Last year when I started working as a social media manager, I received the opportunity to sign on not one but two interns. And while I've already chronicled what it's like to manage your first set of interns, I haven't discussed what kind of decision process went into play when it came to hiring them.
These internships brought a lot to the table. They were paid positions. 20 hours a week, with the opportunity to have a flexible schedule. And most importantly, there would be a lot of hands on work. Lots of writing, researching, brainstorming, blogging, and Facebooking.
I would also have a say in who was hired which placed a lot of responsibility on me to find some pretty stellar associates to fill up the newly-formed social media department. Upon receiving this news, I started making a list of what kinds of characteristics I was going to look for in potential social media interviewees. And it's a list that still holds true a year later.
1) You Need to be Able to Write. Period.
I like to quote the founder of HARO, Peter Shankman, on this one as he said it best with the phrase, "Bad writing will kill your business faster than cancer."
My biggest pre-requisite to having an applicant apply to work within the social media department I run is that said applicant must have samples of their own writing to show me. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I don't particularly care what the platform is- a story for the school newspaper, an anecdote on a personal blog, or a published piece on a major website. I just need something that you have written on your own to read for myself. By reading that article, I'll be able to get a feel of your voice. Blogging is a critical aspect of social media and one that often teeters on a slippery slope of not being able to establish a strong tone within its written posts. I can work with grammar issues, but not showing any passion in your own personal work? That's a dealbreaker.
2) Familiarity with Some Social Media Outlets
When both of my interns were hired, they came on board with Facebook, Twitter, and blogging accounts. Neither had a LinkedIn at the time. Or a Tumblr or Google+ account. This was okay because they had a couple of web presences already established and I would encourage them to sign up for the accounts they didn't have.
My whole emphasis has always been that you don't have to know every single thing about every social media outlet so long as you just stay active with the ones you have. Social media is still a relatively new platform with rules that are being rewritten all the time. As long as you keep the outlets you do have familiarity with updated on a regular basis, that's a good starting point to begin with.
3) Come Equipped with a Sense of Humor
I had a silly thought early on that we could interview potential intern candidates a la The Bachelor (or in my case, The Bachelorette) with a spoof on the rose ceremony to pick the winning applicants. While I knew I wouldn't actually do this with anybody interviewing, the mental image of me passing out the roses made me laugh more it should have.
Working in social media isn't a job for the stiff. You have to be able to play around with what you do and brainstorm all kinds of ideas. Get loosey-goosey with it and laugh it off if something doesn't work- you can always try again with a new approach!
4) Remember: Social Media is Fluid
None of the days that my team and I share are ever the same. We'll talk about KONY, investigate Pinterest's copyright laws, and watch a Funny or Die video all within the span of 30 minutes or less. News is constantly streaming in from the Twitter feed, emails are being sent out from iPhones, and links from Mashable and The Washington Post are passed out like candy.
Every day is a chance to learn more and more about the social media realm which nobody, not even the most seasoned "social media expert" in the world will ever truly know all about. It's never a game of one-upmanship either. Social media is fluid. What you do know, you pass on and teach your team. What they learn more on, they teach you in return.
5) Excitement!
After all, a job that allows you to play around with Facebook statuses all day wasn't even feasible 10 years ago- enjoy it!
Heather Taylor is a social media enthusiast, freelance writer, and blogger who writes and muses on social networks, business, and fashion and the occasional combination of all three. She has had her written work published with Yahoo! Shine, BettyConfidential, HelloGiggles, The Huffington Post, and more. Contact her on Twitter @howveryheather or directly email [email protected].