Posts Tagged ‘social networking’

Social Networking - A New Employable Skill

If you spend your days floating around Facebook when you should be looking for a job, or getting some fresh air, or even living your life, then you probably get a mouthful from your friends, partner or parents.

However, no you have a come-back - Facebook is an employable skill!!

Just because you spend your hours in a social networking online world doesn’t mean that you are wasting your time - today employers are actually interested in social network addicts and the skills that they have gained from the practice.

Read on to discover what skills you have gained from 10 hours a day on Facebook;

Recruiter

You have probably been on something like Facebook or MySpace for years now, since the early days when MySpace actually launched musical talent and Facebook was simple and good because of it.

Social networking is said to now be a great place for recruiting - the conversations and information online is considered to be as real as it gets despite the hassle social networking sites receive from the press.

Strategist

Companies are on the look out for social media strategists that are tasked with providing an insight into the social media of the company.  Social networking users got such skills by spending their time sifting through the many pages and getting to know what impresses in today’s social media markets.

A social media strategist is supposed to grow band awareness, create buzz for a specific package, increase traffic and provide information whenever possible - if you feel you got these skills from your many years on the social networking scene then go ahead and apply for the position.

Enterprise Architect

When a company decides to totally revamp their content strategy where are they going to turn?  Perhaps they should turn to the social networking lovers out there who have spent their time networking, developing ideas, discussing political views and working through multiple platforms.  It may not sound like a day on Facebook or MySpace, but it is!

Director of Social Media

An online presence can’t be taken for granted any more, but the more modern companies out there are turning to even more modern ways of staying present online.

As a director of social media you will have to look after company blogging, viral marketing, podcasting and so on - you will be at the forefront of the company’s modern Internet direction.

To fit into a position such as this you should be able to understand new technologies and especially be familiar with blogs.  Other online tools, such as RSS feeds, Twitter and Facebook will also be extremely useful.  However, to keep the position you should be able to understand the difference between chilling on Facebook and working on it…

Social Networking Your Way Into A Job?

Do you believe that the hours you spend on Facebook and MySpace are actually making you employable?  Are you going to start putting your social networking skills on your CV?  Let us know…

Is Facebook killing you?

It would seem that the world’s recent attraction to the popular networking site is actually bad for our health and could eventually lead to cancer.  We are now being urged to cast aside our online social lives in exchange for a simple hug at least.

Dr Aric Sigman has noted the recent fall in social interaction, in the real world that is, and has placed the reasons down to sites such as Facebook and MySpace.  He is claiming that because we are shunning our lives in the real world and foregoing the formerly enjoyable acts of bonding we are endangering our lives.

According to Sigman face-to-face contact between people has flopped by a staggering two-thirds over the past twenty years and claims that this could be responsible for us not getting our daily dose of the “cuddle chemical” oxytocin which he claims could eventually lead to severe health issues such as cancer, strokes, heart disease and dementia…is that in the terms and conditions of Facebook?

Social networking sites to blame for stupidity?

Sigman also notes that too much time spent on the social networking sites could effectively damage our immune systems as well as altering how our arteries work eventually leading to poorer mental performances.

Sigman isn’t only placing the blame on the poor old social networking sites but is also citing the boost in time the general public spends in front of the television, whether playing games or simply watching the device.

8 hours a day in front of the television…

According to Sigman the time spent in front of televisions, games and surfing the Internet has doubled over the past two decades to a mind-blowing 8 hours a day - no wonder we’re in a recession…

“One of the most pronounced changes in the daily habits of British citizens is a reduction in the number of minutes per day that they interact with another human being,” announced Sigman.

“Britain’s disinclination for togetherness is only equaled by her veneration of communicating through new technologies.

“This is now the most significant contributing factor to society’s growing physical estrangement.”

When I was 5 I had a stick…

Sigman also noted how the younger generation are allocating more time to spend with a computer as a quarter of 5 year olds actually own their own computer.

“Whether in or out of the home, more people of all ages in the UK are physically and socially disengaged from the people around them because they are wearing earphones, texting, Twittering or staring at a BlackBerry screen.

“Eye and ear contact between people of all ages and relationships is declining.”

Sigman has attacked television before…

However, this isn’t the first time the worried Dr Sigman has hit out at popular media.  In 2005 Sigman wrote an article in the Daily Mail about “how television was killing us”.

In his article Sigman blamed television for possibly leading to “damaged brain cell development and function”.

What do you think?

Sigman obviously has his issues with popular media in today’s society, but what do you think?  Will you be rushing to Facebook to close your account or does the whole theory just make you want to stay online for longer?

Everyone these days has a social networking profile, but some are better than others in my opinion. We all have our favourite, so in an effort to stem today’s boredom, and have a bit of a rant, I’ve done a comparison of the three main ones that I’ve used: Myspace, Facebook and Bebo.

Myspace

What is it: Myspace wants to introduce you to loads of new people, catch up with old friends and hear new music.

Who’s it for: Although initially Myspace was used by alternative types (yes I was within the first 15,000 members) as a place to met other people, more commonly referred to as scenesters. A scenester, as you may or may not know, is someone who attaches themselves to the scene of the moment. If dance music is cool then they listen to dance music, dress like they listen to dance music, and also play terrible music. The same can be said for most genre’s of music but none more so that the Emo scene, or Emotional Hardcore scene. This means big hair, black eyeliner (girls and boys) and loads of pictures of hearts, stars and self took ‘emotive’ pictures of themselves frowning, along with other stereotypical stuff you can see in Kerrang! Magazine every week.

Why’s it good: It’s good because you can find cool people who you know, and cooler people you don’t. Myspace Music is genius, and when it first arrived was an amazing way of letting thousands of people hear your band – believe me its amazing when you hit 10, then 20, then 30, the 40 then 50,000 plays. Other cool stuff are ease of use, the photo albums and the ability to design your own profile.

Why’s it bad: Myspace has become the place that not-cool people go. I like to think of it as the overspill from Bebo. The music section is now over saturated, and the excitement of finding new music has all but vanished, because they’re not just your band that only you and know one else has heard of. Also the new site design is horrible, and it slows your PC down to a grinding halt if you have a slow one.

Facebook

What is it: Facebook is a way for people in suits to talk to each other about business, their kids, and look at each other terrible photos. It’s also the place your boss looks to see what you get up to at weekends.

Who’s it for: Facebook is for people with no imagination, and who feel the need to spy on each other.

Why’s it good: Some nice user-made apps, and can be handy for spying on someone you want to see fail.

Why’s it bad: Facebook is rubbish. It looks rubbish. The back end is rubbish. Sending inane gifts to people is pathetic. The people you meet all work in an office (probably yours). You get found by people that gave you hell at school, and think because you haven’t seen them for ten years, you’ve forgave them. You can’t do anything cool with your profile, and you have to rely on user made content to make anything remotely amusing. Facebook can go to hell.

Bebo

What is it: This is where the dreg’s of society go. This is like that club beside the awesome club that only cool folk get in. This is a microcosm of how much or society is in trouble. Bebo has been responsible for the suicide of a hell of a lot of people.

Who’s it for: Bullys and Schoolkids

Why’s it good: Its not.

Why’s it bad: design is terrible. Back end is terrible. People are terrible. Photo function is terrible. It’s terrible. The designer needs to go back to stacking shelves in Tesco.

The moral of this story is this:  If you are a remotely decent person who wants to find good new music (and doesn’t mind hunting for hours) then head to Myspace. If you are a guy in a suit – Facebook’s for you. If you are lazy, and want to bully people till they can’t take it anymore – head to Bebo.