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In Response: Cathryn Sloaneā€™s Social Media Article

Chris Dessi Avatar

This afternoon I was perusing myĀ TwitterĀ feed when I came across Noah Malinā€™s Ā Paper-liĀ The Social Media Thinkers Daily.Ā  This is also where I discovered Cathryn Sloaneā€™s post titled:Ā Why Every Social Media Manager Should be Under 25. Ā Why Every Social Media Manager Should Be Under 25

Ugh.

Like so many others, after I read it I tweeted to Cathryn ā€“ that she had effectively proven that her post articulates exactly whyĀ social mediamanagers should beĀ overĀ 25. Ā Hereā€™s my tweet:

@cathrynsloane25 You've successfully proven why every social media manager should NOT be under 25

Iā€™ll be candid ā€“ her post annoyed me. Ā It annoyed me so much that I had to re-write the tweet so that I wasnā€™t too aggressive toward her. Ā I get it, we all make mistakes, and we were all young once. But I want to try to shed some light on why I was so annoyed by the post, and why Iā€™m sure many of my peers were annoyed as well. Ā Let me first start by saying that Iā€™m not writing this to pick a fight with Cathryn, I commend her for offering her opinion. I do hope she reads this and tries to understand why she has ignited such vitriol.

Cathryn,

Personally Iā€™ve been inĀ digital mediaĀ since early 2000. Ā When I say ā€œinā€ digital media, I mean that over the past 12 years or so Iā€™ve been gainfully employed, and making a living in the digital space. Ā I have an undergraduate degree in Psychology (97) and aĀ Masters DegreeĀ in Direct Marketing (99). Iā€™ve left digital for 3 yrs in between where I worked at a design agency. Ā  Iā€™ve sold third party ad serving technology (Valueclickā€˜s Mediaplex), email software (Responsys) , social media software (Buddy Media). Iā€™ve written a book on social media, I lecture on social media, Ā and I run aĀ social media marketing firm. Ā SoĀ Cathryn, that makesĀ meĀ qualified to be a social media manager,Ā notĀ you.

Iā€™d assume that this is at the core of the hateful repsonses to your post. Ā While Iā€™m sure you didnā€™t intend it, youā€™ve insulted many people who make good livings in social media, and who have a great grasp on social media not because they grew up withĀ FacebookĀ like you point out, but because (like me) they have seen social media before it was even termed social media. Because like me they saw the impact of digital media in the world around them when the internet was just starting. They saw the dot.com bubble and survived it. Ā All of this, all of the technology before you were on Facebook is what makes Facebook so powerful. Because we understand that, we understand how the entire ecosystem works. We know why a Facebook page works the way it does because we sold software that powered the first brand iterations of these pages ā€“ while you were playingĀ Angry BirdsĀ ā€“ we were the ones building thoseĀ Apps. Ā We have the understanding and know how. Ā Weā€™ve worked at Ad Agencies and understand theĀ psychologyĀ behindĀ Pinterest, and why it works in this current ecosystem. We have a deeper understanding of these networks. You donā€™t. Ā Plain and simple. Ā Your logic regarding why youā€™re qualified is flawed, and offensive to those of us who have a better understanding of the inner workings of social media ā€“ on aĀ sociological, pyshcological, technological and marketing level than you. Ā I grew up playingĀ AtariĀ ā€“ this doesnā€™t make me qualified to design video games.

Now onto the other point you make which was just a tad offensive. The reason whyĀ employersĀ say that a social media manager should have 5 years of experience is becauseĀ they should.

So when you say:

Yet, every time I see a job posting for a Social Media Manager/Associate/etc. and find the employer is looking for five to ten years of direct experience, I wonder why they donā€™t realize the candidates who are in fact best suited for the position actually arenā€™t old enough to have that much experience.

You have effectively proven why they should never let someone younger than 25 to manage their social media. Ā Hereā€™s why: You have no understanding of the gravity of this role. You have also insulted every single company who is forward thinking enough to have potentially hired someone like yourself who has just graduated from college and who thinks theyā€™re a social media expert. So when you ask ā€“ whatā€™s all the fuss about ā€“ understand this: Ā There are business out there who are conducting sophisticated social media programs with extensive social medias strategy that extend far beyond a Facebook post, or tweet. Ā Because you donā€™t understand that is exactly why they wonā€™t ever hire you to mange their social media.Ā The person they want is older, more mature, and more battle worn and they would have understood the media storm that you have just created. Ā They would have thought before they hit send. They would have the self awareness, that you have so shown that you donā€™t.

This whole thing upsets me even more because Iā€™ve met your peers and theyā€™re awesome, and I bet theyā€™d be a little miffed by your post as well. Ā I have interacted with recent college graduates and students alike as I lecture around the country speaking to them about how to leverage social media to gain employment. They donā€™t all act with such entitlement. They donā€™t all think that they should be handed jobs. Ā They work hard, and they have earned my respect. So much so that Iā€™ve included some of them inĀ my book.Ā Your post has done them, and frankly your generation a disservice. You set them back by essentially mocking the hiring managers request that you have 5 years experience. Ā Social media is too important to put into your hands Cathryn. Ā Companies canā€™t afford to be caught in a media storm like the one youā€™ve just unintentionally created. Ā Just look at my post from yesterdays horribleĀ debacleĀ fromĀ CelebBoutique.

Cathryn, I hope you see the logic in this post, and I truly hope you donā€™t see it as an attack. I hope you see it as it was intended ā€“ as anĀ explanationĀ regarding theĀ vitriol. Ā I was personally offended by some of the comments you made, but I also understand them. I had the same thoughts when I was your age. I was lucky enough to have my Father as my mentor to sit me down and slowly, and elegantly explain to me why I would never make $60k a year in my first job out of college. Ā ThatĀ no matterĀ how smart or qualified I thought I was, I still had to live life, and gain the respect of my peers. Youā€™re not there yet, but I suspect that youā€™ll be there soon enough. Youā€™ll survive this because like I did when I was your age, youā€™ll learn that youā€™re not the center of the universe. Youā€™ll realize that those dolts writing those job descriptions actually have an idea about who to hire and why. Ā Itā€™s a new world for sure, but donā€™t ever mistake youth for qualification. Itā€™s up to you now to learn from this. Ā Iā€™m sure you will, and Iā€™m happy to sit with you and explain this in greater detail. Youā€™ve obviously struck a chord.

Phew.

Chris Dessi

Chris Dessi Avatar