My Term Project Presentation

My term project was on the impact of social networking on recruiting.  The goal of the presentation was to share with the class the ways that new media and social networking have impacted recruiting and the role that they will play going forward.

I reviewed the definition of new media and illustrated some examples of the old vs. new media methods for recruiting.  Also I provided some information on various sites that are used for recruiting from both recruiters and job seekers.

I am open to any questions that the class may have on my presentation or the topic.

Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Working with virtual reality to create reality, think about it.  That statement at first may sound a bit weird but it is happening around us now.  Corporations are using this technology to create training environments and test scenarios that my not present themselves in real life enough to practice.  I have also seen the use of second life to create a memorial to lost loved ones.  A specific example has to do with the tragedy that took place at Virginia Tech, an alumnus created a memorial to those lost and set up a community for others to visit and pay their respects.

The use of virtual worlds to practice real world scenarios or enhance reality is of great benefit to society.  Doing this provides people with the opportunity to go somewhere that they are completely safe.  In these virtual environments they are in complete control, and by participating in these scenarios gain confidence and comfort in dealing with them.  People will have the chance to try anything out.  Think about that if you had the chance to practice something important and you could do it from the comfort of your home would you?

I do not see much of a down side to this.  Perhaps there is a danger in the policing of how adult and non adult worlds and scenarios are monitored.  However as technology improves I see this as less of an issue.  I see someday that people will have a card that they swipe and it will have on it their past visits and preferences this way when they sign on somewhere they can get a quick list of recommendations to check out.

Social Networking

Social networking when you think about it has an unlimited number of uses.  There is no reason to think that it can not be applied in every instance that networking could.

For us in general social networking and the sites that are available allow us to open up our networks as much as we like.  Geography no longer prevents you from staying in touch with friends and family.  You can let everyone know how you are doing every minute if you wanted to by tweeting your heart out.

For corporate users they can join any of these social networking sites to stay up to date on the latest trends, keep up on what the lingo is with today's new workforce.  The great part is that they can do all of this for little cost as many of the sites are free to join.  

These sites benefit society by providing a channel and voice to everyone to stay connected and give their input on any issue.  In the past there was not a way for everyone to be included.  In the future these sites will be available to us in almost realtime through our phones and tvs and possibly through kiosks in major shopping centers.

Is there a dark side?  I guess that depends on who you ask.  Me I do not see any downside to this, with everyone now afforded the option of getting in touch with the world how can they be left behind.  One concern I have is that people in the future may not be able to interact in a live real world social setting.

The next new thing

So what will the next new thing be? I believe it will be delivered via a mobile device for sure. As smart phones get better at operating software and service improves, people are doing more mobile computing. So what will the new media thing be? Voice driven exchange. People will be able to recite notes, blog post, papers and have them transcribed and distributed to the masses. We have voice recognition software now but it is not quite there yet. So this next big thing will work in multiple languages and be able to translate as well. 

Old vs. New

How does one distinguish old media vs. new media? That is a great question. Some way to look at this are by asking is it transferable? Can others easily access it? In terms of transferability, old media was very limited. Today with new media anything can be shared with a person anywhere at anytime. With old media searching for information is limited, for example newspapers are outdated and unsearchable overnight. Today with new media we have access to information from the past and present at our fingertips. Has it gone too far? 

Advice to Baruch College

As a recently hired advisor to Baruch, I would recommend that the school improve it's website and in-particular blackboard. It would be great if this utility was more like Facebook. Also it would be nice to have some pod-casts of lectures from Professors. It is one thing to view a recommendation but it could prove powerful to hear and see a Professor in action.

Our class Wiki so far

Our class Wiki is shaping up nicely. As a group we have put together quite a bit of information on new media. So far I have added some info under the business in new media section. I plan to add information on webcasts and online training. I also update the page with various new media sites to include Twitter. Which I have recently become a fan and user of. 

My New Media Class so Far

New Media is such a fuzzy category. It encompases all new technologies that make it easier for people to create, share and distribute media. Media can be in text, music, photos or movies. The internet and in particular the web 2.o technoloiges are critical to the emergence and development of new media.

I don't think of new media replacing old media as printed books will never go away. What new media allows us to do is keep up with the global world and the challenges it throws at us. How else could we keep up with colleagues around the globe.

One of the more interesting articles on this so far has been the business week one as it makes it clear that new media will be the way going forward. As the kids are already getting hooked with their webkinz....

Blogs vs. Wikis

So the question is blogs or wikis. Wikis are great ways to get to the facts the way they are arranged in a logical format. They are also living and can be updated by multiple users. They are great way for groups to collaborate and get everyone's input as they documentthe suject in question.

Blogs are a great medium for users to post their opinions and get feedback from readers. Blogs can be used to gather feedback and opinions on news and events. Readers can use them as a forum to air their views on topics.

As for a new use for wikis, I don't know of any. There is almost one out there for anything you can think of.

Social Networking Sites

So what is better Facebook or MySpace?  They are both popular social networking sites and allow you keep in touch with your friends.  You can get as envolvled as much as you like.  Let the whole world know what your are up to even up to the minute if you like.

For me these sites are new I have accounts on both but do not really use everything they have to offer.  In part because I have little free time to sit at a computer.  Though I am sure if I cut back on some of my tv time I could get to know them better.  My wife is always checking out what is going on and posting photos of what we have done.

Another networking type site I have used in the past is photobucket.  Funny enough I used it to upload some pictures to my myspace.  This tool was easy  to use and it allowed me to post loads of photos and provided  a link to send out to my friends.  

What is New Media

What is new media?  This question has been asked in each of our classes and every week we build on the definition.  New Media is the medium through which we the consumers/producers get our information.  Sometimes it is quick bits through blogs or facebook groups, or through news websites.  In today's age new media technologies allow us to choose what, when and even how to get up to speed with what is going on.  If you want to learn about anything you can start with a Google search and from there you will be presented any of the following; blogs, wikkis, youtube clips etc.  

With NewMedia we are the directors, consumers and even producers of information.

Term Project

For my research project I will be looking into the Impact of Social Networking on Recruiting.  As many of us are avid users of Facebook, Linkedin, MySpace and other social networking sites did you ever wonder how what you post here may be interpreted by future employers?

I will be looking at both academic writings and where possible information available through companies and recruiting firms.  I hope this project is useful to all of you.