Is LinkedIn Too Stuffy?
This was the question I found myself asking not too long ago after participating in a discussion group on LinkedIn, where some of my colleagues were acting as though we were negotiating some type of high-end corporate merger instead of “discussing” (more like vying for the microphone) the finer points of career transition. After attempting to make a comment to lighten up the conversation (nothing off-color, I assure you) and to engage instead of one-up, one of my counterparts basically reprimanded me!
Now, if this had been the first time I had come across this scenario on LinkedIn, I would have just chalked it up to that, but it turns out to be somewhat the norm when it comes to that environment.
Certainly, it is true that different social media sites have different “cultures,” but exactly what the “rules” are for each culture are still a little murky, if you ask me.
A colleague and I were chatting recently about the LinkedIn versus Twitter culture, and he was telling me why he did not like the Twitter “vibe.” Basically, he felt Twitter was too loose of a forum. Anyone could just participate in a Twitter chat (instead of gaining acceptance into a group, like on LinkedIn), and he felt like from a techie front, it was mostly inexperienced people or posers trying to sound “techie.” On the other hand, he found LinkedIn made more sense to him because it had a more “corporate” feel to him, random streams weren’t whizzing by, and he could take his time to craft a well-written response. Plus, he could look up a person’s profile and get a better sense of his or her experience and background. Basically, he liked knowing who he was talking to, and he liked that it was a more formal discussion, especially if he were looking for advice or direction on a particular project or subject.
When I pointed out to him that some people lie or stretch their credentials on their LinkedIn profiles (see my recent article “Who Says LinkedIn Profiles Are Truthful?“), he still was not deterred. Overall, he felt like it was a more trustworthy environment and that more “experts” hung out over there.
He could be right. I certainly think he brings up some valid points.
In my mind, however, I still find the LinkedIn culture, well, stuffy.
And from a longevity standpoint, I’m not sure how well that will continue to play out as more people become comfortable with social media.
As someone who hangs out in both Twitter and LinkedIn groups, I find Twitter to be more cutting edge, frankly. It is true that it takes some time to get familiar with how things work there. And finding the right mix of followers and people you want to follow can be more time consuming for sure. But whether it is #TCFchat, a Twitter chat hosted by the Tech Career Forum on Wednesdays at 3pm East, or #tchat, hosted by Talent Culture, on Wednesdays at 7pm East, generally I find the discussion, well, more of a discussion.
For all of my LinkedIn discussion groups, I find them more of a lecture, where each participant is trying to impress me with his or her knowledgebase (so I can score them on the “best” answer). I’m not sure how that is engaging exactly…? Especially when it feels like we are constantly in interview mode, 3-piece suits and all.
Now it could just be my rebel entrepreneurial bias showing through, but generally, I am usually in favor of a more structured approach to things. And certainly there is a lot of silliness that goes on with Twitter (even if it is avoidable). However, in the case of LinkedIn, honestly, I just don’t find it an interesting place to be (it’s like one of those jobs where I’m stuck in an endless meeting, wondering ”is it 5 o’clock yet?”). Now, if like my co-worker, I want a good lecture and some advice (although I rarely see the quality of the advice as any better, just longer winded), I can see the value, and it certainly is becoming the place to be for social recruiting, but the air is certainly thicker (and you might want to change out of your PJs before logging on).
But whatever you do, and I say this with all earnestness, don’t try and be funny!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 14 so far )Job Search Engagement Strategy on Twitter for Techies
Getting started on social media sites like twitter can be a daunting task, particularly if you do so at the same time you’re launching a job search. For technical candidates that tend to be more skeptical of these social forums, thinking they’re just plain silly, this can be a big challenge.
Well, on Wednesday 10/17 at 3pm ET on twitter at #TCFchat, a panel of job seekers, HR folks, recruiters, and career professionals convened to discuss just this topic. We covered whether a type “A” personality is truly required, the demeanor or persona the job seeker should assume (especially if they are new to twitter), and other strategies.
The major takeaways were that even loners can and should use social media for the job search. Being authentic is vital. Also, sage advice was offered to “Think twice. Click once.”
If you were unable to join us for the live chat, go to our Tech Career Forum LinkedIn Group page to post comments. You can also view the Storify summary.
Or feel free to weigh in here. We’d love to hear from you.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Adventures of a Twitter Fanatic
Twitter & the Job Search
by Sheree Van Vreede (@rezlady)Welcome to installment 3 of my series on social media marketing for job seekers. My first post was called Confessions of a Facebook Snob, which I followed up with Facebook and the Midlife Crisis, two posts highlighting what I see as issues for job seekers in using Facebook as a tool in the job search process.
[In a nut shell, I think job seekers need to be a little snobby when it comes to Facebook. Facebook's real value to the job seeker is in its company pages and groups areas, less so in its "friend" connections, and too many people are wasting time there on things that aren't productive to the job search (but still accounting for it as "job search time").]
My approach to Twitter, however, is completely different (as it should be; Twitter is a different environment with a different etiquette). Second to LinkedIn, I believe
Twitter has some great potential for job seekers when used STRATEGICALLY.
Without a doubt, I am a Twitter fanatic…I love it. For this introvert, a better networking tool could not have been invented. I never have to worry whether I have anything stuck between my teeth. There’s never that awkward “hello” and “goodbye” moment. We get right to the point.
But my fanaticism for Twitter comes from a firm belief that it only is really effective when you have a clear target audience and you market to that niche.
Yes, market.
Social media comes down to marketing.
(It’s important not to get confused about that. It might be a different kind of marketing from what you traditionally think of as marketing, but it is still marketing nonetheless. For more on that, don’t miss my post on Social Media Layering.)
The challenge is not to let it suck up all your time, especially on things that bring little value to your goal: finding the next career move.
That’s why niche marketing to your target audience is so important. The biggest benefit Twitter allows is for each participant to present or “brand” himself or herself in a certain way, and you can position that brand in front of your market relatively easily. The problem, however, is that people can get way off track with Twitter (I know from experience).
Here are some mistakes most job seekers make with Twitter:
- Combining business with personal. Conversations and genuine engagement is encouraged, but yapping with friends/family about personal issues while then turning around and marketing to the CEO of Intel is not recommended. Twitter does let you have more than one account. You should try that instead.
- Following too many trends. Because Twitter moves at such a fast pace, it allows for trends to come and go quickly, very quickly. If you’re not careful, you can get off message and off target following them all. Never forget why you are there and stay true to that purpose.
- Only talking about yourself. Honestly, no one is really interested in you…harsh, I know, but social media, despite some people’s hopes, is not changing human behavior. Just like you don’t enjoy sitting down to dinner with someone who can only talk about him or herself, the same is true on Twitter. People “like” or are interested in those who bring value to a discussion, who make them feel like they are being heard, who come across as problem solvers.
Overall, the great thing about having a niche market with Twitter is that it scales the Twitterverse down for you and lets you have a specific purpose for being there. It becomes so much more than a “What is happening?” toy. After all, the whole concept behind social media marketing (and conducting a job search is just another form of that) is really to turn these “toys” into “tools” that can work to your advantage.
So be sure to meet up with me on Twitter, and when you do, tell me (and my audience) what your niche is. I look forward to hearing from you there!
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