Seminar: “When social media doesn't work”, by Asher Rospigliosi

One area at the core of the University Mission is the preparation of students to enter the world of work (Bourner et al, 2013). Many job seekers use social media as a means to develop networks and leverage connections. Practitioner guidelines vary widely between the caution of not oversharing to the instrumental development of a professional persona, demonstrating capability and establishing reputation (Gandini, 2016; Cremin, 2011). In this highly contentious context, the complex and varied figurations of when social media works to aid the labour market to identify suitable candidates may be at odds with the needs of the job seeker. This talk confronts moments when social media doesn’t work.

The use of social media is evolving very rapidly. As a global participatory platform on which ever more people negotiate complex areas of their lives, it is increasingly necessary to evaluate, critically and in depth, both social media and how it is embedded in life (Miller et al, 2016). The intersection of higher education, job seeking and the use of social media to establish an identity fit for work offers us a chance to see both the power and the limitations of social media, or, when social media doesn’t work.