In this day and age many of us are doing business in unconventional environments-- we work remotely and do not commute each day to the traditional office, where our counterparts convene and use the group space to work together, and therefore we may feel disconnected. Even the communal space of the school has been put online, giving one the option of never having to set foot on a campus.
It is therefore up to the trailblazing freelancer or entrepreneur to solve what separates him or her from like-minded individuals working toward common goals, and the resources of the internet is helping to bridge that gap.
Whether you're a freelancer, entrepreneur, location-independent professional, or currently unemployed, it is best to make sure that you are representing yourself online in a professional way. Believe it or not, but many employers scour the internet looking for bright and talented workers to add to their payrolls.
image source
Flaunt your writing skills, networking skills, design skills, programming skills and regularly update your information. You never know, your next employer could be reading your blog or scanning your Twitter feed at this very moment.
I wanted to find out from friends and other professionals how they have used the social networking tools to accelerate their careers. Here is what they had to say.
Anna Bassham, my fellow Beknown Community Manager, used her strong social networking and writing skills to land herself a new job:
"Social networking has definitely benefitted my career! I began my blog, ShoeSmitten.com when I was still finishing my degree at the University of Kansas, and my current employer actually found me via my blog. He hired me because of my writing skills and my ability to network (by that time I had already established a strong online presence for my blog). So, ultimately online networking ensured me a job, straight out of college! Since then, I've made numerous connections, mainly through Twitter, that have helped me solidify my brand as well as my career. I am now freelancing my social media skills, and many of my clients find me through social media networks."
Just because we work in "alternative" environments doesn't mean that we have to be disconnected. Twitter is a very powerful force for getting your name and work out in the public sphere, and even more useful when you engage other users in conversation and create an open dialogue. Think of group chats as networking events-- they are a great way to find other people in your field, pick their brains and get feedback-- and trade information with the people you make connections with, and turn your "Tweeps" into working professional contacts.
Beth Moore, Marketing and Community Manager of CPG Jobs shares her story of how she put social networking to task when she began working from home:
"After working in a traditional office environment for 15 years, I began working from my home office in 2008. My company is entirely 'workshifted,' from our developers to our administrative staff.
This transition from office to home was difficult for me because I have been used to lots of input from other people, working on cross-functional teams, etc... Taking on the role of community manager for a recruiting company was a daunting task primarily because I have never worked in this space before. Where to start?"
Beth wisely turned to social media:
"Within about two weeks I hooked up with a variety of thought leaders in the industry, which led me to the best, most active HR hash tags on Twitter. By participating in these group chats I have been able to get up to speed very quickly in terms of the current issues for recruiters, candidate issues, latest hiring practices, etc. I have come to think of the people in these groups as my friends and we check in on each other regularly outside the group space."
Are you ahead of the curve? A fun infographic for no reason other than it relates to social media.image source
Niko Edwards, a freelance designer, uses Facebook regularly to tap into his network of friends and fellow designers. He has gotten job offers by posting blurbs about looking for work on his wall, but Facebook is particularly fruitful when he is seeking feedback:
"When I am seeking critique from my peers, all I have to do is log into Facebook, post the piece I'm working on, and soon enough the best design minds I know are giving me tips and feedback on my work. It's been very useful."
Angie Bailey, blogger of Lariats and Lavender, told me that social networking and group chats played a major role in a position where she worked remotely from home:
"We used a program-run chat room for training and as our "office." We could chat, bounce ideas off one another, ask for help and so on. Once I was promoted to Recruiter, myself and all of the other Recruiters used a Yahoo! conference room as our office. We had off-topic chat and got to know one another very well, as well as on-topic chatting about recruits, questions we had, who we could and could not reach, etc. We also had a certain website that was like Facebook, where we could post pictures, statues and connect with one another. It was lovely!"
Tara Shennan, a blogger and web technician, tells me about how she used knowledge she picked up while blogging to assist her in her job:
"I'm currently working for a charity to help build their public/social profile. They had the beginnings of a website and Facebook page but they really didn't know how to utilize those things to the maximum and I think that is the problem with a lot of businesses that do not want to pay professionals to network them... to be noticed in the modern world you need to be linking everything up and getting it reposted/shared/tweeted as much as possible so that major search engines bump you up. Plus, it helps your clients hook up to your social network in the manner they prefer. Blogging, in particular, taught me very early on how important it is to link everything you do to each other.
I also work for a major US charity which has its challenges since I am based in the UK. We make great use of instant messengers, email and chat rooms to chat about issues that arise without the astronomical costs of transatlantic phone calls. My job would not be possible without these communication applications."
Courtney Rae, fashionista and owner of vintage clothing retailer Sticky Lipgloss Vintage, uses many aspects of social media to run her business:
"I started selling vintage clothing and accessories about a year ago. Since then, Sticky Lipgloss Vintage has really started to take off. I use Etsy to sell, as it markets to lovers of handmade crafts, artists, and vintage fashionistas/collectors. After I graduated from college in May, the bleak job market allowed me to concentrate on what I love, instead of a dead-end, busybody corporate job that I'm sure I would hate.
I use social media everyday for my business. Sticky Lipgloss Vintage has a twitter with 530 followers, who I interact with often. I use my account to tweet about newly listed items, discounts, pictures, and day-to-day activities with the shop. I occasionally blog, my posts range from shop updates to studio tours to an outfit of the day. Facebook is another tool I use to keep fans up to date with my store. Without social media, there would simply be no Sticky Lipgloss Vintage - or they may be, but no one would know about it."
It's clear that networking over the internet is very essential to professionals What about you? How have you used social media to help you in your career?
It is therefore up to the trailblazing freelancer or entrepreneur to solve what separates him or her from like-minded individuals working toward common goals, and the resources of the internet is helping to bridge that gap.
Whether you're a freelancer, entrepreneur, location-independent professional, or currently unemployed, it is best to make sure that you are representing yourself online in a professional way. Believe it or not, but many employers scour the internet looking for bright and talented workers to add to their payrolls.
image source
Flaunt your writing skills, networking skills, design skills, programming skills and regularly update your information. You never know, your next employer could be reading your blog or scanning your Twitter feed at this very moment.
I wanted to find out from friends and other professionals how they have used the social networking tools to accelerate their careers. Here is what they had to say.
Anna Bassham, my fellow Beknown Community Manager, used her strong social networking and writing skills to land herself a new job:
"Social networking has definitely benefitted my career! I began my blog, ShoeSmitten.com when I was still finishing my degree at the University of Kansas, and my current employer actually found me via my blog. He hired me because of my writing skills and my ability to network (by that time I had already established a strong online presence for my blog). So, ultimately online networking ensured me a job, straight out of college! Since then, I've made numerous connections, mainly through Twitter, that have helped me solidify my brand as well as my career. I am now freelancing my social media skills, and many of my clients find me through social media networks."
Just because we work in "alternative" environments doesn't mean that we have to be disconnected. Twitter is a very powerful force for getting your name and work out in the public sphere, and even more useful when you engage other users in conversation and create an open dialogue. Think of group chats as networking events-- they are a great way to find other people in your field, pick their brains and get feedback-- and trade information with the people you make connections with, and turn your "Tweeps" into working professional contacts.
Beth Moore, Marketing and Community Manager of CPG Jobs shares her story of how she put social networking to task when she began working from home:
"After working in a traditional office environment for 15 years, I began working from my home office in 2008. My company is entirely 'workshifted,' from our developers to our administrative staff.
This transition from office to home was difficult for me because I have been used to lots of input from other people, working on cross-functional teams, etc... Taking on the role of community manager for a recruiting company was a daunting task primarily because I have never worked in this space before. Where to start?"
Beth wisely turned to social media:
"Within about two weeks I hooked up with a variety of thought leaders in the industry, which led me to the best, most active HR hash tags on Twitter. By participating in these group chats I have been able to get up to speed very quickly in terms of the current issues for recruiters, candidate issues, latest hiring practices, etc. I have come to think of the people in these groups as my friends and we check in on each other regularly outside the group space."
Are you ahead of the curve? A fun infographic for no reason other than it relates to social media.
Niko Edwards, a freelance designer, uses Facebook regularly to tap into his network of friends and fellow designers. He has gotten job offers by posting blurbs about looking for work on his wall, but Facebook is particularly fruitful when he is seeking feedback:
"When I am seeking critique from my peers, all I have to do is log into Facebook, post the piece I'm working on, and soon enough the best design minds I know are giving me tips and feedback on my work. It's been very useful."
Angie Bailey, blogger of Lariats and Lavender, told me that social networking and group chats played a major role in a position where she worked remotely from home:
"We used a program-run chat room for training and as our "office." We could chat, bounce ideas off one another, ask for help and so on. Once I was promoted to Recruiter, myself and all of the other Recruiters used a Yahoo! conference room as our office. We had off-topic chat and got to know one another very well, as well as on-topic chatting about recruits, questions we had, who we could and could not reach, etc. We also had a certain website that was like Facebook, where we could post pictures, statues and connect with one another. It was lovely!"
Tara Shennan, a blogger and web technician, tells me about how she used knowledge she picked up while blogging to assist her in her job:
"I'm currently working for a charity to help build their public/social profile. They had the beginnings of a website and Facebook page but they really didn't know how to utilize those things to the maximum and I think that is the problem with a lot of businesses that do not want to pay professionals to network them... to be noticed in the modern world you need to be linking everything up and getting it reposted/shared/tweeted as much as possible so that major search engines bump you up. Plus, it helps your clients hook up to your social network in the manner they prefer. Blogging, in particular, taught me very early on how important it is to link everything you do to each other.
I also work for a major US charity which has its challenges since I am based in the UK. We make great use of instant messengers, email and chat rooms to chat about issues that arise without the astronomical costs of transatlantic phone calls. My job would not be possible without these communication applications."
Courtney Rae, fashionista and owner of vintage clothing retailer Sticky Lipgloss Vintage, uses many aspects of social media to run her business:
"I started selling vintage clothing and accessories about a year ago. Since then, Sticky Lipgloss Vintage has really started to take off. I use Etsy to sell, as it markets to lovers of handmade crafts, artists, and vintage fashionistas/collectors. After I graduated from college in May, the bleak job market allowed me to concentrate on what I love, instead of a dead-end, busybody corporate job that I'm sure I would hate.
I use social media everyday for my business. Sticky Lipgloss Vintage has a twitter with 530 followers, who I interact with often. I use my account to tweet about newly listed items, discounts, pictures, and day-to-day activities with the shop. I occasionally blog, my posts range from shop updates to studio tours to an outfit of the day. Facebook is another tool I use to keep fans up to date with my store. Without social media, there would simply be no Sticky Lipgloss Vintage - or they may be, but no one would know about it."
It's clear that networking over the internet is very essential to professionals What about you? How have you used social media to help you in your career?
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