Don't ever play catch-up!

If there is one this that I have learned from following recent corporate social media crises, it's this: don't ever play catch-up!

I don't know if you've heard about any of these, but as an example, two weeks ago ESPN caused a stir when they first released their employee social media policy. One part was Tweeted by one employee making it appear as though anyone working for ESPN could not blog or Tweet unless it would benefit the company. And we can all guess how that panned out...

It turns out the policy didn't quite say that, but it really wasn't too far off, and in my opinion (and many others) ESPN still got it all wrong.

Why is this relevant to you? ESPN created a plan and immediately had to react to the huge backlash. Better planning and research could have prevented (or at least lessened) this whole thing in the first place. Instead, had they done a bit more research, they would have discovered there were much better alternatives to their proposed policy:

1. Holding an employee forum to discuss what is desired/required in a social media policy.
2. Using other successfully policies as a guide.
3. Including rationale for specific policy rules so as to lessen resistance to outright bans.

Take these lessons and apply them to your job search. The best way to find a job is changing as technology emerges and evolves. Do your research, know what is proper and how best to stay on top of your game. Otherwise you'll be stuck playing catch-up and trying to put out a fire.

Besides, being ahead of the curve (or at least with it) will always make ya look good to potential employers. : )