I have some sad news for you today. Due to the circumstances that have hit the radio industry over the past couple of weeks – and are likely to continue for some time to come – we have dusted off our program to help Rock Radio professionals find their next jobs.
You may recall a couple of years back we created the “Ready To Rock” program during the first big wave of layoffs and cutbacks. Now “Ready To Rock 2” is live on our website. Hopefully, we can do a little Match.com work when it comes to hooking up Rock Radio pros with stations that are looking for hungry, talented new employees.
Please send your materials to jobs@g5j.8ac.myftpupload.com
And on that note, Jacobs Media’s Lori Lewis has cooked up five digital job search tips that are particular to the social space. Here is Lori’s advice to those of you who now find yourselves “between opportunities.”
1) Manage your online brand. Hiring managers want to make a connection with you before they even talk with you. What is your online image? Can they even find you online? What “digital debris” does a Google search (and paid service searches) say about you?
As odd as this may sound, your online brand should not be an “aggressive” job seeker. Hiring managers are often more attracted to more passive job seekers who focus on sharing solution based content/philanthropy and who have interesting dialogues with people each day as a way to stay engaged. Don’t record your timeline of unemployment – they just don’t see the value in that.
Also, make sure there are no “dead ends.” Everywhere a potential employer goes to check you out, make sure there’s a link to another channel to learn even more about you. (Example: On your Twitter bio, you could link to LinkedIn; on Facebook you could link to a site such as https://about.me/ where you can tell your story in a simple and visual way.)
2) Build your social community now – if it’s not already built. As you manage your online brand, your social community/network should also be in place so hiring managers can see that you have actual people interacting with you, sharing your stuff and recommending you. (Get those recommendations on your LinkedIn profile and use actionable words that describe your skill sets.)
It takes time to build a social community. Focus on establishing trust, credibility and relationships with people in order for your network to feel inclined to come to your rescue.
How to start? Find people in radio who already participate with social platforms. Send them an introduction email for a more personal connection. Then add them to your social community, too (e.g., Follow, subscribe, connect, etc…).
3) Don’t overlook Twitter. While many hiring managers in radio are not on Twitter, it is still an important utility. Search out people and companies on Twitter and see who they are following. Watch what they tweet about: What matters to them? What do they care about? Use the “@” sign to communicate with them on occasion and make sure your avatar is a professional picture of you.
4) Be mindful on Facebook. Although privacy is your personal right, when you are looking for a job, it almost becomes an obligation to open up your Facebook wall and allow prospective employers to evaluate whether your personality will fit in with their company culture.
Bad grammar and spelling, over indulgence in any type behavior/beliefs and passive aggressive posts about how hiring managers never call back reflect poorly on everyone.
Welcome to today’s new job search world. Again, hiring managers want to lurk so mark certain posts “public” so they can see who you are socially and mark certain posts “private” to maintain that aspect of Facebook you enjoy.
5) Find a cause to give your time to. Giving back during a time of uncertainty will take your focus off you and onto other’s who need attention. Be more attractive through your philanthropy. When you pull potential employers into your space, you widen your opportunity to impress them so they can make a quicker decision about hiring you.
Good advice that hopefully comes in handy to those of you in the hunt.
In the meantime, feel free to steer those Rock Radio job seekers to our “Ready To Rock 2” page. And for those of you in the power hiring positions, hopefully your next key employee is on our site. Resumes and materials to jobs@g5j.8ac.myftpupload.com
And here’s a wish that we are able to take this page down soon.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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I applaud your efforts, and totally agree with Lori’s “between opportunities” points. Thanks for being part of the solution.
Thanks, James. Truly appreciate your comments. I wish we could do more.