Note: This is the second in our 3-part series on findings from the BrandingPays Pulse Survey on current attitudes on mobility and social networking among professionals.
Our BrandingPays Pulse Survey shows that professionals want to change jobs in 2012 (see my blog on January 24, 2012).
But how are they going to make it happen?
In this age of social media, you may be surprised.
Offline Methods Still Strong
Offline networking trumps online networking when it comes to getting “ready/increasing your likelihood of reaching your goals.” See the chart above for the full responses to our multiple-choice question (with multiple responses allowed), 73% of survey participants said they would use “informal socializing/networking offline” versus 59% who said “online networking.” Additionally, nearly 62% said they would attend “networking-related events.”
A surprisingly high number said they would be seeking coaching or training. Some 38% said they would do “training” and more than 25% said they would get “coaching.” This is good news for personal branding and career coaches, and for trainers in professional development. It is also good news for career mobility seekers as there are ways to increase the likelihood of reaching your goals.
We’re Predominantly Online Lookers
When asked to choose one answer to describe themselves in terms of online networking and participation, the breakdown was:
54% said they “mainly read stuff online and sometimes post.” For the most part, these professionals are not actively participating in online conversations.
23% admitted that they “seldom go online for networking/career enhancement.”
Nearly 19% said they are active and that they “read, post and comment on what others have written in discussions online.”
Only 4% can be described as very active as they “tend to start groups/discussions online.” See the complete visual display in the chart above.
We can conclude that among this sample of professionals, we are predominantly online lookers.
Be Bold, ‘Speak’ Up
If 2012 is the year that many of us would like to change jobs or careers, we need to shake our passive tendencies and be more active in participating online. By sharing your thoughts and expertise in online discussions, you can better position yourself as someone who has value to add.
Participating more online will also up your chances of being found in online searches. You don’t have to write your own blog, but if you frequently comment on other’s blogs or discussion groups, you will become known among some social media influencers and, hopefully, your future employer.
In our third and final post on the findings in the BrandingPays Pulse Survey next week, we’ll take a look at our preferred social media platforms for branding ourselves and the implications.
Acknowledgements: I’d like to thank my friend Pam Kline Smith, a Silicon Valley marketing strategist, for co-authoring and analyzing the BrandingPays Pulse Survey. I’d also like to thank the folks at iCharts (www.icharts.net) for helping us create and embed our great web-friendly charts.
Share our Charts: To put any of our interactive charts on your own blog or site, just click “Embed” on the chart to get the embed code. Or choose the social sharing buttons.
