Social Media, Jobs & You: How To "Follow" the Trend

Keep calm and tweet on!

So you're about to graduate or are still looking for that "dream job" and you need an edge. Your resume could use some beefing up but you can't justify adding "Facebook creeper" to your "Skills" section. Just when you thought that your blogging rants were perhaps a waste of time, think again...social media just might be your ticket to paradise, or at least employment.

Over the past few weeks we've been pretty busy at the office. Our data entry skills have been refined and our perky 9 a.m. phone greetings have been perfected. With our morning joe in hand, everything is going swimmingly, until there's a social media gaffe and we start wishing that everyone was as savvy as we pretend to be. 

With that, we can only predict (with side of wishful thinking), how successful you'll be after you pick up "Blogger for Dummies", but its becoming increasingly clear that social media is the way of the future. You may not realize it, but your ability to access your world through virtual means might actually pay off someday. Especially if you know how to do it right. Here are a few of our favorite tips from the blogosphere that can enhance your social media game:

1.) Do something socially constructive. (The Black Collegian): Don't be afraid to kill your time on the unemployment line by volunteering. Community service speaks to non-profits and start-ups that need malleable individuals who do good. By taking advantage and getting involved in your community, you're building material to blog or tweet about that builds your resume for you!

2.) Identify the tools to suit your needs. (PR Daily): Be aware of the platforms you use and their intended purposes. Many social media environments can be manipulated to serve in a variety of ways but be weary of posting status updates on professional sites like LinkedIn the way you would on Twitter. 

3.) Keep close tabs on your pages. (Business News Daily): Nothing is worse than losing control of your pages. Keep the number of profiles you manage to a responsible minimum and update them regularly. Information (especially pictures) that are outdated, discredit the owner's ability to successfully coordinate multiple tasks and ultimately speaks to your organization. Also, watch the comments of your followers. Crude or offensive remarks might turn your page into a red flag for potential employers.

4.) Know how you compare. (The Huffington Post): When it comes to real-life acquaintances, it's always better to believe in quality over quantity. Over the internet however, the number of friends or followers is what distinguishes successful users from their lackluster counterparts. Figure out what other people like you are doing or posting to gain traffic to their sites and follow their lead. Imitation is the finest form of flattery,  right?

If this looks overwhelming,
welcome to the big leagues!

5.) Leverage your network. (Forbes): If you're connect to a Blogspot account of someone who works in an industry you're trying to break into, ask them for advice. Facebook messages are another good way to reach out to people you admire. Don't forget to keep it professional and to not take it personally if you don't get a response. Advertising that you're actively job searching and have particular skills will also put you on employers' radar so joining LinkedIn professional groups is another good way to activate friends who can keep an eye out for you. 

6.) Maintain a smart online profile. (Monster.com): Kegstands might have been cool when you were involved in Greek life but now you're actively engaged in a job search and you'd rather be safely on your feet than with your life (literally) turned upside down. If you take pride in being successful, its probably time to untag and delete those pictures that aren't so flattering to your character. 

7.) Network wisely. (The Black Collegian): The best jobs are not always advertised in newspapers. This means that activating fellow majors in your alumni association, people who are career liaisons or college professors is a an integral part of your professional "attack plan". The more people who know you and can speak on your behalf to potential employers, the better!

8.) See yourself as an editor of your own suite of magazine. (The Guardian): We love our Tumblr, Twitter, Wordpress, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts as much as the next crop of social media mavens but there is a time and a place for everything and you can see the difference if you've found us on other platforms. Before you experiment with a new account, or think of re-purposing an old one, consider the functionality of the site and how you can make it work for you. If your Flickr is filled with vacation pictures then maybe its time to set the settings to private so that your future CEO isn't scrolling through pictures of you in a bikini (or worse, with a Spring Break sunburn)!

9.) Start a website/ blog. (Mashable Business): Take our advice and get passionate about something. For us, its a little bit of everything but there's a method to our madness. We don't average just under 700 hits a month for lack of trying so figure out what it is that makes you tick and get writing! The upside to this tip is that writing skills are invaluable and the more articulate you are about your passions, the more intriguing you become .

10.) Use your name as your brand, especially in e-mail. (Monster.com): It was cute in middle school but Pinkcutiexoxo@whatever.com isn't going to be eye-catching quite the same way a pink scented resume might be (see Legally Blonde). Keeping names consistent on your resume makes things easy and memorable for whoever is reading it. Also, if playing basketball isn't part of your desired job description, we suggest keeping any reference to a username including the word "hoopz" off the document as well.

Now that we've written the check-list, grab your favorite pen and start crossing out these steps. And don't forget to let us know how it works out for you! 

Good luck!

All Aboard the "Winternship"!

Craving your own working space? Get working on a "winternship"!

So you graduated eight months ago. Congratulations! Before you half-heartedly accepted our genuine recognition of a job well done, answer this: Are you still looking for a job? It's no secret that its cold out there. It seems that all prospects and big ideas you thought you had are just as frozen as black ice. But never fear! COSMOpolitique to the rescue!

After reading an article in The Boston Globe, we decided to explore a new concept of "winternships" and how and why you should try to score one:

Winternship: (noun) "A winter internship undertaken by students facing a bleak job market and shrinking starting salaries to bolster resumes and land a job".

• Be open to a variety of positions: Like an audition for American Idol, its not likely you're going to skyrocket to fame and fortune on your first try. If you start out with big ideas, you'll be able to narrow your focus once you have some experience in your field. We recommend the legislature as a nice place to start if you're willing to be flexible and learn basic office skills. Political experience, even if its just taking in the environment, is an easily translatable public-sector opportunity to get to know how government works and can be applied to almost any field of study. Also, lucky for you, we're going into campaign season so many community leaders will be gearing up to put together teams of college-educated individuals to carry them to the finish line. Could it be you?

• Accept and learn from an entry-level position: The best part is, that while you may be faced with some grunt work at first, in 2009 "nearly 90% of Goldman [Sach]'s new hires were former interns." There's no risk with demoting yourself to the status of an underaged and applying for internships. They want to teach you so we suggest sucking up the little-to-no pay and practicing your coffee ordering skills. 

• Work like a grown-up: While your time is undoubtedly valuable, you're not going to get any work experience planted on a sofa in sweatpants. (Sorry, but life really is more comfortable on the employment line.) Imagine Facebook but real life; that's what networking in an office is all about! Whether your winternship lasts six weeks or six months, the relationships you form with people may prove useful in the long run. How you're remembered professionally will affect whether or not mention your name when a position opens up or when your cubicle-mate's brother's girlfriend's cousin's aunt (twice removed) is looking for someone JUST LIKE YOU to hire!

• Get motivated: At some point, someone is going to want to know what you did out of college and while saying you read COSMOpolitique, make us feel all warm and fuzzy, its not likely to earn you very many points with a future employer. (But we didn't say none!) Before you apply, think about what your goals are and what you're looking to get out of the experience. Keep this list with you to help you stay motivated and to help express your interest in special projects.

• Start getting beauty sleep: Most grown-ups we know are 9 to 5-ers so why should you be any different? Don't watch that extra episode of Dexter and hit the hay earlier so you can be awake and alert earlier. Believe it or not, if you're up and productive at earlier hours, you'll feel more accomplished later in the day!

For these and other ups visit HERcampus and leave us your suggestions below, on our Facebook page or on Twitter by following @COSMOpolitique! Good luck!