This 50-week blog project is a ’community of career advice’ for 50 “career-transitioners” who are over 50 years old.
Please pardon my multiple day absence from this blog–it is due to MY OWN career dilemma. Since this blog offers community career advice for 50+ Year-olds, I select MYSELF as this week’s subject.
In my new book, Laid Off & Loving It For 2010, I tell job seekers and small business promoters to consider, based on their goals, a wide social media footprint. This is because few of us know which social media platform holds the highest number of intended “targets.” Therefore, casting a wide net can be wise, at least until you get a feel for the “right” tool.
I was AWOL (not AOL) on this blog for several days because of my time spent with several social media tools. The subtitle of my book is “Rebuilding Your Career or Small Business With Social Media’s Help.” Because of that I basically HAVE TO be exposed on several fronts in order to be credible. But therein lies the rub:
THAT TAKES A TON OF TIME!
Like many of you who want to improve your public profiles and networks “out there,” I have a family, a job, outside activities, and only a limited number of waking hours to glare at an unforgiving computer. But in the last month I have completed:
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A profile on www.LinkedIn.com (America’s Job Coach)
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A Twitter profile with LOTS of successful follows: http://twitter.com/AmericaJobCoach (direct messages to: @americajobcoach)
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My web site: www.americasjobcoach.com
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This community advice job coaching blog entitled: www.the50over50project.wordpress.com
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And the big daddy: the final proofs and cover and production and details needed to launch “Laid Off & Loving It For 2010” on amazon.com and on www.createspace.com/3393488 .
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And there are more projects in the works…
I am notbragging about getting all that done. A smarter, faster person could have done all that much quicker and better than I did. Many have. I been working on these projects for months. I simply list those accomplishments because I recently confirmed what a black hole social media can be. My previous social media efforts were more insidious. This time it was a huge, all-encompassing sprint.
If you plan to really crunch hard with Social Media, be prepared for lots of “chair time.” If you plan to have 1,000 twitter followers or a FaceBook family of 400, or a LinkedIn profile of 500+, get ready to ignore other things in your life. I did.
Fortunately I have an understanding family that supports the launch of my new book. Mymain sacrifice has been on the health front. I have skipped a lot of exercise to accomplish the above results…with some “heavy” consequences.
So what are yourgoals for Social Media? If you are just going to jab at Social Media for a few minutes each week, I contend it won’t do much for you. On the other hand, if you are going to pound away on Twitter or FaceBook , etc. for 30 hours a week, you’ll likely be giving up something else in life.
You read of my “weighty” dilemma caused by high use of social media. This blog serves as a community career forum, so please share your ideas for people like me. What advice do you have for Social Media junkies who “need” to be out there at an “above average” level, but may be spending too much time on it?
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Do you know some shortcuts that will save time while maximizing these new and seductive tools?
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Do you know people who are worshiping way too much at the altar of Social Media?
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Do you know of someone who has been fired for excessive or improper use of social media tools at work? That’s the antithesis of how social media can help a career!
What advice do you have for them (us)?
…And yes, I know…45 mintues a day on the treadmill!
America’s Job Coach