Qualities Employers Value: Mastery of Digital and Interactive Media

This is the fifth article in the series discussing the future workplace and the skills and competencies you want to develop in college, and then demonstrate in your resume´ and in interviews.

You! Yes you and your peer group along with technology have transformed the way we communicate not just in our social lives but in the workplace. Technology and tools for photo and video production, digital animation, gaming, media editing, creating infographics from your laptop or mobile device are widespread and easy (for most) to use.  Millions of users on their own or as part of their job generate and view content that influences how we think and behave. How we communicate in our personal lives is how we will communicate in our business lives. New media is changing the workplace and you will lead way.

Employers value persuasive communication— listening, written and oral skills—that hasn’t changed. However, what has are the skills employers will seek as they build their future workforce.  

New Media

New media is a catchall term used to define all that is related to the internet and the interplay between technology, images and sound. The fact is new media is morphing daily and impossible to define let alone predict what will be new tomorrow. So let’s agree:  new media is digital and an interactive and active form of persuasive communication.  From creating virtual worlds, to Wiki to blogs and podcasts, to sharing video, photo, data and content to the cloud all are aspects of new media that are becoming part of the workplace.

In this new workplace, new media tools help you:

• Come together and collaborate with people and groups including those within your organization or community (users, customers, consumers and the like) more effectively.
• Bring greater transparency to work because you can share and collaborate in real time all over the world.
• Create new content, services, communities, and channels of communication that help you deliver information and services.

Persuasive Communication Skills

As the next generation of workers,regardless of your career (more industries are getting serious about new media), some of you will need to be proficient while others comfortable with your ability to critically assess and develop content that uses new media forms to communicate.  

Employers will value workers who can:

• Discern what is truth and reality; approaching content with more skepticism.
• Create and present information visually that fits the message/content. Know when to use active or passive media. For example this team of environmental scientists and engineers probably submitted a project grant  paper but they also created a video to communicate their prize winning idea to engage a broader group of people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NXIffQlWDtg
• Create beautiful and engaging content. Know how to use layouts, fonts, styles and editing tools even when presenting to an internal audience. PowerPoint slides or video? (Who hasn't died a thousand deaths by PowerPoint.) Infographic?  How your boss and/or team members absorb information should determine the media form your presentation takes.
• Stay on top of new media trends and how to use to reach your audience. For example, Facebook just acquired Threadsy (an analytics tool) that allows third-party developers to create actions beyond Comment, Like and Share. And what about Slideshare? Upgrades to Twitter that impact your business?  What is Google + up to?
• Keep an eye on what really matters – ROI.  While it will be an imperative to have new media skills, so will your ability to analyze what new media can do for the company’s bottom line. 

You know this stuff

You grew up with new media. New media grew up because of you.You know this stuff. If you don’t then take a communication class, a production class or other course that will help you develop some of these skills.

Now it’s time for you to demonstrate your mastery to potential employers. But before you do please clean up your digital persona.

• Remove anything you can that you don’t want an employer to see on your Facebook page,(untag from photos) and photo-sharing sites like Flickr or Tumblr. 
• Change privacy settings to private to help remove this content from the public eye.

You still need a traditional resume´. And you can:

• Create a LinkedIn Profile. (This is not a can. This is a must.)
• Create a website (e.g. WordPress is free) to highlight examples of your work. Include a link on your resume´.
• Promote your competencies. Do you have a blog? Let the potential employer know about it.
• Create a relevant Infographic to send along with your resume´.
• Use photos or a video to show you interacting in your field or presenting in a class and bring to your interview or career fair.
• Follow professional organizations and companies you are interested in and if there is an opportunity post thoughtful comments.