Career

11 Reasons a 23-Year-Old Should Run Your Social Media Campaigns

by Diana Urban on August 17, 2012

Pardon the generalization: I don’t mean to attack people who look down on 23-year-olds specifically. No wait… maybe I do. This article is a rebuttle to 11 Reasons a 23-Year-Old Shouldn’t Run Your Social Media posted in the Time Business section last week. The author claims that 23-year-olds are too immature, aren’t technically savvy, and have friends that may post inappropriate content to your company’s social media account. Since some of it (especially that last bit) is a stretch, it leads me to believe that the author made an unfortunate hire at some point, leading her to publish an article on a very large publication that misrepresents an entire generation. I work with several 23-year-olds who manage HubSpot’s social media accounts. And just a few years ago, I myself was a 23 year old managing Harley-Davidson’s social media campaigns; now I’m the Head of International Marketing at HubSpot. So I wanted to help clear things up.

10 Ways to Hurt your Job or Internship Search via Social Media

by Diana Urban on April 20, 2012

Social media is a great networking resource when you’re looking for a new job, your first job out of college, or an internship. I got my current job at HubSpot nearly two years ago because of connections I’d made on Twitter, so I can say with certainty that it works.

Since I’ve recently hired an intern to work with me this summer, I’ve sifted through lots of resumes and internet stalked my candidates, like every (smart) hiring manager in this day and age will do. So I’ve seen a lot of mistakes that kept people from interning at Boston’s #1 place to work for two years running. I wanted to share these with you, so you can avoid these snafus. Keep in mind that every hiring manager is looking for different things; these are just the things that I personally would take into consideration.

Here are 10 ways to hurt your job search or internship (so don’t do these things!):

7 Ways to Find a Job Using Social Media

by Diana Urban on September 29, 2010

Think tweeting is just good for talking about Glee or sitting on your couch? Think again. Job applicants are starting to turn to social media to find a new gig, get a foot in the door at their dream company. Even employers are looking for their next all-stars on social media channels. And I’m not making this up… if not for Twitter, I may not have landed a job at HubSpot, named the #1 best place to work in Boston.

So here are just some of the ways you can find a job using social media:

How to Network Beyond the 2nd Degree on LinkedIn

by Diana Urban on November 21, 2008

LinkedIn is a great place to keep track of all the people you’ve worked with, and maintain connections you’ve already made. But it can also be seen as a huge conference where everyone’s invited, it’s free to attend, and it never ends. And it’s not as intimidating.

LinkedIn has some features that let you connect with professionals that are usually hard to reach. Here are three ways to effectively network on LinkedIn:

How to Build Your LinkedIn Network in 5 Easy Steps

by Diana Urban on November 17, 2008

Now that you know how to write a strong LinkedIn profile, it’s time to start building your network with people you know. This should come before networking with strangers so that you build your credibility and 1st degree rapport before branching out.

It’s also important to have contacts when using your LinkedIn profile to find a new job. According to How To Change The World, you’re 34 times more likely to get approached with a job opportunity if you have more than 20 connections, as opposed to just 5 connections. That’s huge! And according to an HR rep at the company I work for, he uses LinkedIn for 90% of his engineering head-hunting.

Before Networking on LinkedIn, Makeover Your Profile

by Diana Urban on November 14, 2008

If you haven’t yet been to LinkedIn, it’s like the professional version of Facebook. Instead of listing your favorite movies and music, you list your past jobs and skills. Instead of a wall, past employers and coworkers can write public recommendations for you.

Your LinkedIn profile should be more than just a duplicate of your print resume/CV. You have the room to elaborate, and it’s a great opportunity to network with individuals who were nearly impossible to reach before. I’ll talk about utilizing the networking opportunities of LinkedIn in a separate article.

10 Tips for Writing Entry-Level Resumes

by Diana Urban on November 14, 2008

So you’re ready to start a new career, and suddenly realize that your professors didn’t teach you something really important: how to apply to your first job. Because of online resources like Monster.com, LinkedIn, Career Builder, and Craigslist, it’s easy to find job listings, but it’s harder to stand out when so other applicants can easily find the same positions.

So here are 10 basic rules-of-thumb when writing an entry-level resume. You’d be surprised how many college graduates don’t even proofread their resumes, so following these simple steps will make you look really professional in the eyes of your potential employers.

How to Increase Productivity by Rising Early

by Diana Urban on November 14, 2008

If you’re trying to start a new business, apply for a new job while you have a job, start a new project, or monitor your social media presence, you might be wondering where you could possibly fit it into your schedule.

In college, I found a correlation between waking up earlier and productivity. I’d wake up at 7am (which in college life is like 4am), head to the dining hall with my laptop, and get a good two hours of work done before the dorm got loud. Then I could spend more of the evenings enjoying time with my friends.