Social Media: Is who you know more important then what you know?

 

This weeks questions for social media class is, "To what extent is social media a help or hindrance in your personal life and professional life?"

     I consider myself to be a casual user of social media. I have had a Facebook account for about seven or eight years, not exactly sure as the time line does not go back that far. Facebook is a broad interactive platform that allows users to post information, personal messages, pictures, videos or links to on-line content and then allows your "friends" to comment on your posts. Gaming, applications and chat have been added over the years to keep people logged in and engaged as a means of generating ad revenue. Marketers continue to expand their reach by creating Facebook brand sites to connect with people that "Like" their profiles.  I also created a profile on LinkenIn about a year ago as a way of increasing my professional exposure. The theory behind LinkedIn is that by linking with people you know and people working in careers of interest, your "circle" grows. By connecting your circle with that of people you know, you have a link to everyone in their circle as well. Hopefully these connections allow user to increase their professional contacts as a way of self promotion. The social media site that I use the most is the CBC news website. Most people would not consider this to be a social media site, however I have learned over the last three weeks that the definition of social media is a lot broader then I originally believed. The CBC site contains news, weather, sports, music, games, activities for kids, documentaries, investigative reports etc, and allows people to add to the conversation or to thumb up/down previous comments. In my opinion it is these interactions that turn an information driven platform into a social media environment.

     In my personal life the positive aspects of social media out weight the negatives. Maintaining contact with distant family and friends on Facebook is easy, quick and basically free. The speed at which information can be shared with contacts around the world is mind blowing. Posting pictures and highlights of places and events that I visit is an easy way to share my interest with my friends, and viewing their posts also allows me to stay up to date with certain aspects of their lives. The CBC site is where I spend most on my time on line. I keep up to date with current news and enjoy many of the programs from radio and TV that are linked on the website. For me the biggest down side to social media is the time factor. Because of the vast amount of media content on the web it is easy to get lost in cyberspace and waste a bunch of time better spent with friends and a Frisbee at the local park.

     At this point, I do not think that social media has had any impact on my professional life. I am a private person and have always been cautious about what I post on-line. After finishing college and investing time in building my contact circles, LinkedIn should prove to be a beneficial aid for building a second career. Networking becomes more important every year as a way of gaining access to companies that are hiring and to the people making those hiring decisions. Social media allows users to leverage and influence contacts for their own gain across a much wider network then ever before. With competition from thousands of applicants for the same job, it may come down to having "Liked" the right persons Facebook status to get your resume on top of the pile. Maybe who you know, really is more important then what you know.