Category Archives: social

Four Goals for Chicago STC 2012 Summit

Flying Out

Hi everyone, I’m currently updating from nearly 40,000 ft and going nearly 570 mph. I have to say that technology is awesome! I was going to post this update last night, but everything caught up with me that I had to do it while in the air. This will be my fifth STC Summit Conference and certainly not my last. I continue to attend these conferences to seek new knowledge, meet awesome colleagues, and enjoy the conference cities.

This year I’m setting some goals I want to accomplish. I have a couple of hidden goals which I will share after this conference.

Below are my four goals for this conference:

Network more and more.

It never hurts to network more while at conferences. I think that is what is most valuable during the conference. From the first STC Summit I attended in Philadelphia in 2008 to the fourth one in Sacramento in 2011, I continue to meet new and awesome technical communicators along the way. I should include LavaCon 2011, which I networked very well. It also gave me a writing gig at TechWhirl.

Learn new trends in the field

What I love about attending conferences is that there is an unlimited treasure trove of knowledge in the field of technical communication. Whether it is a new way of doing business, a workshop, or a new technology, our field is always changing. From the beginning when I started technical communication as a freshman in college in 2004, I had no idea this field changes quickly. The academics are not fully catching up with the latest and greatest trends, but I hope that can change soon.

Take notes and use them

This time I’m going to take notes and post draft summaries. Some of my notes may make their way to TechWhirl in a form of an article. I think will enjoy learning as much as I did by writing about some of the sessions I attended. I really enjoyed taking notes and reporting about them. Perhaps this time I won’t be so afraid to post something I feel passionate about.

Enjoy the City

The issue I had the last few Summits I attended was that I focused too much on the sessions instead of the city. Perhaps because I was extremely interested in every topic that I wanted to get as much as I could out of the conference that I didn’t appreciate visiting the city. Also I played a major role in planning Summit trips when I was with my college. In fact, I am making it my personal effort to enjoy Chicago. This is why I’m heading out today, Friday, to enjoy some of the attractions and then enjoy the conference.

My Backpack

If you are interested in meeting me, follow me on Twitter @RogerRenteria and talk to me.

Also please visit my social networking profiles too

LinkedIn
Google+
Facebook

In any regard, find me around the conference, I carry a burnt orange Jansport backpack much like this one. I’m cheerful, knowledgeable, and you should find that I’m quite the social professional.

Is Generation Y Not Taking Social Media Seriously?

Facebook – the playful network

Facebook is the social playground

Historically, Facebook was an exclusive club designed only for college students. It was when the company began opening its network up to allow major corporations and geographic regions to join, the problems started becoming mainstream. I will admit, college students freely expressed themselves on the site and it was more of a status symbol by networking with the most friends, posting on various groups, and having photos of yourself after those so-called social gatherings. Problems on Facebook constantly plagued students and college administrators. When Facebook opened up to the public, it was a huge social experiment and train wreck at the same time. Suddenly the popularity of Facebook made it possible for everyone to connect with each other and may inadvertently caused some generational clashes–mostly between mom/dad vs. son/daughter. Parents would often want to check up on their kids and sometimes it got ugly.

Notably, the issues began when people discovered inappropriate photos and inappropriate postings on Facebook and it happened to be reported on the news. It still happens todoay, but not as much as it used to. We have learned how to manage our social media much better than the heyday.

Linking professionals with LinkedIn

Now I want to switch gears and talk about LinkedIn. It is a social networking site intended to showcase one’s own career goals, resume, and accomplishments. This place is excellent for showcasing the world our professional lives. In the past year, I have received more LinkedIn connection requests from my colleagues in college than I have before. Since joining the site in 2008, I added over a dozen of my college friends who are seeking professional employment because they care about their professional life and wish to be associated with other successful peers on this social networking site. There are many benefits by using LinkedIn, such as

requesting letters of recommendations
associating with professional groups
listing accomplishments and goals
showcasing major projects
participating in professional discussions
seeking new employment opportunities

LinkedIn is essentially a social network built around a professional resume.

Social Media Study

Cited in the article is the Gen Y and Facebook Study, conducted by Millennial Branding, which reveals some interesting characteristics that should be highlighted as important aspects of the newest generation joining the professional world. It shows that Generation Y is looking to enter into the professional workforce and have been eager to jump onboard than before. The demographics in the study, 18-29, show that there are many college graduates lumped in seeking professional work, which is great news.

In the study, not mentioned in the news article, the Gen Y population demonstrates the entrepreneurial spirit. That finding suggests that this particular generation seeks ways to build services and products on their own rather than work for a company. The study also mentions that nearly 2/3 of the surveyed group avoid disclosing their employer on Facebook. This evidence supports the notion that Facebook is a social network intended for personal use among friends and family. However, the study reviewed data from Facebook. If the study showcased LinkedIn, it may paint a rather different picture of the state of professional social media for the Generation Y population.

Is Gen Y Taking Social Media Seriously?

Yes. And no. For those seeking professional careers, they are putting themselves out there through the use of blogs, social media, and websites. They are promoting themselves using every avenue possible. For example, I am on all the social networks, I write this blog, I also have a couple other websites out there. I am constantly networking with professionals on these networks and promoting myself. So far, it has produced successful results.

On the flip side, there are people who are not on professional networks and are missing out on employment opportunities. There is great potential to professionalize Generation Y through the use of Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+. We simply need to find the right formula to demonstrate our seriousness in the workforce and show that we can play well in the big leagues too.