helpful as we work on Project 3.

Open Culture: The best free cultural & educational media on the web

And, specifically, a new article on Open Culture, which links to a new Flickr archive that boasts over 2.5 million photos from published books, magazines, and newspapers published in a 500 year period. The collection is apparently intended to grow to over 14 million images.

I became wise to this via Twitter and I've found some really helpful resources (including a photo of a Harry Houdini lego man…yes, I know it's awesome).

Maybe this will be of use to you, if not for this project, for projects to come.

Cheers!

P.S. If someone has already linked to this in a past blog post or mentioned it in class this semester, I offer my sincere apologies.

Re: Are You Good Enough?

Do you think social media plays a huge part in the hiring process?

Yes. Sometimes I think it's unfair but it's naive to think its not a vital part of the process. Even when I hire part time help in the evening at my job, I always check to see their presence on social media. Mostly to make sure they are not a total degenerate, which is different than the purpose in the article, i.e. companies like Google. But either way, social media is the best way to get a quick snap shot of someones life.

What sites do you focus on for social media and networking? 

I focus on Facebook, Pinterest and Linked In. I feel like I should be more involved in Twitter, but I just can't get into it. 

Do you see all social media as an avenue for a networking possibility/ career opportunity?

Clearly they have entire social media outlets dedicated to just networking/career opportunities. Linked In more generally and things like Bechance for us designers out there. 

How important do you think it is to have a social media presence? 

Depending on what kind of job you are going for it can be helpful or harmful. If looking for someone who is going to digital marketing, advertising and even design I would expect to see some sort of social media presence. In my opinion, the lack of a social media presence essentially says that you are not up to date with todays technology. 

What are your thoughts on the article.... do you feel it is accurate? 

I actually found the article very interesting, however it was pretty negative. I know the goal was to be as realistic as possible but everyone dreams of working at Google, I mean they even made a whole movie about it. It was kind of depressing thinking it was so unobtainable. But its okay, Ill get over it. ;) Other than that, the information given about applying and finding jobs was super helpful and accurate!

Re: Resume Versus Portfolio: What's more important?

What did you include in your design resume?
I have worked in the IT field for over 15 years and my IT work is the only thing on my current resume. I do not have a design resume but do need to create one. I believe it should include software programs used for designing, education and design work experiences. Maybe a link to an online portfolio.

What did you exclude?
I would probably exclude work experience irrelevant to design.

Did you take a traditional route or a more creative one?
I will aim for a more creative one when I do design one.

How do you decide what should go into your portfolio and what shouldn’t?
I do not have a portfolio yet either but I think it should include a variety of pieces to show your spectrum of skills.

Have you started working on your portfolio?
No.

How long is your portfolio?
It will depend on how many strong pieces I am comfortable with adding to the portfolio. I don't think it should be overwhelming but I do think there should be enough pieces to highlight your talent and skills.

What’s more important you’re resume or your portfolio?
I believe they carry equal weight. The resume speaks to who you are and what you can do and the portfolio shows what you can do.

Re: Are You Good Enough?

Do you think social media plays a huge part in the hiring process?
I think this varies from company to company. There's enough horror stories of idiots losing their jobs/potential jobs because of some ill-timed social media posts that I'm wary of writing about work on any of my profiles. I've heard, though, that some companies will demand your Facebook login credentials so they can check it out--I don't know if this is true, though.

What sites do you focus on for social media and networking?
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the list goes on...

Do you see all social media as an avenue for a networking possibility/career opportunity?
Sort of--there are so many people on all avenues of social media that standing out is almost impossible. I think it can enhance your chances (assuming a potential contact/employer is impressed by what you post), but I wouldn't go by social media alone.

How important do you think it is to have a social media presence?
Very. You want people to get to know your brand, and they can't really do that if they don't have a way to keep track of you and your work. For instance: I recently discovered an excellent food blog, which features an email subscription option and Twitter and Instagram accounts, through which I can get up-to-the-minute blog updates. The blog also has its own Pinterest, on which it pins both its own recipes and others' recipes. It's maintaining its brand while also building a web of resources to benefit both itself and its readers. The best thing is that the blog is run by a family, and they're always very friendly and quick to respond to reader comments, which means I feel comfortable asking for tips--which means that I'll keep coming back to them.

What are your thoughts on the article? Do you feel it is accurate?
It sure would explain a lot.