How can social media benefit ME as a library professional?

In previous research and collaboration, I had the opportunity to work with graduate students in Library and Information Science.  A major project required that we study how young professionals in the library industry could utilize social media not only for their organizational progression, but also for their personal professional progression.

With economic and career outlooks developing in the manner that they have, establishing yourself and progressing in any occupational field is becoming very difficult.  Since job openings are declining and qualified applicants are growing, a person needs to best equip themselves to utilize every opportunity that can make their ends meet.  This has come to include the use of social media and interactive mediums to better represent yourself and find open opportunities.

Since social networking is nothing new or limited to the information age, the basis and benefits that it creates are well understood.  However, because of the way social networking sites have leveraged the previous functions of community based support with emerging technological advancements, a new level of engagement has surfaced where employers and potential employees can share many important facets of their occupational industry in a streamlined environment that increases efficiency in an employment search.  The most gratifying uses of these social media services when searching for employment is when you get the opportunity to market yourself as a professional by laying out a simple social networking plan that describes why and how to use each network or tool to the best of your advantage.

Below, I present an excerpt from the paper, Job-Hunting, Social Media, and You by Sara Harper, Andrew Hill, Cynthia Lamberth, Rachel McGuire, and Jana Mayfield Mullen:

The process of applying for positions within the Library and Information Sciences field is handled online with little opportunity to present qualifications in person until very late in the selection process. Therefore, it is important to provide a view of a candidate’s expertise that differentiates his or her qualifications from all other applicants. Using Qualman’s definition of “Socialnomics,” we posit that individual value created and shared via social media can influence hiring outcomes. The result: “word of mouth on digital steroids” (Qualman, 2009). 

It is also commonplace for employers to use tools like LinkedIn or Facebook to find applicants, and for applicants to use social media to find job openings. The social media strategy of thoughtfully creating an online presence to inform potential employers of professional expertise will give MLS students an advantage in the highly competitive market for positions in the field.

Lastly, many libraries are eager to find candidates with social media expertise. Libraries at every level are using social media for marketing and outreach strategies. Therefore, a candidate exhibiting the ability to create a good online image and ability to use social media to syndicate information will have a leg up in the screening process. If a potential employee can become a “pied piper” (Qualman, 2009), touting their own expertise or another area of interest, employers will see that these skills could be applied to the mission of the library. 

Qualman, E. (2009). Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.