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I fell into working in social media completely by accident. Since I was the youngest hire for a general admin role in an office in a university, social media was tagged onto my general responsibilities. The job was supposed to be for a year until I could get into the Foreign Service or Peace Corps, but a cancer diagnosis changed all of that and changed my career focus from international development work to digital marketing. In the past 3 years, I have transformed my role to focus more on all of our digital presence (social media, website, email blast, etc) and recently was promoted to a digital content coordinator role created for me.
Thus far, I've been focusing on building my tech chops. I've taken coursework in XML, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, learned how to do higher level functions in Excel and Photoshop, and have been given the lion's share of maintaining our website and online registration system.
That said, I'm not sure what staying power I will have in digital/new media. The field is rapidly changing and the community management aspect is perhaps the least lucrative aspect of the field. In the next 5 years, I predict that most of what my current role is will be rolled into other positions versus having a dedicated social media person. I don't know that I want to stay in higher ed forever - the benefits are great but the pay is low and politics can be insane. I would like to transition into the corporate world - ideally in digital marketing - and am open to relocating worldwide (currently live in Boston - would love to relocate to a cheaper COL area in the US or anywhere abroad).
The excellent benefits of higher ed do help me for now. My university recently started an MS in strategic analytics program that would be free to me and is online, but with the backing of a big-name school. It's a "big data" program with an emphasis on business and systems in addition to statistics. Big data seems to be a rapidly growing field with a skills gap - but is that just a fad?
Other options I have within my current employment are to take more coursework in computer science (we have a post-bacc) or an MS in project management. I'm 25 years old and not happy where my career or salary are (though realistically I know that having cancer at a young age pushed my career/finances back). Any program will take about 3 years part-time (can take 3 classes for free a year), and I will not be able to do an internship due to my full-time work.
Moral of the story - I'm willing to dedicate 3 years of my life in an underpaying job if the academic program I'm enrolled in will propel my career into something that pays the bills. But I don't want to commit to my current job if my masters seems overly trendy or not valuable in the market.
TL;DR
In three years, if I walk out with an MS in strategic analytics with only the experience of managing the digital content of a 30,000 strong alumni base, how difficult would it be to transition into the corporate world? Would a post-bacc in computer science make it any easier? How can I add value to a social media program in a way that is unique, needed, and lucrative?
Turning social media into a career is similar to turning the old dot.coms into one. There will only be a few standing namely Facebook, Google (for YouTube and their picture service) and maybe Twitter and a few others but I imagine a lot of it will turn into the Pets.coms of the world. I am young and saying this.
If you get with a company or become a social medial consultant either with an outsourced firm (like Gannett Local) or in the actual company, you should have a career. Otherwise I would just do it as an interest. Not everyone makes money through social media and thankfully the dot.com love that we saw in the late 90's on the stock market is not back except for a few (namely the ones that I mentioned.)
I know a girl that got her bachelors degree in business management, with an emphasis in marketing, then went to work as a social media marketing expert for a national mortgage lender. She now travels the country training loan officers and Realtors how to use social media to improve their business, or if they are already using the social media, she teaches them new techniques to improve their use of social media.
I tell you this to tell you where I think your job is going, as more companies get their marketing people trained properly on using social media, there will be less jobs for specialists however I see many companies hiring trainers to help train their marketing/sales people on updated techniques and new platforms as they come available. I think the job will still pay very well, and if someone was to get into the forefront and build a reputation over the next few years I think it can be a long term career, especially with so many people using internet and social media to find the people they do business with.
Turning social media into a career is similar to turning the old dot.coms into one. There will only be a few standing namely Facebook, Google and maybe Twitter and a few others but I imagine a lot of it will turn into the Pets.coms of the world.
Or other big sites will be replaced. Many want Social media people. Its a quick way to get out there. Just look on this site. Go and google your handle(name). There is tons of advertising right with your name.
Traditional marketing is a saturated field and has been. The good part is since you have some solid experience, that will help you as you apply to other jobs related to marketing. I think if you try to stay as technical as you possibly can with the Internet, that will help you transition into other future roles. Maybe working with big data, project management or business analyst position might be of a interest to you.
You are right, you see a trend, social media is the one of the hottest trends with the Internet right now, but who is to say what it will be in 5 years?
If you want to work in corporate America somewhere related in IT / internet, a master's degree really work more for someone who has ambitions to work in management. It is my opinion, most master's degrees seem to matter more in government hiring than they do for most any private sector jobs, (excluding management). The good part about where you are now, you can probably get a pension after working for the state after 20 years, assuming that is your case. In the private sector, pensions are virtually non-existent. It is also ideal you are taking advantage of the class offerings your current employer has.
Your post is very informative and interesting. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
Or other big sites will be replaced. Many want Social media people. Its a quick way to get out there. Just look on this site. Go and google your handle(name). There is tons of advertising right with your name.
I am not denying how big social media is nor the advertising that comes with it. I am just saying that as a career unless you end up as a blogger for a company or the social media ambassador or consultant, it will likely end up no where. Of course results may vary.
I am finishing up a Social Media Manager certification program through a local college. The reason I've taken this coursework (about 18 individual 4-6 hour classes on different topics followed by a 40 hr. internship) is because I have a degree in Journalism and Communication and want to steer my career back to only communication work. I see more and more communication positions asking for Social Media experience, so I figured it would update my skills.
One of my teachers said the certification makes sense for me since I already have the writing and project management skills necessary to be a social media manager. (I already have the HTML/blogging/Photoshop skills). Anyway, I see more and more job openings asking for this. In most cases, the jobs aren't 100% social media, but a combination of social media and traditional communication tasks.
I'm doing contract work right now as a project manager, but hopefully this will help me get the FTE position in communication that I'm looking for.
I had multiple interviews last year for a great position as a communication manager with a hospital and didn't get it. I suspect only because I didn't have the social media experience. But really, it's not rocket science. The writing/editiing/project management skills are what's most important in these positions. Social Media is just another avenue for the communication.
I would suggest taking courses on marketing fundamentals, or rather marketing basics for an ad agency environment. From what it looks like "Digital Marketing" may not be around forever. I myself have some background on Social Media as well but my degree is in Marketing. I would say marketing skill is the one toolset you'll need to remain competitive. Social Media may or may not be a trend that will just pass by in a couple of years (could end up like radio), but as along as you have a fundamental knowledge of marketing you will remain competitive to employers.
Digital marketing will simply become marketing as everything moves online.
Social media is nice don't get me wrong. I'm on facebook, linkedin and a tad of twitter. But it is not for everyone. Since there's so many sites and so many rules it's just hard to really find the basics. Facebook is now an advertising company and frankly I don't think it will have that much of a lasting impact.
Marketing in at itself is a good skill so I would recommend more in SEO.
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