What took so long? In this week’s #SMXChat, we’re going to talk about seeking a career in social media. As an ’emergent industry’, the professional opportunities in social media are diverse and widespread, ranging from solopreneur/contract positions to leadership-level responsibility.

The forums for social media job search are also diverse, with successful searches being launched in the expected places like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter and in less common places like Craiglist and Elance.com.

Certainly, the freelance economy  is well suited to the social culture and vibe. The Freelancers Union, cited in this Forbes article, places the number of freelance workers in the U.S. at 42 million. While certainly not all freelance workers are engaged in social media projects, anecdotal evidence points to there being a large segment of social media freelancers.

And what of companies and brands? What effect has the surge in social networking had on ‘social media’ employment at established businesses and big brands? Again, relying on anecdotal data, it can be observed that many businesses expect to pay marginal wages for social media workers – indicating the unease with social as a serious aspect of the business and/or misunderstanding of social’s benefits and return on investment.

Our #SMXChat community is the perfect place for this discussion because of the variety, diversity and expertise of our members. We can’t wait for your insights!

Q1) What do you recommend as a starting point for someone beginning a #jobsearch for a social media position?

Q2) What kinds of titles and positions should a #jobseeker be looking for in job postings and descriptions?

Q3) How can a #jobseeker enhance their social reputation to ‘look good’ to potential employers?

Q4) What resources can a #jobseeker use to research social media opportunities?

Q5) What transferable skills/experiences can #jobseekers position positively in seeking social media positions?

Bonus Q6) What training/certification/educational opportunities are there for social media careers?

Image credit: socialmediatoday.com