Tomorrow I will be at the Greater Cincinnati American Society for Training and Development (GCASTD) Local conference. “Ignite Your Mojo” is the theme. I am excited to attend and present at this conference for the first time.

The thing I really like about it is the fact that a panel and discussion around Social Media will be happening for the first time this year. I think it is great that the local HR and Training community is starting to see some potential and uses for the tools within our field. But we have a long way to go. I am dissapointed in the lack of use and embracing of Social Media within the national ASTD for truly using social tools for learning. It is always funny to me how people give presentations, offer advice and tout their knowledge of social media all while barely using it themselves.

As part of the panel a few friends will join me in discussing opportunites that exist in Social Media, ways we can help people learn, and approaches we have taken to learn new ideas for ourselves. They know quite a bit about it and are, as I would say, “practitioners” since they use social media tools often! Friends and Colleagues Steve Browne, Erin Schreyer and Kendra Ramirez will share the stage. A funny thing I’ll probably mention to audience is that, we as panelists, were able to put together and plan this panel through social media. Actually this will be the first time Kendra and I have met in person, despite the fact that we have built a connection before we even met!

I look forward to the results and outcomes that will start out of this conference. I hope that I can be one of the little nudges for people to go ahead and take the leap!

Let’s get to the real issue shall we!

Don’t let Your Mom stop you from being cool!

Guest Post Intro: Lauren Sandelin is a senior at Miami University (Ohio), where she currently serves as the PR Director for the university’s PRSSA chapter.  She will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations.  Connect with her on Twitter, LinkedIn, and visit her blog. If you have any opportunities feel free to assist on that end too!

How Social Media Saved My Job Search.

I’m sure you wouldn’t be shocked to hear me say that the job-hunt hasn’t been too easy.  We’ve all been there at least once, and many of us are there right now.  You don’t need me to tell you that today’s economy isn’t exactly conducive to the whole process.

My job search began far before I was technically ready.  I was so excited for the future I had imagined in my head that I started searching last August (yep, that’s right).  I obviously had no intention of applying for any of those jobs at the time, but it’s fair to say that I was ready to get the ball rolling.  When January came, it was finally time to start applying to those jobs.

Wait, what jobs?

All the jobs I had been hoping to apply for were long gone.  Expected?  Of course…but that doesn’t mean I was okay with it.  It’d be fair to say that January was a wash, and February came around soon enough.  Sure, I found a few openings here and there – but I’m sure you wouldn’t be too surprised to hear that most listings used the dreaded, “send your resume into this black hole and chances are slim you’ll actually hear back from us” application process.  Oh yes – you know exactly what I’m talking about.

February ended soon enough and I was still without even a glimmer of hope.  So what’s a girl to do?  Well, I could sit around and mope.  You know, feel sorry for myself, throw pity parties with a whopping guest list of one, and become frustrated with the whole process.  That almost seems productive, right?  Okay…so maybe not.

It didn’t take long for me to throw that idea into the wind and take a good hard look at my approach.  There comes a point when you have to reflect on things and say, “Okay, kiddo…this isn’t working.  What’s next?”

So what was next?  I mean, wasn’t everyone using the same blind approach I was?  What other options were there?

Then I came across this little thing most refer to as “social media.”  Yeah…I know what that is.  Facebook?  Sure, I’ve had an account on there since my senior year of high school.  Whoop-dee-do.  I have a LinkedIn account, but I don’t have a clue what to do with that.  Twitter?  How in the world would telling people what I do every second of the day help me land a job?  C’mon, brain…give me some real ideas here.

It didn’t take long for me to discover the real beauty of social media.  Actually, what I really discovered was the beauty of networking.  As it turns out, social media is just another doorway to networking and connecting.  This doorway, though, opens up into a big ol’ world where (believe it or not) people are not just willing to help, but want to.  When used effectively, you’d be amazed at the results.  I’ve never been concerned about my ability to do a job and convince others that I’m capable, but it’s all a process and step one is getting noticed.  Shortly after, of course, comes the interview.  Unfortunately, getting noticed and getting that interview are always the toughest parts – but networking makes it that much easier.

There certainly isn’t a lack of posts and articles about the benefits of using social media in your job search, so I’m not setting out to explain exactly how or why.  Instead, I just want to serve as living proof that this does work.  Obviously, I’m not condoning that Twitter (or LinkedIn, Facebook, whatever your preference) serve as your only means of networking and job-hunting, but I’d highly recommend you at least add it to your arsenal.

Now hold on just a second – I’m not sitting here with a smug, accomplished grin on my face saying that this just suddenly fixed all my problems.  I still have yet to land a job and we’re now less than a month away from graduation (not that I’m keeping track or anything).  Anyone who knows me could attest to the fact that I started off my senior year bound-and-determined to have a job offer before May.

Truth be told, I’m far from any job offers at this point…but hey, at least I’m finally getting e-mails and phone calls – a definite improvement from where I was just a month ago.  I’ve already gained so much insight on not just the job search process, but also on my chosen career field.  I’ve had the chance to speak with industry professionals, HR geniuses, you name it.  That “black hole” has gotten ten times smaller and this entire process suddenly seems “doable” again.

Feeling ready to give up and call it quits?

Freshen up your approach.  If what you’re doing now isn’t getting the results you want, then what do you really have to lose by trying something else?  Get in there.  Connect with others – ask questions, seek help, don’t be afraid to admit that what you’ve been doing just isn’t working.

… is if you internalize what you have learned

… you evaluate what you have learned

… you act on what you have learned

… you implement what you have learned

and ultimately

… when you share what you have learned.

How fresh is your thinking? Have you learned something new?

If I can say it in another way

We take part in seminars, workshops, activities, leadership development, team-building (yeah team-building, I said it) and conversations, etc, etc to engage our thinking and drive the conversation with others to do more, learn more and act on the challenges and changes we face.

Without an approach like this, all you become is stagnant. And that’s just pond water! I don’t think you want to be like pond water do you?

One thing I will be ACTing on is my attendance to HREvolution 2010 (May 7 – 8, 2010)!   Looking forward to stretching my own thinking and meeting a lot of (i hope  ) great people (Follow others attendees on Twitter). What are you afraid of? Join the conversation.

Do you want to join the Evolution of HR then click below to get started:

If you are attending then tell me why? If you don’t want to attend then share what you are doing to challenge your thinking?