Monday 2 May 2011

The Times They Are a-Changin’

In this week’s reading, Gill (2007) touched on the age-old notion that “it’s not what you know, but who you know” and how this rings true now more than ever in the field of new media and communications. This was also reflected on by Martin and Lee but sorry guys, times have changed and you’re being left behind.

In the current world of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn knowing someone is only a click or two away. By liking a page, tagging a business or company in a post or tweeting a potential employer you appear on their radar but this places you in the same situation as dozens, hundreds, thousands of “communications professionals” vying for the same position.

This is the intriguing part of the change – it has gone full circle. With everyone connected in one way or another, the onus is back on us, the job-seekers, to stand out from the crowd. It is no longer what you know, or even who you know. What is now the most important element of finding work in new media is how you appear online, promote yourself and present yourself on social media. Set profile to PRIVATE!



REFERENCE LIST

Gill, R. (2007). ‘Informality is the New Black’. In Technobohemians or the new Cybertariat? New Media work in Amsterdam a decade after the web. Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures: 24-30 & 38-43. Accessed  April 20, 2011 from http://www.networkcultures.org/_uploads/17.pdf


Lee, F. 2011. “The Network Society”,  Faithchantal’s Blog- Everything and Anything. Accessed April 20, 2011.http://faithchantal.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/the-network-society/

Martin, P. 2011. “The Future is Free…lancing, that is!”, Numedia, Web2.0 and You-the Society and the like….Accessed April 20, 2011. http://pevamart.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/the-future-is-free-lancing- that-is/