How web 2.0 do you have to be really? I go back and forth about this often. Not a matter of should I or shouldn’t I, but to what extent? It is an important aspect of modern day reality so no question it should be integrated into your plan, but how much so before it actually becomes more of an ineffective tool towards reaching your goal. How much is too much?
These thoughts usually come in to play when I click on to the oh so talked and debated about twitter.com. I start with, “I really need to get involved in twitter” (sigh), then I go to someone’s twitter feed and view their page of one liners which have been updated all throughout the day (even way more than some people seem to feel the need to update their status on facebook), half of which provide information that I do not need or want to know, I cringe, move on and say, “maybe another day”.
At the same time, I am well aware of the fact that there are recruiters, job seekers and loads of the technically savvy who are finding new ways daily to make this an effective and productive tool. Once again, the key is finding what works best for you in your quest to reach your goal. Let’s face it, whether we like to admit it or not, we all know when we are wasting our time. What works for you may not work best for me and vice versa.
Pre Jackson Hole, as a Staffing Specialist based in the city specializing in a field that I knew well, I built a network through contacts, networking events, and talking to everyone that would listen (in person). My boss said, you are never going to do well in this business if you don’t start making at least 50 calls a day. 6 months later, she apologized. I had my own way. My strength, building relationships, creating trust and a knack for being able to meet candidates and know where they would make a good fit. Know thyself.
I sometimes wonder, could I recruit in today’s web 2.0 world? Maybe, but not likely by twittering. I have started to see the benefits of the social networks though. Our social network is very new, but already I am enjoying people’s stories about why they want to get back to the mountains or what brought them there. Mountain towns are small towns and networking is key.
As for job seekers, especially the younger generations, communicating via gadgets is the norm. It appears that many people now revolve their lives around a Blackberry (Connect to everything you love in life). Have you ever witnessed a time in history where more people were walking, sitting, breathing and talking with their heads down? As a job seeker in the tight market we have today, a variety of tools and approaches should be used to land your your next job and that includes social networking online, but none of us should ever forget the importance of looking eye to eye, I don’t care who you are or what you do. Human communication skills are non-negotiable, yesterday, tomorrow and today.
I was just reading about Google’s CEO speech at University of Pennsylvania’s commencement and pulled this quote out from The New York Post if you haven’t read it already,
PHILADELPHIA —The head of the world’s most popular search engine urged college graduates yesterday to step away from the virtual world and make human connections.
Speaking at the University of Pennsylvania’s commencement, Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt told about 6,000 graduates that they need to find out what is most important to them—by living analog for a while.
”Turn off your computer. You’re actually going to have to turn off your phone and discover all that is human around us,” Schmidt said. “Nothing beats holding the hand of your grandchild as he walks his first steps.”