With the continued exponential growth in social media, keeping up with constant changes is a challenge. Not only for businesses of all sizes recruiting
talent, but also for professionals who are trying to stay up to date with all the platforms and the best way to use them.
Learning these new skills is made complicated by the lack of specialised training schools, the pace of change and unreliable information found on the Internet.
According to Adobe’s Digital Distress Report, 82% of digital marketing professionals learn on the job, but many businesses and agencies lack adequate employee training programs and resources to effectively diminish the talent gaps in their workforce.
Because of this void, there has been steady growth for companies that provide formal training on social media and digital marketing.
One such company, Chicago-based Instant E-Training, says that the market for individuals and companies needing this type of training is continuing to expand. Founder Bob Tripathi said: “We constantly see mid-level professionals and job seekers looking for formal training to keep up with the changing landscape and shifting priorities of social media.
“Social media certification, in particular, has become a major priority as many want to distinguish themselves throughout their career or as they look for new job opportunities.”
Additionally, there is an increase in the number of jobseekers looking to leverage their job search through social media outlets and improve their skills to do so.
Katrina Pardi, a human resources professional for the Chicago Hire Company, said: “As a recruiter, I regularly use social media to find job seekers. It’s obvious from LinkedIn pages whether someone is passive or active in their search, whether they have good communication skills and grammar, etc.
“For us, it’s clear; LinkedIn and Facebook are both a top source for jobseekers, and excellent sources for referrals.”
Tara Farnsworth, who took one such course through Instant E-Training was able to take her skills to a whole new level: “It was a dynamic experience, if you can imagine a master’s level style program with the leaders of each industry giving you insight and tips to develop a detailed social media business plan.”
