Social Media Careers Offer Potential Beyond Dull Facebook Updates

How to turn your passion for social media technologies like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn into a good-paying job without getting mired in terrible tweets or obnoxious games

When the phrase “social media” comes up in conversation, nausea-inducing images pop into my head—like annoying status updates detailing what someone eats for dinner every night, or a barrage of requests to join FarmVille, FrontierVille or one of the (seemingly) billions of other vile “-ville” games. But, as irritating as they can sometimes be, there is more to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media hotspots than meets the eye. As part of a global phenomenon, these sites are creating fresh opportunities, helping to solve problems, and even providing new social media careers.

A recent experience—involving my beloved-but-missing dog, a Facebook status, and many caring and generous people—changed my perspective on social media and opened my eyes to its vast possibilities.

It was a disgustingly hot and humid summer day in Ottawa—104 degrees. My dog, Rodge, was enjoying a sleepover with his grandparents at his “country home” for the Canada Day weekend while I dripped with sweat, fought off heat stroke at a horse show, and braved the absolute insanity that occurs downtown in Canada’s capital city at that time of year. Rodge, a 19-year-old mutt (and my partner in crime for 17 years), would not have been suited for such activities.

However, lounging on a shady deck was apparently a little too tame for Rodge. He altered his weekend plans and vanished from under my mom’s nose. This, in turn, resulted in many panicked phone calls and an all-out search party that included foot and vehicle troops who braved the heat to look high and low until dark.

Miserable, clammy, and reaching ever-increasing levels of panic—not helped by intruding thoughts of Rodge dehydrated and dying in some random field—I finally gave up for the night. After calling the pound, animal control and a local shelter to no avail, it struck me that my phone is more than just a phone—it’s a BlackBerry, complete with mobile Internet. How did I not think of this sooner? I figured it was probably a long shot, but I got my thumbs moving anyway. I had my Facebook status updated in no time, with a plea for anyone who spotted my rogue dog to contact me immediately.

Then, I took a much-needed shower. (I should also mention that, to the dismay of impatient siblings, boyfriends, roommates, and anyone else who has ever had the misfortune of sharing a bathroom with me, my showers don’t break any world records for speed.) I think I was in there for a half hour, maximum, but in those 30 minutes, I had received five text messages, three phone calls, three voicemails, and countless Facebook status comments—revealing how the magic happened.

A change in perspective

We had spent all day searching, far and wide. It turned out, though, that Rodge had simply crossed the street, was taken in by an incredibly kind-hearted family, and happily relaxed in a cold basement doing his three favorite things—eating, drinking, and playing with kids. Knowing someone must be looking for him, the thoughtful family posted an ad about a found dog on Kijiji. Amazingly, one of my Facebook friends had come across this ad and noticed that the description matched the one in my Facebook status. “Could it be the same dog?” she wondered. Other friends soon came on board, checking out the ad and confirming that it must be the one and only Rodge.

By 10 p.m. that night, Rodge was back at home. I was more relieved than I had ever been in my life! His safe return wouldn’t have happened so quickly, or—God forbid—have happened at all, without the miracle of Facebook and the generous souls that lit up the Internet and phone lines to help reunite a girl with her dog.

This is just one success story, made possible by two giants of social networking. I am sure there are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of similar stories that recount how this medium has helped to solve problems in ways that weren’t even imaginable just a few short years ago. And the social media sensation doesn’t stop there. Businesses and organizations from every conceivable industry have begun to realize that social media can be used to connect to their customers, improve their branding initiatives, and more. This makes a career in social media an exciting and viable option.