As I have been pondering this question, I have struggled not to have a cynical attitude about it, but I will do my best to remain positive in my response.
I suppose one could leverage the buzz around "Social Media" when they graduate, and then utilize their new found expertise as a commodity for businesses. We could easily sell ourselves as real assets for businesses looking for leaders in the hot new "social" space. I imagine a couple of years ago students did the same thing, except selling themselves as "Web 2.0" hucksters. And prior to that, maybe it was leaders in the "portal" industry (or whatever was the hot buzz word around then). And these same people probably said really gross things like, "I would be a great asset for your business, and knowledge in [INSERT BUZZ WORD HERE] is a highly valued commodity in the [BUZZ WORD] space. Let's synergize bitches!"
If you didn't pick up on my sarcasm, my point is that these technology fields are a never ending cycle of "what's hot and what's not". The truth is, once the hype dies down, these supposedly "life and world changing" technologies are really just tools. Fun and silly little tools. And eventually the tools become so ubiquitous that everyone forgets that they are even there, and then we all move onto the "next big thing".
I got into the program because I really DON'T know what I want to do when I grow up. I'm beginning to think I never will. Not that I really care though. Regardless of my cynicism towards "technology hype", I find these tools incredibly fun and exciting. And I find it inspiring to be around a community of others that are also excited. And hopefully the inspiration will manifest itself into an answer for "what I want to do...when I grow up next".
In summary, I really doubt I will leverage social media in any form when I get out. I think my dream is to find some sort of laid back gig where I get to create things, and continue to be surrounded by a similar community of peers that continue to get excited at the same silly technologies that I find interesting. Maybe I'll be a teacher at a Community College. That would be pretty awesome.
Or maybe I will be a game show host.
Snort. Yeah, I think that crazy sales-pitch you enacted is my worst nightmare.
ReplyDeleteIf it helps at all I had no idea what I wanted to do when I graduated from the program, but now that I am down to my last quarter I feel like I have a pretty solid idea as to where I want to take this next.
Hopefully we can all stick together though and dork out about creating/digital media/technology.