I posted on LinkedIn recently about how I'm using proactive learning to my advantage in my current job search and wanted to expand on the idea here on the blog.
If you're not following me on LinkedIn (and why would you not be?!), you might not know that I was laid off in May, so I've been looking for my next full-time role since then. As with every job hunt, some days are better and more productive than others, and prioritizing your mental health is super important. That's what got me thinking about the proactive learning I've been doing lately and some of the ways it's helping me -- both tactically in my job search and when it comes to my mental health.
Working in community management and social media, things are evolving constantly. The strategies that worked a year ago don't necessarily work now. Being out of work for multiple months and then suddenly returning to the world of full-time social is a recipe for whiplash, especially if you haven't been keeping up on the latest news.
Lucky for me, I love learning more about community and social media, especially in those moments where I happen upon something new that changes the way I think about them.
To facilitate those moments more easily, I've done a few different things to ensure I've got new info as often as possible.
Email Newsletters - This one might seem obvious, and it is, but I've never really been one to give out my email if I don't have to. However, I realized that for the small price of my personal data, I could get insights from people who could teach me a thing or two and make me better at my job. I started keeping an eye out for email newsletters that piqued my interest and have found a few favorites including Lucas O'Keefe's Small Biz Budz (which focuses on Instagram news and insights), Tommy Clark's Social Files (which focuses on founder-led LinkedIn content), and Jack Appleby's Future Social (which focuses on general social news and strategy) to name a few. Newsletters are a great way to get valuable info into your inbox automatically.
Industry Reports - There are lots of great industry reports that offer tons of valuable insights. Recently, I've been studying Social Media Examiner's 2024 Social Media Marketing Industry Report and CMX's 2024 Community Industry Trends Report. Both of these are beefy docs that contain all kinds of actionable data.
Networking - Seeking out opportunities to network with others, especially people who are doing what you want to be doing, is probably one of the best things you can do. For me, I've made it a point to talk with connections who are experienced in the things I'm looking to get better at. Not only am I getting valuable advice, but I'm also strengthening my relationships, which is what networking is all about.
Books - To be honest, I'm not as much of a reader as I'd like to be, but I'm working on that. I recently found a great list of books related to community management on CMGR Live that I'll be digging into. Do a quick search for book lists that cater to your interests or the role you're seeking and see what's out there.
I've discovered that focusing on these things has offered two concrete benefits for me:
1. It keeps my mindset in a positive place and makes it a lot easier for me to show myself some grace on the days when there's not much happening with my search or I'm not feeling as productive for whatever reason. Showing myself that grace in-turn creates a permission structure that allows me to remind myself that I don't have to be "on ten" every day, which in turn helps me keep my mental health in a good place.
2. It gives me something to bring up (in an organic way of course) in interviews that shows the person I'm interviewing with that I'm passionate about my craft enough to ensure I'm staying up-to-date on the latest happenings. The world of social is constantly changing, so it reassures them that I'm plugged in and would be ready to hit the ground running on day one.
So with all that said, I'm curious, what are some of your go-to strategies for proactive learning? Tell me here in the comments or over on LinkedIn or X (it's still hard not to call it Twitter) so I can "borrow" them. :)
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