Tonight I’m heading up to NYC to attend the Mashable Media Summit tomorrow.
The Media Summit explores the impact that technology is having on media, and how digital media is affecting our lives and changing the world.
The summit will feature a variety of speakers including people from Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Hearst Magazines, NPR, Donna Karen, and more. And of course, Mashable.
You can follow along with me on Twitter @ChristineCotter and also using the hashtag #mediasummit.
I’ll be sure to post a full recap of everything I learned once I’m back!
![So you want to work in digital & social media? Here are five tips for getting your resume off the pile and you into the job of your dreams.
Be creative. Social media professionals aren’t (usually) the buttoned up suit type. They’re fun, trendsetters, off the beaten path, pop culture enthusiasts that are creative and passionate. Let this show throughout your cover letter and resume. Create a “creative” resume as well as a traditional one and send whichever version you think would fit the company you’re applying to. For creative resumes check out this.
Show off your social media skills. The biggest mistake you can do when applying is not show off YOUR social media presences. Always, let me repeat, ALWAYS, have your Twitter account public. And provide the link to your Twitter, blog, LinkedIn, About.me, Instagram, & even Facebook. You don’t HAVE to provide them all, you’re entitled to your privacy of course, but making some available shows how you interact in the space. Personally, I always included my LinkedIn, About.me, blog and Twitter when I applied for jobs. Always. Let’s be honest, the people hiring you are going to Google and find it anyway, might as well make it easy for them.
Provide concrete examples. Link to pages you manage (or managed), campaigns that you’ve been a part of, show results in how your work succeeded, and make it interactive where possible. Don’t just say you worked on XX brand’s Facebook. Say you increased their fanbase by X%, drove XX engagement and secured coverage in XX publication.
Show your passions. Add some spice to your resume and cover letter, talk about your hobbies, your favorite social media campaigns, brands and companies that inspire you. Putting some pizazz between the details will help you stand out. Everyone wants to work with a team they get along with. Maybe a mention of your corgi and Dexter obsession is what makes you the one they bring in instead of someone else with similar background.
Know the answer to why digital? This is a question a lot of people (believe it or not) are not prepared to answer. Why do you love the space? Why do you want to work in social media? Why is it something you’re passionate about? What do you think the impact of social is in the business you’re applying to be in? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, well, maybe you should reconsider your career goals.
I love helping people prepare for the social media job hunt, so if you have any questions, please let me know!
[Image via socialcast]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcpxnbL8211rsfg56o1_400.png)
So you want to work in digital & social media? Here are five tips for getting your resume off the pile and you into the job of your dreams.
- Be creative. Social media professionals aren’t (usually) the buttoned up suit type. They’re fun, trendsetters, off the beaten path, pop culture enthusiasts that are creative and passionate. Let this show throughout your cover letter and resume. Create a “creative” resume as well as a traditional one and send whichever version you think would fit the company you’re applying to. For creative resumes check out this.
- Show off your social media skills. The biggest mistake you can do when applying is not show off YOUR social media presences. Always, let me repeat, ALWAYS, have your Twitter account public. And provide the link to your Twitter, blog, LinkedIn, About.me, Instagram, & even Facebook. You don’t HAVE to provide them all, you’re entitled to your privacy of course, but making some available shows how you interact in the space. Personally, I always included my LinkedIn, About.me, blog and Twitter when I applied for jobs. Always. Let’s be honest, the people hiring you are going to Google and find it anyway, might as well make it easy for them.
- Provide concrete examples. Link to pages you manage (or managed), campaigns that you’ve been a part of, show results in how your work succeeded, and make it interactive where possible. Don’t just say you worked on XX brand’s Facebook. Say you increased their fanbase by X%, drove XX engagement and secured coverage in XX publication.
- Show your passions. Add some spice to your resume and cover letter, talk about your hobbies, your favorite social media campaigns, brands and companies that inspire you. Putting some pizazz between the details will help you stand out. Everyone wants to work with a team they get along with. Maybe a mention of your corgi and Dexter obsession is what makes you the one they bring in instead of someone else with similar background.
- Know the answer to why digital? This is a question a lot of people (believe it or not) are not prepared to answer. Why do you love the space? Why do you want to work in social media? Why is it something you’re passionate about? What do you think the impact of social is in the business you’re applying to be in? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, well, maybe you should reconsider your career goals.
I love helping people prepare for the social media job hunt, so if you have any questions, please let me know!
[Image via socialcast]
hurricane sandy & the power of social media
Social media is great for stalking exes from college, posting sepia tone pictures of your dinner & giving play by play feelings on your favorite tv show (#homeland).
But it’s also an important way messages are distributed during disasters and times of stress. And this was apparent yesterday and today during Hurricane Sandy.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or maybe on the West Coast), you know that Hurricane Sandy pummeled the East Coast yesterday and today with insane wind, lots and lots of rain, & waves that destroyed much of the shore of the Carolinas, NJ and flooded the streets of NYC.
And my guess is you got a lot of that information via social media.
The power of the instantaneous nature of social media is imperative in times of a disaster. Sure, you can turn on the news and have CNN.com pulled up on your laptop, but to get whats happening in real time all you had to go was go to Twitter.
People were updating on the status of the storm in their area, warning about flooded streets and dangerous areas, telling their friends and families that they were heading to a friend’s house, that the power had gone out and that they were safe.
News broke via Twitter before it broke on the mainstream media. It was an important way to inform a large audience about the storm and keep in touch with loved ones. #sandy was the best way to get up to the second information that reporters couldn’t get yet.
Not only was it used on a personal level, but a large-scale disaster awareness and political level as well.
Governors used their Twitter handles to spread important updates. Transit systems tweeted out closures and where to go for more information. Pictures of the devastation were posted with warnings to stay inside.
The importance of social media in disasters is overwhelming. Personally, I barely turned on the news. Between Twitter and weather.com, I had all the information I needed. When I did turn on the TV or visit a news site online, what they were saying was “old” to me. I had seen it via social media first.
This all ladders up to the overarching theme we’ve seen over the last few years - everyday citizens are turning into reporters. They see and report on news using social media before the camera crews can get there. They keep people updated with photos, videos and information at the click of a “post” or “tweet” button. CNN and other outlets rely in their “i-reporters” for the latest information that they republished with their news.
And the last two days proved without a shadow of a doubt how important these mediums are to everyone affected by disasters.
Don’t forget to do your part. Help out and donate now.
[images via cnn.com]
On Monday, I’ll be flying down to Atlanta (my first time in the ATL) to present a poster at the CDC National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media.
The conference brings together academia, public health researchers and practitioners from all levels of government and private sectors, and provides a forum for cross-disciplinary dialogue.
And maybe my poster includes Ryan Gosling and “Hey Girl…” memes. So you should probably pop over and see it.
Will I see you in Atlanta?
Health Datapalooza Recap
Last week, my team and I attended the Health Datapalooza in DC. The conference is designed to bring together people from all types of positions that are interested in utilizing health data to change healthcare.
The conference included a 1/2 day of keynote presentations and application demonstrations in the morning followed by several sessions to choose from in the afternoon. Sessions covered a variety of topics including consumer engagement, app design, data for businesses, food & health technology and more.
Overall, I thought that conference was well run and gave a lot of interesting information. The app demonstrations were particularly interesting to me since I saw a lot of overlays with the type of work I do and think a lot of apps could have social media tie ins. Some of my favorite apps that you can take a look at were:
I thought there was a missed opportunity when it came to social media discussion. There were only two presenters total for the entire conference that talked about how health data can be leveraged by the powers of social media. While application development is great, if no one knows the apps exist, they’re not going anywhere. In future conferences I’d like to see more of a discussion about how social media plays a pivotal role in the future of utilizing health data.
Oh, and Jon Bon Jovi was there. So that was awesome.
Tomorrow my colleagues and I will be attending the Health Datapalooza right here in DC! According to the event description -
The Health Datapalooza will feature keynote addresses, a Data & Apps Expo, demonstrations of cutting-edge apps, hands-on data deep dives, and thought-provoking panel discussions. There will also be plenty of time for networking and one-on-one interaction.
I’m looking forward on coming away with great tidbits to share on the blog. And as always you can follow along with me on Twitter (or using the #healthdata hashtag)
An amazing infographic on the complexity of digital and social media via Business Insider.
And awesome for those in the field trying to explain they do more than play on Facebook and Twitter all day.
View the larger infographic and article here.
