Ali Schmitz
\nIn Motion Staff Writer<\/p>\n
Can 140 characters can make or break a career?<\/p>\n
With Daytona State\u2019s launch of a new Associate\u2019s Degree in Interactive Media, even more students are looking to work in online careers. With social media being more and more prevalent in society, how can a tweet change a career path forever?<\/p>\n
Matthew Keys can share. At 26 with only an associate\u2019s degree, Keys was becoming one of the most celebrated online journalists in the country. His fame was controversial. After being fired by a local station in Sacramento, Reuters hired him as an online editor. All went well until March, when he was indicted by the FBI for sharing the passwords for the L.A. Times website with a hacking group. He was suspended with pay, but it appeared that there was little evidence for the case.<\/p>\n
Things appeared to be good for Keys. That was until he began tweeting during his suspension, sharing stories about the Boston Marathon. According to his suspension, he was not allowed to report on any news stories. For that he was fired. Keys was unhappy about this and believed that he didn\u2019t deserve that treatment. He posted his termination letter from Reuters online, and began feuding with his former boss publicly online. He hasn\u2019t been hired by a news organization yet and likely never will.<\/p>\n
Keys may have made a mistake, but not all young social media professionals do the same. With more and more young grads heading towards online-focused jobs, whom should they follow?<\/p>\n
A great example is 25-year-old Callie Schweitzer, Director of Digital Innovation at TIME Magazine. Her Twitter account shares not only links to stories written by her and colleagues, but also talks about her love for Diet Coke and \u201cBreaking Bad.\u201d She personally connects with her audience by re-tweeting them and replying to them. Her friendly online demeanor and ability to make news relatable to a younger generation has made her successful. She has over 50 thousand twitter followers who read her headlines and links daily.<\/p>\n
How can students become successful like her? She always suggests consulting the professionals. Internships at places like People Magazine also helped her get to where she is today. Taking time to focus on networking is important. Tweet people whose work you find admirable and ask for advice. Just do so professionally. One needy message to a potential employer can cause a name to be smeared throughout a field.<\/p>\n
The world of social media isn\u2019t only online though. Even in this age of talking through pictures on Snapchat when people are thousands of miles apart, face to face communication is always admirable. The world may be heading online, but in the end a person\u2019s Facebook profile doesn\u2019t define them\u2026 They define themselves through their actions and words. So go!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ali Schmitz In Motion Staff Writer Can 140 characters can make or break a career? With Daytona State\u2019s launch of a new Associate\u2019s Degree in Interactive Media, even more students are looking to work in online careers. With social media being more and more prevalent in society, how can a Continue reading Online, \u2018personality\u2019 may not be plus<\/span>