Why Wait? Creating Your Own Employment Opportunities

Lindsay Blackwell is a social media strategist based in Ann Arbor, MI.  She served as Marketing Manager of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and is the new Social Media Director of Ingenex Digital Marketing.  Blackwell has cultivated an online personal brand through a lifetime of experience and passion for social media.  You can find her on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Tumblr and more.  She leveraged her online presence, combined with a one of a kind website and viral campaign to pursue her dream job with the University of Michigan.

Blackwell wanted to be hired as the Social Media Director for University of Michigan.  She realized that her youth and lack of paid experience could be viewed as short comings in a standard resume review process.  Blackwell decided to reach out the Lisa Rudgers, Vice President of Communications for U of M, with a website www.DearLisaRudgers.com.  Blackwell spent the weekend building the site, which included a Flash video and buttons leading to such topics as Why I Want This, Why You Want Me and What Is This.  Her objective was to show, not tell, her experience and qualifications. 

Blackwell knew the site had to connect with friends and colleagues in order for them to share and like it.  The site gained so much attention, she was contacted by Lisa Rudgers to schedule an interview within 12 hours of the site going live.  Blackwell also gained significant media attention and the campaign helped her build her web presence and personal brand exponentially.  She also established connections in the industry across the globe.  While the interview with Rudgers didn’t result in a job offer, the social media campaign drew the attention of Derek Mehraban, CEO of Ingenex Digital Marketing.  “We wanted to hire Lindsay Blackwell because we wanted someone who could bring that knowledge to create successful social media campaigns for our clients,” Mehraban said.

Blackwell concluded by saying in today’s job market it’s important to “be honest, be innovative, be human.”  She said a resume and cover letter aren’t unique.  “Do something creative to get noticed and demonstrate who you are,” she emphasized.  Blackwell  said “Operate in a listening framework, don’t just push content, create conversations,” by listening to what the employer wants, getting advice from people in the field to become a stronger candidate.  Blackwell can be contacted at lindsay.m.blackwell@gmail.com.