My tweep (Twitter pal) Will Deyamport just started a new job – and he owes it all to social media! Here’s his story of how he parlayed his love of social media into a paying gig and new career.
Over the past year and a half, I have been actively involved on several social media platforms. Via social media, I have had the opportunity to receive the kind of interactive education people dream of in both K-12 and in higher education. At every click, I found experts from every field you could imagine. For example, if I have a tech question, I knowMary Beth will have the answer. If it’s about social media, my go-to person is Shelly Terrell. And, if it’s about career and life developments, Diana, Jenny, and Becky are rising stars.
What started out as a hobby quickly became a daily fix for me. What I did went beyond simply networking. I’ve meet people who inspired me, challenged me, empowered me, and wouldn’t let me say no to my own dreams. Social media literally changed my life.
On Twitter, I met two of the most important people who would set my life in a new direction. Workplace consultant, J.T. O’Donnell offered me the opportunity to intern with the offshoot of her company – CAREEREALISMcampus.com. As the Campus Outreach Coordinator, I was charged with reaching out to college and university career centers/counselors to tell them about the great work being done inside the network as well as to get them signed up for a webinar, led by J.T. herself, about the campus. That experience not only earned me a contact with someone with real juice, it was then I knew that I had a future in the online world.
2 months into my internship, I got a call from Ingrid Stabb, co-author of The Career Within You. She told me that she was starting a business on the side and wanted me to be a part of it. As she explained her vision for me and what I’d be doing, my excitement for the position and my responsibilities grew and grew. And, on January 15, 2011, I officially became the Chief Social Strategist for StrengthsFactors – a career development resource company, specializing in the nine Enneagram types.
I love that Will pursued his passion for social media along with his interest in education and careers. He did what he loved and responded to opportunities that came about because he showed up and became known. It’s a wonderful story of how serendipity can work when one sets an intention, does what you love, and stays open to possibility.
