Whether you love it or hate it, social networking and blogging sites just may be one of your best resources. Think about it, sites such as Twitter (and others) have connections to all kinds of people and all kinds of companies, all around the world.
After receiving months of conviction from friends, I recently joined the so-called “Twitterverse.” Though I thought the site was all hype, I decided to give-in and see what all the fuss was about.
Being the celebrity-obsessed person that I am, I knew it would at the very least, be a great way to keep up with celebrities, and maybe even “tweet” a few while I was at it. But, I had no idea that this would become an obsession.
Knowing the last thing I need is an obsession with something that will virtually have little rewards in the end, I decided to change this obsession into a potential portfolio for future work.
If you were to look at my twitter page, I am sure the fist thing you would notice is the fact that almost all my tweets are to celebrities and companies. Therefore, noticing this about myself, my idea began; especially when I received some tweets back.
My idea to document tweets started when I tweeted the country radio station KFROG. I tweeted them saying I needed an internship, and I was hoping to get one with them. They tweeted back asking what kind of internship I was looking for and if I was a student. I answered them back and mentioned I would even be glad to write tweets for them. They responded saying they would let me know if there were any internship openings in their web department. After this, I decided it might be a good idea to save all my important tweets to keep for a portfolio. You never know when it may come in handy. If the chance for an internship with KFROG does arise, I will be sure to show them these messages and more.
Not only have I tweeted KFROG and got a response, but some celebrities have responded as well; ok well, semi-celebs anyways, lets say D-listers. But regardless, I figured I could also save these tweets in order to show that I can actually get some people (especially ones who are usually hard to get a response from) to respond. Along with these, I am saving some Tweets that I believe present some “inventive” ideas of mine. Regardless if these ideas would work or not, I think they showcase that I try to be creative and think outside of the box; all while using Internet resources to do so.
With our current society constantly revolving around computer and online experiences, I think showing that you know how to work with these assets is a good thing. Whether its blogging about something extraordinary, being able to write something witty in 140 characters or less, showing your photography/videography work, simply used for networking, or whatever you may want to use the Internet for, it’s simple way to use your talents, hobbies, and (possible) addiction the Internet to potentially boost your career. They say companies are always looking for fresh and new ideas; it’s a way to show that you can give them what they are looking for.
Maybe this is wishful thinking. However, I think it is worth a try. As of now, all I know is that I have potential luck with getting an internship in the web department of a radio station due to Twitter. If I am able to show them what I can do through Twitter and the Internet, it just may “up” my chances of actually landing the internship. Then, in the long run, as I hope to add more tweets (and now blogs) to my list, it may help in acquiring future jobs as well.
My advice to all reading is take advantage of your resources. With Twitter, Facebook, and other social network and blogging sites, you have countless possibilities and connections with people and companies; you never know who is looking. So show them what you got and network while you are at it. Make sure you remember them; but more importantly, make sure they remember you!
I really like your idea of using Twitter as a type of portfolio. I never thought of the site that way.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, I recently hopped on that Twitter wagon too -- over the summer. I really didn't understand how and why people would tweet so much. I still cannot understand how people tweet so much, but I understand why now.
As an aspiring journalist/TV personality, Twitter offers one GIGANTIC avenue of releasing information for users to see in an instant. People that are not involved with the media can tweet news for others to grab a hold of; thus media outlets can use it to their advantage as well.
It's astonishing how something that started so small has blown into another thing that is somewhat essential to success in the social media world.
I am one of the few people our age who has an aversion for social networking. It took me years to give in and make a MySpace page, and when everyone switched over to Facebook it took me a solid two years to make the switch. Nonetheless I created a Facebook and Twitter account and enjoyed some of it's benefits for a while. Through Twitter I actually got the opportunity to be in a music video, and of course Facebook made it easier to keep tabs on friends. But the concept in general still really creeps me out so I recently deleted my Facebook account.
ReplyDeleteYou present a good point in that social networking could be used as a helpful tool to further your career. And maybe I will reactivate my account once I'm out of college and seriously looking for a job, but until then I am taking a good long break from wasting time stalking both strangers and friends on various social networking sites.