Advice to students about getting a great first marketing job

After my speech at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of university students spending the summer as interns at Microsoft.

I provided some advice to the students about getting a great first marketing job. We discussed the difference between "digital natives" and "digital immigrants" and what that means for students looking for work (who are all natives). We talked a bit about the importance of personal branding. And I also provide a specific response to interviewers who say that Facebook is not allowed in the workplace.

Part of the discussion was filmed and I offer it here.

(Note that the video hosting service chosen by Microsoft Student starts with a short advertisement.)

Direct link to the video here.

Comments

[TrafficColeman]

Social world is the best world to make a stand and meet new people..your job holds you back from doing things like that.

"Black Seo Guy "Signing Off"

[Bret Simmons]

David, I'm teaching university students in social media right now, and I have to disagree with you slightly that young people are digital natives. Yes, many (not all) of them are on Facebook, but most have no clue about Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogs. I've been teaching this course for two years and it's been a consistent experience. But...GREAT advice you gave about blogging. Strongly concur. Bret

[Sam Balsama]

David, thanks for sharing this video.

I've had similar conversations with recent grads about the importance of social media. I must respectfully disagree with Bret's comment that most young people have no clue about LI, and blogs. I think they are fully immersed in the social web. They follow blogs like I followed MTV. The problem is that they don't have anyone teaching them the right and wrong of the social web. They don't realize that what they do online will stick with them for the rest of their lives. They don't understand how easy it is for an HR department to infiltrate their Facebook. They don't realize that a blog with their writing can help them land that first job. They don't understand the concept of personal brand.

The problem with the next generation is not that they don't know what the tools are, it's that they don't have a respect for the power of these tools, nor a basic understanding on how to leverage them for their own benefit. Schools need to teach online etiquette at an early age. The high schools and universities can teach the art of personal branding and how to use the social web to launch a career.

@sambalsama
Social Marketing Manager
Meltwater Buzz

[David Meerman Scott]

Bret -- But they *are* digital natives. They've been using digital communications tools through their entire lives. They've spent their teenage years online.

Sure, they may not know each social network (nobody on the planet knows all of them because there are tens of thousands of social networks). But they have grown up with the concepts of digital communications which makes them natives.

Sam -- You're right. Young people don't have someone telling them about what social media means in a professional environment. Most don't give a second's thought to the fact that anything they post will be online forever.

[Tony Faustino]

David, your advice about starting a blog and publishing content presents a differentiating opportunity for both college and MBA graduates. Why? The Poets & Quants website published this article in 2011: What Business Really Thinks of the MBA (by John Byrne).

A key insight: MBAs are weak in written and oral communications (particularly the art of storytelling).

A college or MBA student who consistently publishes/maintains a blog gains valuable writing experience. And, she creates opportunities to master storytelling (not only written but oral via video posts).

Writing and storytelling differentiates personal brands.

This insight applies to both college graduates and MBAs. The executives interviewed in the Poets & Quants article say these are important, necessary skills.

[David Meerman Scott]

Tony -- you are absolutely correct. I run into MBAs all the time -- they're all good at spreadsheets. Very few can tell stories.

[Larissa Fernandes]

Hi, David. Thank you for posting this video. I live in Brazil and I'm trying to break some barriers that exist with companies here, specially in my city (Natal). They haven't accepted the internet as a valid platform for communication that would justify investment. The ones who actually see the potential tend to pay 'digital agencies' to tweet for them, which is, well, less than ideal (way less!).

I've started recently my own digital marketing company and when people ask me what my company does, I tell them that we help our clients "create content that matters". I think that content is the future. And using the right tools, the right social medias, finding your true audience and what they want from you is the way to go.

Thank you so much for all your posts, videos and books. I'm a true admirer.

[TranslateMedia]

Hey David, thanks for sharing the great video. I can certainly relate to the good advice that it gives, as it's really tough as a graduate to find the right job without advertising your skills online.
I work in the marketing department for a translation company where we put together a similar guide for translators. We also wanted to give students guidance about finding the right job. http://www.translatemedia.com/students-career-advice.html

[David Meerman Scott]

Good work Larissa - it sounds like you are on the forefront of these ideas in your region!

[TED PAGE]

Thanks for the post, David. Is it ok to use this opportunity to mention, in the largest letters I can get away with, that CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY IS HIRING! We use our blog, twitter and Facebook to let folks know this, but it's still really hard to find great job candidates. One technique I may try is pulled from the old book of traditional advertising: endless repetition. So, have I mentioned that CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY IS HIRING?

[Magento maatwerk]

THE VIDEO IS GREAT!Its really inspiring!Its because of stuff like this that I love this site.You guys rock.

[Harmony Wheeler]

I graduated in May and am still looking for work. Because of financial and living situations, I can't network in person. I'm sending a lot of applications out and getting no bites. Any advice for where I should be looking for work? Or next steps to take?

[David Meerman Scott]

Harmony, I've visited your site and blog and I think you are doing a great job showcasing your talents. You need to find a prospective employer who is looking for help with online PR and marketing and set yourself apart from those who do not have an online presence like you do. After I graduated from University, it took me many months to find a first job. Keep up the good work.

David

[Jackson]

I am often asked by college students how they can compete in a sea of “I did an internship, I got good grades, my parents are pressuring me to find a job” applicants out there.

[Aplushosting Coupon]

I agree with what the speaker said about the advantage that the younger generation have over the prior generations, as they were exposed to technology literally all their life, hence the use of technology is second nature to them. I really liked the phrase 'digital natives', and I think it is a phrase suited to describe the new generations which have all been brought up with widespread use of technology. I believe that this is why youths are having so much success in developing websites and in marketing careers nowadays. Looking at the founders of Facebook and several other popular websites, one can see how young these billionaires are, and that they made their money through being able to make optimal use of technology. Great interview!