Connie Bensen

Since August or so I’ve had people reaching out asking how to start building their brand. For whatever reason they are realizing that they need to establish a presence online.

• Some have been laid off & are considering new options.
• Some would like to work in social media & community building.
• Some realize that they need to create an online presence

Last spring I was in the same position. Because I work remotely my options were really limited. It took me awhile to rethink the whole concept and I’ll admit that I had help from friends. For awhile I was applying for 2-3 jobs a day with no response. I must admit that a major web 2.0 company asked if I’d move to San Francisco, but that wasn’t an option. It was disheartening. (And to my friend who recently emailed me with your news of not getting your position, this post is for you).

For me, it took a lot of talking out loud to rethink things. It’s so important to invest in yourself. And if you’re looking for a position then TELL potential employers that. Now is a better time than ever to be thinking outside the box. This is going to sound really odd, but I have experienced tipping points in a number of areas:

• my social networking has gone through phases & now is building on it’s own – I no longer wonder where all my new Twitter & FB followers come from – I am just thankful
• my personal branding is something I do automatically without thought
• work opportunities now come to me (but I believe that I have planted seeds)

So what are the secrets?

1. a personal advisory board that you trust – only when you share your fears can others help you – choose people that you can give back things to – time is a commodity

2. social networking – hang out with like minded people – is it LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc? But you HAVE to get involved! that’s imperative

3. blogging – you need to establish a presence – what makes you unique & what value will you provide? This is about YOUR brand & what you bring to the company

4. lifelong learning – always keep learning – that makes you flexible & more employable.

5. when you network with people tell them what type of work you’d like Find reasons to network with potential employers.

• Interview them about what their business is about.
• Do volunteer work for them. Help them get to know YOU
• Be interested in their business. Become knowledgeable about the industry
• Evangelize in what you believe in – people will notice you
• Work hard & show that you’re not afraid of digging in

In the last month people have been asking me how many hours a day I work. The truth is that I’m online from 7:30 am to 10-11 pm with 1-2 hrs break during the day. In the morning personal work takes about an hour and in the evening I sometimes work or do personal/professional work. Remember that my daughter is in college, so I have an empty nest.

In regard to my time, there have been a few occasions when I’ve gotten of the phone and my husband would say, were you getting paid for that or not? Most of the time I wasn’t. But in the long run, my advising has now ended up causing a new problem of needing to learn to say ‘no’ (which is another blog post).

My friend & one of my mentors in the branding area wrote a great article on this topic:

The Real Way to Get a Job using Social Media by Dan Schawbel

If you’ve recently found a job leave a comment with your story.

Because it is your life, right?  I’ve always believed that life is about choices. It’s up to you to decide what you’re going to do with them. Invest in yourself & add the determination.

Not long ago Derrick Kwa from Singapore asked my opinion. Derrick was in the US not long ago working with Seth Godin on his Triibes project. Also, Derrick is an avid marketing junkie & started a social media breakfast in Singapore.

Derrick’s question to me was whether he should accept a job offer.

Here are things that I think everyone should consider as they search for jobs. And they are especially true if you’re going to work in social media.

• What is the product?
• Do you believe in it?
• Can you sell it?
• Do you trust the company? the management?
• What is the state of the brand?
• Is the public sentiment justified?
• Do you believe that you can contribute to the brand?
• Does your personal brand resonate with the position?
• Does it contribute to the company’s mission?
• Will the position affect your personal brand positively or negatively?

Even if the position pays well, is that enough? Only you can decide that. Derrick blogged about his decision. He said,

So why did I reject the offer? Because I don’t believe in the product. I’m not passionate about what they are selling. And that’s the most important thing for me.

Yes, I was tempted by the money, I’m not going to deny that. I was definitely very tempted. But after talking to Connie Bensen about it (thanks for the advice, Connie), she helped me realize that it wouldn’t be worth doing if I wasn’t passionate about it.

Do you agree that my questions have any relevance for job satisfaction in the social media world? I look forward to hearing your ideas.

This is part of a series focused on the hiring process for community managers. My goal is to provide information for both companies looking to hire & those interested in the role. Community management is going to be a key role & it’s easier to start with a good fit than have extract oneself from a bad situation. Bottom line: recruitment & training takes resources (time & money).

In the last post on the Interview Process I offered tips for both the Interviewer & the candidate. That started some interesting conversations. I predict that recruiting highly qualified community managers is going to be challenging.

In regard to that post, Richard Millington pointed out that the questions aren’t very helpful unless the Interviewer is really familiar with the role. He asked if a Community Manager really needs an interview?

Martin Reed added:

I think it is important to take their previous experience and achievements into account but you should still take the time to interview them or at least engage in a conversation to see if they are a right ‘fit’ – after all, would you still recruit the perfect community manager if you couldn’t stand speaking to them?

I do agree that there should be a formal interview process. That is important for both the employer & potential candidate. Both sides need to be open & explore the following:

• work habits
• company culture
• expectations for the position
• knowledge of social media tools & participation in social networks
• product knowledge & familiarity with customer segments
• communication skills
• ability to mediate & tactfully deal with people
• leadership skills – this can be a powerful position if utilized correctly
• creativity – brainstorming & execution
• open to experimentation & ability to learn from mistakes
• familiarity with analytics
• aspirations

Jeremiah Owyang has many posts on the role. Here are a couple that are helpful:

• Understanding the Role
• Should Startups have a Community Manager

If you would like assistance with any of the following, email me at mailto:conniebensen@gmail.com

• How a Community Manager can contribute to your business goals.
• Assistance with creating a job description that suits your organization’s needs.
• Reviewing & interviewing potential candidates
• Training based on organizational needs
• Exploring alternative options:
  • utilizing someone on staff
  • job sharing the position

What other factors should be considered in the recruitment process?

My most popular posts cover the basics of job description, job posting & salary for the community manager role. So I thought I would round out the job search information with some tips on the interview process. The challenges of the economy are starting to be felt & people are looking for resources. I hope that you find these helpful.

For almost a decade I reviewed applications, interviewed & recommended to hire candidates. Then I followed up with orientation & training of the successful candidate. Because my Director was 80 miles away I had a lot of independence but that also meant a lot of responsibility to make sure that the hiring decision was the best possible for my team.

Here are some tips that apply to any position:

• Make sure that your resume is well done. Have friends review it & give feedback. It’s the only thing that represents you & your achievements.
• The web offers lots of opportunities to be creative, but be careful about silly videos & things that are too unconventional.
• Use positive action verbs – the BEST book is What Color is My Parachute for resume tips & interview suggestions.
• Make sure that your cover letter & resume provide the requested information

For the interview:

• Dress appropriately & take it seriously
• Be careful about making generalizations & ask questions if you truly don’t know
• The interview should be in both directions (more coming on that)
• Believe in yourself & have confidence

Jim Durbin, Social Media Headhunter, had a post listing interview questions. I think that they’re great & so I’m reprinting them here. He also has some excellent questions about communities.

1.  What communities have you run in the past?  How much control did you have?
2.  What was the purpose of those communities, and did you succeed in the original purpose?
3.  What help did you have? 
4.  Where do you hang out online now? 
5.  What would a search of your name and community turn up on different search engines and/or forum search engines?
6.  Is there a single software that monitors blogs, social networks, forums, and the general web (that answer is no)
7. What is the difference between those types of sites, and how do you monitor each?
8. What tools did you use for online monitoring, and what was their cost?
9.  What was your reporting structure like? How did you communicate with management what was happening, and how did you create relevant metrics?
10.  Flame wars:  How do you/should you stop them?
11. How do you deal with security risks (youth sites)
12.  How do you deal with crazy people? 
13.  Write some responses (forum/e-mail/blogposts) to deal with hostile commenters/users.
14.  Who matters online?  How do you know when something needs attention beyond your department?
15.  What hours does a community manager work?

What tips do you have for resumes & interviews? Does the community manager position require unique preparation for the interview?