Letters: New Social Media Club N.H. promotes digital uses

In response to TNH's February articles, "Bottom Line: Social Networking can help you after college" and "UNH Study: Social Media Usage doesn't affect academics," or perhaps more so in response to doubting comments made about each, let us assure you that your parents and teachers did you no favors in telling you to beware social media because employers will find photos of you drinking beer and consequently refuse to hire you.

The reality of the situation is that the best employers are Googling you, not to see if you've had a beer, but to see if you're engaging in the community your resume professes passion in, to see if you have a voice, have ideas, and perhaps even if you have the potential to become a thought-leader. The fact of the matter is that as most professional arenas, from hospitals to government agencies and businesses, will be looking to you as a new hire to bridge the "digital divide" in their offices and innovate their services, and social media does that.

New Hampshire as a community has not been quick to adopt these new social media tools that are already common to more developed areas and more forward leaning universities, such as Harvard and Georgetown. For many of us, we still believe social media is for staying in touch with your friends, and online marketing. With few understood examples to look to, and scant educational programming, we can hardly blame them.

In the last year I've given a talk on healthcare innovation at Columbia University, and co-planned an international government innovation conference in Los Angeles - these doctors, administrators, representatives from the State Department and Beltway Bandit corporations, leaders in their communities, were not using social media just to tag photos and Tweet about what they had for lunch. They use these tools to improve what it is they do, and in fact needed to use them in order to lead.

So where does that leave us - for many, a day late and a dollar short in perception. But we can do better - for our careers, our communities, our contribution to the workforce of tomorrow, we must do better. For this reason, some of us have gotten together and formed Social Media Club N.H. - a free educational, networking and collaboration event series which focus not on to Tweet or not to Tweet, but how leaders in New Hampshire are using these tools, where improvements can be made, and how together as a community we can move forward.

Our first event, this Friday in Portsmouth, features seven speakers from across the industry spectrum (Government, Healthcare, Technology, Business, Education, Culture, Media) who will discuss what they are doing in social media, what are the obstacles to reaching their goals, and how we may overcome them. We invite you to come and learn that which you may not find taught in your classes, but will certainly learn fast once you leave them for the workforce. For more information go to SMCNH.com, follow @SMCNH on Twitter, or join our Facebook group.

Justin Herman
Class of 2011