Are Social Media Forcing Us To Be Something We're Not?

I've been giving a lot of advice about how to present yourself in social media lately. The message is the same: make sure your social media presence lines up with your brand, whether you're in business or looking for a job. You should have a single, consistent, coherent image that you present to the world.

So there I was, having a lot of fun bouncing back and forth between Twitter and Facebook. Then it hit me: anyone who looks at my Facebook profile or follows me on Twitter is going to see a different person than they'll find on my very serious LinkedIn profile. Yah, yah, I'm very proud of my professional accomplishments, but I'm not a one-dimensional, all-work-and-no-play Jill.

There are lots of other things that get me excited besides working with clients and growing my business. I'm involved with a terrific project introducing the global OD community to social media. (Sorry, no link for that yet; we're still in alpha; beta coming in May.) I read a lot, I watch some TV (not much), I belong to some interesting communities on- and off-line. I love my iPhone but wish it could do more. I think technology is a promise yet to be fulfilled, I like driving fast cars fast, I start out most mornings with a long ramble with my dogs and a big mug of great coffee that my honey's made for me.

If I followed my own advice, I'd be hiding all that from the world. I'd be a mini-corporate-me with a laserlike focus (as the corporate types like to say) on making sure that when anyone thought of me, they'd come up with a handful of words--the same words in every mind.

And therein likes my eureka moment. We've got enough one-dimensional, paper-doll personalities, carefully crafted by Hollywood, Bollywood and the media. Real people aren't polished, Botoxed and made-up to within an inch of their lives; slim, trim and dressed in the latest styles all the time. Should we try to jam ourselves into a narrow mold to present that one image, or do we let a bit of our real selves show? I'm not claiming we all post every personal detail online. I'm just saying maybe it's time to loosen up just a little and grant that most people will have the common sense to realize we've probably got a lot going on. And that we're still only showing a small glimpse of ourselves.

What do you think?

Is Twitter a Big Step Backwards?

I've been remiss in my blogging. OK, to be completely honest, I've been sidetracked playing with social media. Twitter and all the supporting tools and websites are fascinating but if I read one more tweet that communicates something like, "Look at me!! See how smart I am?? I'm on Twitter!!!", I think I'll scream. That said, there are a lot of very bright people holding interesting conversations, as I've also found. It's a matter of taking the time and having the patience to find them. And ignoring all the heavy breathing and self-congratulatory tweeting.

That said, I wonder what's next? I find that when I need to reach out, it's to individuals. Phone calls, emails, SMS and instant messaging work best, depending on who, what, where and when. Even the experts push two very different messages: one says you need to build individual relationships with customers, clients, recruiters and/or hiring managers. Yet these same people insist we need to use broadcast media like Twitter and Facebook. (LinkedIn can be used as a broadcast medium, too, but its real strength is the ability to find and reach out to individuals.) How do you build relationships with individuals if you're broadcasting to the world?

We're told we all need to be thought leaders, but if we're all leading, who's following? And how many of us really have unique, interesting, original viewpoints? We can't all be Malcolm Gladwell or Stephen Hawking. How do we rise above the din? Or should we even try?

I think there are some fabulous advantages to social media. I can find out what people on the other side of the planet are thinking about things that are important to me. I can track what's going on during shuttle missions, find out what local traffic is like, and share a laugh with a colleague across the country.

But I could do all of this with tools I already had, including old fashiond list servers and telephones (not even cell phones).

So what does Twitter do that a list serve didn't? Any thoughts?

The Grass is Always Greener....

I talk to a lot of people who want to make big career moves. Consultants, entrepreneurs and coaches are lured by the steady paycheck and illusion of stability working within a company. Those looking for work think they'd be successful entrepreneurs, consultants or coaches--they've got this great idea....

Personally, I think you fall into one camp or the other; few of us do well at both. I think there's a gene for entrepreneurship; you either have it or you don't. If you don't, no amount of classes in an MBA program will teach it to you.

But you know the saying: the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. So how do you decide what to do?

Before I launch, for the sake of full disclosure I want to let you know that 1) I make a lousy employee and 2) I'm an entrepreneur at heart. Having laid that out, here are the arguments for and against each career choice.

Case 1: You're Working Solo and Want to Go In-House
Look around you. See all those folks at the local coffee shop? What do you think they're doing there? Where were all these people this time last year? Working. At jobs they had before the economy crashed. Here are the naked realities of working in corporate America today:

• There is no job security. There hasn't been for decades, but what little there was is gone now. You can lose your job tomorrow with no warning, for no other reason than you're a line item on a budget that's too big.
• Benefits are either expensive or non-existent. The sad fact is, health insurers have priced their products out of the reach of many businesses. So if you want to go in-house for the benefits, find a company that still offers them. If you can.
  
• Pensions are rare and many firms no longer contribute to 401(k) plans. Never mind what the 401(k)s are worth today. I guess the good news is you'd be investing near the bottom of the market...
• Your salary may be cut to preserve jobs. Even if not, salaries are calculated on a 40-hour week. Do you know anyone that works a 40 hour week?
• With all the people being cut, the work still has to get done. So figure on even bigger workloads.

Having said all that, let's talk about the good stuff:

• You'll probably get to work with the same people every day. One big complaint of solo workers is the loneliness: no sense of team, no one to talk to at the water cooler.
• If you like working at home, telecommuting is becoming more and more accepted. So you can have a job and still answer the phone in your jammies if you want.
• The paycheck is steady and, unless you're in Sales, you don't have to do any business development or sales work. Many folks don't like this part of running their own business, and it's a big draw back into the corporate world.
• Big companies offer the chance to work on big, important life-changing projects. It's much harder to find that device that will change everything in a small firm or start-up.
  

OK, now let's lay out the case for those of you who think you want to go solo.

Case 2: You've Got This Fabulous Idea/You're Really, Really Good at (Fill-in-the-Blank)
As I tell clients who've recently lost their jobs and think they want to start their own businesses, it's a great life:

• You get to work any 16 hours of the day, any 7 days of the week you want. Really. You can set your own schedule. You are now officially the IT guy, the sales person, the website designer, tech support, the office manager, the cafeteria worker, the mail delivery clerk. Don't underestimate all the administrative stuff, because it can sink you.
  
• You need to know what your cash flow is going to be for the next 1-3 years. How are you going to pay the bills? Seriously. Business cases are largely fiction; nearly everyone estimates they're going to get "just 1/2 percent of the global market." You may, but you've got to pay the bills between now and your first paying customer. You know all those overnight successes? They're fiction. It takes 3-7 years to get a business up and stable. Most (95%) don't make it that far.
• You need a support network: friends, family, significant other, colleagues. If you're in a marriage or long-term relationship, have a frank discussion with your significant other. You need them in your camp. More important, they need to know what they're in for. It's a tough conversation, but it's only fair. Because if they don't support you, you've got a nearly impossible hill to climb.
  
• Sure you're really smart, hard-working, your partner is behind you 110%, and you've got the money to make it. Who are your customers? What problem do you solve for them? It's not about what you've got to sell, it's about what they're willing to buy. So what is it, in 10 words or less? Can't do it without reading a page from the business plan? Then you don't have anything to sell, because you don't understand what problem you're solving for your potential customers/clients.
  
• How will you let customers know you're out there? (Deduct 10 points right now if you said "I'll write a blog." Take another 50 off if you answered, "Twitter.") How do you feel about sales--aka "business development?" It's more than endless coffees at Starbucks, webinars on selling, and networking groups. Really, how are you going to sell your product or service? What specifically will you do, by when, with what expected results?
  

As the man in my life reminds me: if it were all that damn easy, more people would start businesses.

The positives of running your own business:

• If you screw something up, you get to fix it--and you learn how to offer a better product or service while you're at it. Lose an important customer? Figure out how to get her back, or fix the problem so you don't lose another. Better yet, you're not dependent on someone else screwing something up.
  
• You can respond on a dime to changing opportunities. It doesn't take a planning committee or a strategy session with board member approval to figure out new ways to serve customers. You can do it over a cup of coffee while you're waking up. Then you get to try it out on your next customer and see if it works.
  
• You get to listen to customer feedback and react immediately. There's nothing better than the first time a client tells you what a great job you did, or how your product or service solved a big problem for them. They just did you two huge favors: they made your day and they wrote your next marketing message for you.
  
• Chickens get fat on crumbs. You don't need to sell a million dollar project to pay the bills; you can probably get by on a few projects priced in the tens-of-thousands-of-dollars. Or maybe by selling a whole lot of something at $14.95 off a website you designed and developed.
  
• You get to do something you love doing, and get paid for it. Yes, some folks in corporate jobs can say that, but most of us start businesses doing things we're good at and we love to do. Every day is a challenge, but every day we get to enjoy the fruits of our work.
  

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. While this is a fantastic time to make a big career change, it's going to be tougher than staying the course. Don't give up on what you're doing now unless you hate it so much you can't bear it any longer. Double down, focus, and go for broke. Whatever that means for you.

Social Networking and Your Job Hunt: Blogging

Everybody says you should blog. Whether you're a coach or consultant, whether you're looking for work or a promotion, the advice is blogging is a great way to establish a reputation for expertise.

There are some very good reasons not to blog:

• Blogging sounds like pure torture. You'd rather bungee jump off the nearest water tower with your hair on fire and bamboo shoots jammed under your fingernails.
  
• Urban lore (i.e., this is a data point I couldn't substantiate) says that 120,000 new blogs are started every day. Your first thought on reading that: "what is everyone writing about, for Pete's sake? And who cares?!?"
  
• The people who you might like to have read your blog would rather bungee jump off the nearest water tower with their hair on fire and bamboo shoots jammed under their fingernails than read a blog.
  

OK, so maybe blogging isn't for you. Or at least it's not the greatest way to reach your target audience.

But there are good reasons to blog, too.

• You have something to say. You have a strong point of view, you're passionate about something, or you've got a perspective that's slightly askew of the majority.
• You love to write. You salivated when presented with essay questions on tests in school. You don't just sign birthday cards, you fill up the inside front blank space and the back of the card with a message for the recipient. You'd be a journalist if you could make a living at it.
  
• Your audience--clients, customers, recruiters, hiring managers--read blogs to stay current. They want to know they're hiring someone that is abreast of the latest issues in the field.

So how do you go about blogging?

1. Find a service that's free (or really, really cheap) and easy to use. If you have a website, see if the host offers a blogging tool. If not, the most popular blogging tools are Word Press, Typepad and Blogspot (Google's Blogger tool--that what I use for this blog), but there are hundreds out there.
   
2. Set up an account. Design the layout of your blog. Don't panic--you don't need to be a CSS programmer. Most blogging tools come with a wide selection of templates that you can customize to suit your needs or whim. Pick a color scheme, upload a picture of yourself, and....
   
3. Start writing. About anything. Pick a topic you're passionate about, something (or several somethings) that are connected simply by you knowing something about them and caring enough to write about them. For example, my company, Douglas Partners, is a career transition and ouplacement business but in my next life, I'm going to be an economist. I also love science fiction and fast cars. Sounds like an odd mix of stuff, but it gives me something to write about.
4. Write several posts at once. Do this either in a MS Word document or directly in your blog. If your blogging tool allows it, set dates for the posts to be published. That's way you can enter all your posts at one time knowing they'll automatically appear at the date and time you set. Worst case, get online and cut-and-paste in the text you wrote every week or two.
   
5. Find websites, photos, videos and other blogs to link to. The more links the merrier. And the more interesting your blog is likely to be.
   
6. Invite people to read your blog. Ask them to comment and encourage discussion.

Here's a secret tip for success: invite guest bloggers to write posts. This is particularly effective when you don't have the time or don't really like to write all that much.

So there you go: some good reasons for blogging and 6 steps to get you started! Now have at it, and have fun.

Social Networking and Your Job Hunt: Twitter

I will cheerfully admit that when I first heard about Twitter I thought it was the ultimate example of "it's all about me" meeting "who cares." I will also cheerfully admit I've become a convert. I was showing workshop attendees how to use Twitter when tweets about the Airbus plane crash into the Hudson River popped up with a link to the article. (I was also fascinated by the person who was tweeting about the December plane crash at Denver airport--while it was happening. Must be a generational thing: I've have been worrying about how to get off the plane, not sitting there with iPhone gripped in my sweaty paws tweeting the world. C'est la vie....)

I've found it a great way to stay on top of trends and information. It does take a little while to figure out how to use it productively. Rohit Bhargava has written a couple of great blog entries about it; start with this one on The Influential Marketing Blog. David Spark has also written a great article on 16 Great Twitter Moments for Mashable.

How can you use Twitter to hunt for a job?

• Set up an account and create your profile.
  
• Use the search site to find out what people are tweeting about. If you find someone whose comments make sense, start following them.
  
• Find people to follow. You can search for them by name, but you can also see who other people are following and add them to your own list. Find out who those folks are following, and so on, and so on, and so on.....
• Use Twitter to build your expertise. Check out the links that people are tweeting about. Even the government gets into it. For example, if you're interested in the SEC (SEC_Investor_Ed), they tweet now and again on regulatory topics.
  

Tips for using Twitter:

• Brevity is the soul of tweeting. Work toward terse and pithy. Find someone whose style you like and emulate them. Use abbreviations that are easy to figure out to save space. For example, betw for between and w for with.
  
• Tweet interesting or helpful information. I personally don't care if someone's washing their dog, having problems planning their wedding, or putting their kids to bed (though I recognize that other folks do). I much prefer interesting observations and links to useful websites. A master at this is Guy Kawasaki, who tweets non-stop all day long.
• Remain professional and be kind to others. Like email, readers cannot hear your tone of voice or see your body language. There's nothing to gain in flaming another tweeter. It doesn't matter how big an idiot they are; you'll look just as bad. Which reminds me....
  
• Be careful what you tweet. As in all electronic communications, it's near impossible to retrieve something once you hit Send. Listen to that little editor in your brain: when in doubt, don't do it.

Now get out there and tweet!

The main benefits of working for someone else used to be job security, benefits (including health insurance), and the ability to have some income in your retirement years. Over time, those benefits have eroded while employers increasingly expect employees to work longer and longer hours for less and less. I understand the economic drivers behind the changes, but I fear real damage to the American economy in ways we don't yet comprehend. I think the unspoken contract between employers and employees is seriously damaged, and here's why:

• With "at will" employment and increasing flexibility, job stability (and security) is a thing of the past. I don't think poor performers have a divine right to a job, but the pendulum has swung to an extreme: performance and job security have become almost completely disconnected. If working better/harder/more hours doesn't mean anything to an employer and if you know your job is at risk, why put in the extra effort?
• Employees are being asked to forgo raises and bonuses, or take cuts in hours and/or wages. (The argument is you should be glad you have a job.) In the long run this will backfire unless companies restore wages and hours as soon as they reasonably can. Seeing profits go up while salaries remain stagnant is going to further damage employee morale and performance.
  
• With skyrocketing costs, employers are either no longer offering health benefits, or are asking employees to bear an increasing percentage of their cost. People tell me they work for big companies because they need the healthcare benefits, yet are finding those benefits narrowing, becoming prohibitively expensive, and/or disappearing entirely, often with no notice. They're feeling betrayed.
  
• Outside of government jobs, pensions are rare. Many firms offer 401(k)s but as we're finding out, these plans come with big problems. In the current economic climate, our 401(k) plans are worth half (or less) what they were just 2 years ago. Some companies are starting to eliminate employer contributions entirely. Given the way the markets are performing right now, you can see why people would rather stash their savings in a mattress.

All of this damages the employer-employee contract, particularly because so much seems entirely out of the control of individuals. Economic storms are forcing companies to batten down the hatches, and the average Joe or Jane doesn't think they can have any impact. If nothing you do will guarantee success on the job, why work so hard? Or why work so hard for someone else doing something you may not particularly enjoy? I wonder if we're not laying the groundwork for an economy based on the old-fashioned notion of the 40-hour work week. This could bring about some interesting changes:

• Employers compete for top talent even more than they do now. Say many of us decide to become contract workers; smart contractors will have several clients who will have to compete for the limited time available. Scarce resources cost more.
  
• Bosses can no longer dictate the hours people work, or expect employees to put in 80+ hour weeks on demand. If they need people to work those hours, they'll have to pay for it.
  
• If we get over our uber-consumer mentality, we'll all be able to live on less. Fewer and lower expenses mean we need lower salaries, which means we don't have to work as hard--or as many hours.

All in all, interesting times. I do think our economy is in the painful throes of reinventing itself. How will it all turn out? I don't think anyone really knows.

Social Networking And Your Job Hunt: Facebook

Facebook started--literally--as an online college face book. It's grown into a social networking website used by kids, adults and seniors. In 2007, 15% of recruiters checked candidates' Facebook Walls (home pages). Stories abound about candidates who lost jobs over college pictures and videos posted on Facebook.

It's considerably looser in style than LinkedIn, but that increased flexibility brings challanges. You can use Facebook for business or social networking; I recommend extreme care if you mix the two. You're much better off picking one or the other and sticking to that use. If you want to use Facebook to extend your professional network, it should fit in with your overall networking strategy.

Like LinkedIn, Facebook's strength is the network you can build; in this case, you add "friends." Like LinkedIn, you can start and join groups and post events, but you can also post photos, videos and links to other sites you find interesting or entertaining. Everything goes on your "wall" (your Facebook home page), which shows everything other people post to it. Facebook also has thousands of "applications" that allow you to interact with others by sending virtual gifts, tagging photos, donate to charities and much more. You can hop all over the Facebook network by clicking on links to friends' pages, then checking out their friends. And therein lies one of the challenges of using Facebook in a job hunt.

Tips for using Facebook to extend your professional network:

• If you use Facebook socially, set security to limit who can see your Wall. You can remove inappropriate postings, but that means you have to stay on top of things.
  
• Think twice about "friending" someone who has a less than professional Facebook wall. Consider how that connection may reflect on you; if in doubt, don't connect to that person. If you don't know someone, don't agree to be their friend.
  
• Post links to interesting articles, videos, photos and websites on your wall. "Interesting" can mean linking to things others will find interesting, or things that you care passionately about.
  
• Comment on postings other friends have on their walls; start discussions and see what you learn. If you want to communicate directly, you can also send messages, which are private communications between you and a friend.

Use Facebook to enlist friends and colleagues in your job hunt, extend your learning, and join professional and alumni groups. Just pay attention to the image you're building; make sure it isn't something that would lose you a job. The good news: Facebook is flexible--you can (and should) be adding and removing things all the time.