WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN WORKING IN SOCIAL MEDIA

In Chapter 4 of "Social Media for Strategic Communication," I read about different social media qualifications and roles. The author explains the importance of knowing which companies to work for and accessing future employers work.

The number one thing companies will look for in a potential candidate is experience. They want to know how many internships, projects, work experience and clients you have had before applying for a job. Business and organizations, especially in the social media industry, expect a candidate to have a portfolio to showcase work.

It is important to note employers will be looking at your work, without a doubt. But it wouldn't be a bad idea to look at their experience to figure out their characteristics. Those characteristics include:

1. Portfolio of work.
You want to research what the organization or employer has already achieved. Conferences are something to look out for and see if these employees are attending and sharing knowledge at those events.

2. Colleagues and what they have done. 
Because social media is an up and growing industry, some employers may have fallen into the role and not specialized in it originally. Unlike ONU, some colleges don't offer a social media program so you need to look out for what the employers have done in the past and continue on doing in the field.

3. Culture. 
This is the most important aspect to consider when figuring out where to work. You want to be in an environment to do your best work and gain opportunity to grow, learn and contribute with clients and co-workers. Networking and mentorship in an organization can go a long way.

4. Organizational structure for social media.
As I mentioned, social media is up-and-growing industry so when it comes to social media roles, you might be reporting to marketing officers. You have to be able to understand the structure of the organization to know how to communicate, write and research content.

“Continue to grow and develop. Learning does not stop when you get your social media job: It is the beginning of a lifetime of constant knowledge creation and learning.”