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Engaged Networking: A Must is 21st Century Career Development




Social Media...the number of people that have and maintain an active social media presences in 2014 is tremendous, and is only going to increase as we move forward.  A quick look through the youtube video above by Eric Qualman is just one of the videos that is created to show the vast growth of the social media community and the impact that is has on our country, and the world as we know it. 

Anymore the question isn't whether you have a social media presence, it is simply what are you on, and if you are on social media I am sure you have witnessed the power of such social presence.  In the past it would take days, weeks, or even months for news from around the country to become "viral" and be able to be viewed on all media outlets around the country.  The time delay in getting this information out would allow individuals, companies, politicians (etc.) develop a strategy to negate the negative effects of a situation that would penetrate the market before the local media 2000 miles away started broadcasting the event.  Problem solved, right?  Now, the worldwide market penetration can be instantaneous and a camera video of the exact event can go viral in a matter of minutes.  So, what does this have to do with Engaged Networking in the 21st Century?

Resume's have long been one of the standards for career growth and development, and I am sure that we all have one.  Your resume is a snapshot of your prior academic history and career progression, however it is a static document that doesn't show the hiring authority the real you.  If you were hiring a new candidate, would you go to the world of social media knowing that the probability of that individual you are looking at has a social profile.  NPR, on their "All Tech Considered" has an entry regarding what employers can't ask.  This NPR story (found here) discusses (both audio and transcript) the situation of several management students who have experienced the effects of social media.  Are employers looking at your profiles before they hire, promote, or select you for a special duty? 

If your employer is looking at your profile for these things, what about others that may be looking to engage with another for the purposes of helping a profession.  I have noticed lately that I have had a rather active LinkedIn profile, but nowhere near that of others within my social networking group.  It is easy to click the "friend" button but what are you going to do from there.  Some of the individuals you connect with on profiles such as LinkedIn are designed around the premise that you are trying to network with others in your assigned area of expertise for the purposes of collaborating, learning, or developing something more.  I know that time is a precious resource and something that most of us don't have extra of, but if we are looking to advance in our career we should dedicate some time to advancing our social network.  Communicate with your network in ways that help advance the profession (i.e. updated training available, job postings, current trends, etc.) and then to help you, you should ensure that your available social profile is projecting the image you want and nothing that could be misconstrued by those you are looking to have help you (i.e. job hiring, collaboration etc.)

In the EMS and Fire communities, we are consistently barraged with news about the negative things that are going on in our profession.  Additionally, we see the superb things that happen, but its the daily operations in which we don't see much.  We can use this time to continue to develop ourselves and our professions through the power media outlet that each of us carry.  What happens if every firefighter, paramedic, AEMT, EMT, EMR, admin person placed a hands-only cpr video on our profile once a month for 12 months.  Would the rate of cardiac arrest saves in our community increase...look at King County Washington (click here) . 

Take Care and Stay Safe
The Combomedic!

References:

Can't Ask That? Some Job Interviewers Go To Social Media Instead. (2014, April 11). Retrieved November 8, 2014, from http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/04/11/301791749/cant-ask-that-some-job-interviewers-go-to-social-media-instead

Public Health - Seattle & King County. (2014, May 19). Retrieved November 8, 2014, from http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/news/2014/14051901.aspx

Qualman, E. (n.d.). #Socialnomics 2014 by Erik Qualman. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxpa4dNVd3c
 

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