Economy: 0 Social Media: 1

This time of year students around the nation are turning their tassels to the left and entering the workforce – hypothetically speaking. In today’s economy the majority of graduates emerge unemployed or underemployed, disheartened by the number of layoffs that are occurring in the so-called real world. The intriguing part about the current job market is the growing number of jobs available in social media. If you type “jobs in social media” into a search engine such as careerbuilder.com approximately 4,000 results appear for jobs. Admittedly, these search engines are not always accurate, but the sheer number of results that claim to be associated with social media is staggering.

Merely a decade ago I would wager that there were not half as many results for jobs in social media, but the modern world has evolved so quickly that the workforce must adjust. The number of social media sites available means that someone has to be behind the proverbial curtain calling the shots. That person could be you. The top job title in one search is “Social Media/Networking Analyst,” a title that may not have existed five years ago. Of course there have been analysts throughout the years but a social media analyst is a vastly different breed. For centuries people have learned about companies and services by word of mouth, today that word of mouth appears in the form of social media. Any company looking to significantly expand its presence must be connected through some form of social media. That may seem like an extreme statement but today’s world operates based on who posted what link and how often something pops up as a hash tag. Who keeps track of the success rate of these social plugs? I’m guessing a Social Media/Networking Analyst.

Although I am not entirely sure what a social media analyst does, my guess is that he monitors how profitable a company’s efforts are in the realm of social media. There is an art to gaining a word of mouth reputation and modern companies have realized that. Having someone keep track of how often people should post on Facebook or Twitter to promote a new product can skyrocket that product’s sales percentage. For example, if Nike comes out with a new sneaker someone should make a Facebook page, create a Facebook advertisement, post numerous blurbs on Twitter and create a Foursquare check-in for everyone who buys the new product. Each one of those small events can trigger a chain reaction that will drive a new consumer to buy a new pair of Nike shoes.

When you think of all the people it takes to create a traditional advertising campaign you now have to factor in the social gurus to incorporate that into social media. The easiest way to reach people is now through the Internet and the sites consumers visit most often, and targeting those areas is something that a Social Media/Networking Analyst should be familiar with. Although the job market is stumbling right now there are so many new jobs available that did not exist five or ten years ago. Social media is a hot commodity right now – even Zuckerberg has people working for him.