A blow to my online self-confidence

Let me start this off by stating that I put a link to this blog on my resume. That's right, I actively advertise my "deep," random, and often biased thoughts to those I hope will hire me. When I started this blog, I truly believed that nobody out there really cared about what I had to say. Turns out, potential employers do - I've heard more than once that my interviewer/contact has checked out my blog. Since I know that some employers might see this post, I feel the need to preface the fact that my rant is not directed towards anyone in particular. It's just a general feeling that I've had brewing inside me since day one of my job search.

I think that it's a good thing that I put myself out there for anyone to see; our precious little world is rapidly becoming one filled with Tweeters, Flickr (-ers?), and bloggers. In particular, as I hope to become involved in the creative online industry, it's oh-so-important that I appear to somewhat know what I'm doing with that kind of stuff. Hopefully, that kind of competence is what my minute audience sees when they browse this site.

What I don't understand, though, is the lack of effective communication that I've experienced within this supposedly "2.0" web world. I could probably count on several hands the number of non-responses I have received after various e-mails and LinkedIn messages. When asking for a little advice about a specific job listing, or even just requesting the name of an HR contact from a UM alum, apparently, a short message in return is too lofty an expectation.

The best (read: worst) part about this is that I know these people are out there at their computers. When I get in touch with someone, I do my research. I Google them, check their Twitter feed, and mini-stalk them for a few minutes. So, if these people put themselves out there expecting to be heard and responded to, why not return the favor? It's the 21st century, and the Internet has enabled us to do amazing things when it comes to maintaining contact; it takes me a total of two minutes - tops - to send an e-mail from my BlackBerry. And then there's that feeling in the pit of my stomach that I get after the second go-around in messaging attempts: Is he/she not interested in me? Did he/she forget about me? Usually, I can't decide which outcome is worse.

I understand that, as a prospective entry-level employee, and sometimes a stranger, my needy e-mails are not necessarily high on the totem pole of to-do items for these people. I'm not that important, I get it. I just have a hard time believing that these people weren't once sitting in my chair, hoping for the miracle that is post-graduate employment, in a crappy economy to boot.

This has happened to me after initial, wonderful chats about setting up a phone interview or even a face-to-face interview. The contact relationship begins to bloom, I get excited, and then it dies a sudden death - and I look crazy after sending a third message ("just wanted to know if you were still interested in talking..."). What gives? Get with it, people.

Using social media to put Obama on the spot? Count me in!

Tonight, at 9 PM, our president plans to address all of us Joe Schmoes during his annual State of the Union. To us, this is a time that, once a year, we can feel as if we've reverted back to the good ol' days of FDR's Fireside Chats; although Obama's speech will air to millions, when we watch such broadcasts, it seems as though he talks directly to us, to me, as I sit on my living room couch.

This year, though, this intimacy has been brought to a whole new level. Throughout the broadcast, which will be available live on Citizentube, viewers can submit their questions for President Obama via video or text. In the following days, we can submit more questions and vote on which ones we would like to hear Obama address the most. Next week, the folks at YouTube will field some of these favorite questions to our president himself, in a live interview from the White House also broadcasted from Citizentube.

Now, this isn't on the same level as me tweeting Pauly D to find out if he's spinning at Rick's this Thursday in Ann Arbor (it really looks like he replies to all his fan tweets!). He's not, by the way. This is me, talking one-on-one with Big Man Obama. How cool is that?!

Since I didn't vote for the Massachusetts Senatorial election last week and feel like a giant jackass, this is the least that I can do to remain somewhat passionate and politically involved. Yeah, the chances people will vote for my questions are slim, but who cares? I'm definitely interested to hear what he (and all of us) have to say.

Putting the "net" in networking

Remember that time I wrote all about the importance of living in the moment? About how everything will just get itself done, and I'll sleep when I'm dead? I guess it's not that hard to remember, considering I've only written four other posts. But...yeah. Scratch that. Five classes + sorority rush + a little bit of "senior" fun = one. hot. mess.

Rush finally ended tonight, so I can finally cross that off my list. This is somewhat bittersweet; tonight was my last rush at Michigan, and let's just say that I cry even when I watch My Girl for the fiftieth time. So there's that. But in general, as much as I'm all about mah sistas, I am happy to now have more time to myself to accomplish some of my more personal goals.

One thing I can also check off is creating a LinkedIn account. Since I've previously held web marketing internships, and I'm just a fan of schmoozing in general, I can attest to the benefits of social media networking. To network effectively, you should really utilize every resource that's available. And with technology as advanced as it is today, there are a ton of resources out there. Being able to make connections while sitting at home in my pajamas? Count me in.

In truth, I actually created a LinkedIn account a long time ago. But it was only recently that I got around to actually creating a detailed profile for myself. Since more and more people are choosing to promote themselves on LinkedIn these days, compiling this profile is something I wanted to put a lot of thought and time into. What to keep? What to cut? Which awkwardly-cropped picture best represents myself as a smiley professional?

The great thing about LinkedIn is that they provide samples for all of the profile sections. Definitely read those, if you're more of an amateur when it comes to networking. I chose to select my "professional 'headline'" from a list of options. Am I actually an "Online Media Professional"? Well, not entirely. But I hope to be, and my experiences and skills listed on my profile absolutely show that I've got what it takes. In my opinion, at least. The point is, definitely do NOT lie on this profile - many higher-ups at big companies use LinkedIn and can read all about you - but you can and should emphasize your marketable qualities to the best of your ability.

After completing my LinkedIn profile, the real fun begins. Making connections and adding them to my network. I was surprised to see just how many people I know that are on this networking site, and it was really interesting to read about positions they held before we worked together, and what they're up to these days (professionally, of course).

I'm definitely glad that I started this LinkedIn process when I did. While adding my boss from my two-summers-past internship is positive outreach, connecting with her on LinkedIn only to ask her about job openings the very next day is borderline creepy. While setting up a LinkedIn profile takes a little bit of time and editing, I know that, once I do begin to correspond with my connections, it will be totally worth it to be able to reference any of their professional experiences. If I were you, I'd quit reading this and at least sign up for an account. If you're looking for ideas on what to include on your profile, you can check out my LinkedIn page here.