In a recent post on the Buzz Bin, "Social Media Beefs Up Resumes,"Geoff Livingston discusses the growing demand for social media skills in the workforce. I can tell you that even in a corporate environment, social media skill sets are in demand. It is not just because the skill sets are new and fresh, but because they create efficiencies in corporate communication. The company newsletter that used to take an FTE (Full Time Employee) three days to design, format and post may now be done in one day via a wiki or blog.
Various industry forums are examining these topics and discussing bleeding edge tactics to leverage the new channels for maximum utility in the corporate environment. Clearly having an increased awareness and technical know-how are key to increasing your value as an asset to the company as a professional communicator, but according to Livingston, "While social media may be the milk that brings the cat, be careful not to become a specialist — unless this is really what you love. In general, tactical masters can only rise to great career prominence in large companies or agencies, and the reality is that most companies are not that big. The rise up the ladder lies in general marketing or communications strategy with mastery of several tactics."
I haven't always agreed with Livingston's takes on the importance of social media in the overall scheme of communication planning and management, but I believe our viewpoints are converging as it relates to how best to leverage social media to meet both personal and professional objectives.
From the Beach Chair,
Matt Gentile - 300 Days of Sunshine
FloridaMoves.com
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