How Can You Solve Old Problems with New Solutions from Social Media?

I hope this blogpost’s title captured your attention and is the reason you’re here.

(Not to worry, if you’re here for any other reasons then you’re still more than welcome!)

As the times have changed, how we respond to problems changes as well.

The problem is that many people don’t change with the times.

My favorite example of this is when people go looking for a new job.

They send send out thousands of letters with resumes and get no results.

Then they sit and complain about this.

Given their circumstances, I bite my tongue and don’t quote Einstein to them, “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

(Friends and family will understand how difficult this is for me.)

Even before the advent of the Internet and all the tools and opportunities it brought to those seeking employment, many still spent a fortune doing it the old, very old, fashioned way.

Richard Bolles‘ What Color Is Your Parachute? has been around for fifty years and is still the go to book for looking for a new position IMHO.

You may ask how useful is a career guidance book that’s that old?

Have no fears!

It’s updated every year and has extensive content on the use of the Internet in looking for a new job which is more than I can say about some of the people whom I know are looking for work.

My purpose here is not to plug the late Bolles’ book.

(Although, if you don’t already own a copy then you should.)

What I’m trying to do is to heighten your awareness of how you can use social media to help you find a job.

Social media offers you an opportunity to connect directly with people whose administrative assistants (More than likely their voice mail these days) won’t put your call through.

You can actively engage with their content and publish your own, demonstrating what you know and where you stand with the issues in your industry.

You don’t get this by merely firing off resumes into the void or posting on job boards.

And to those naysayers who think that by merely using email instead of spending money on postage when they send out their resumes that they’ve gone digital all I have to them is that all you’re doing is contributing to the spam problem.

Another important benefit of using social media is that it demonstrates to potential employers that you’re up to speed with the technology and the latest trends.

Looking for a new job isn’t the only area where social media can help.

Writers looking for agents to represent them have a similar problem that I’ve recently become aware of.

They send out thousands of query letters and get as many rejections back.

This is another perfect opportunity to use social media.

Writers can also share samples of their work more easily through blogs as one example.

The times may be changing, but, if we change with them they can be exciting and profitable!

That’s it for now!

Please check-out my 8 step approach for developing a social media program to get some more ideas on how to use social media.

Also, never forget to reach out to either ask questions or to ask for help from someone like myself!
In the meantime, thank you for following and reading my blog!

I look forward to any and all comments that you may have. I will reply to any comments made to this blog post as promptly as I can.

And, remember!

I do this for a living and if I can be of any assistance to either you or your organization, please feel free to call on me. Our initial discussion will be of no charge to you.

I can also be reached at conpsweeney@someddi.com.

My Twitter handle is @conpsweeney.

Stay well!