I will not claim that social media is the only reason why people have little attention to long letters or articles, but I believe social media plays a critical role in how communications evolve today. “Short and sweet” is the norm.
I know the fact that many employers recruit and select job candidates on social media, but I still find it very interesting when it comes to yesterday’s Wall Street Journal article about selecting M.B.A. candidates based on what they tweet. Business schools are embracing the “short and sweet” communication trend and challenge candidates to present their best qualities in a very brief form.
Top business schools such as Wharton (UPenn), Booth (University of Chicago), Harvard, and Haas (UC Berkeley) are shifting from essays, which can be “carefully crafted” with the aids of professionals, to those “non-traditional” methods of selecting innovative and well-rounded candidates. The Tippie School of Management at University of Iowa, for example, offered a full scholarship worth $37,240 to the applicant who provided the best answer of “What makes you an exceptional Tippie full-time M.B.A. candidate and future M.B.A. hire?” on Twitter. The winning tweet was “Globally minded (5)/Innovative and driven (7)/Tippie can sharpen (5)” --- because the candidate used “an ancient form of poetry in a contemporary medium.”
In a large degree, what these business schools are doing reflects the evolution of communications. Critical thinking skills, business ethics, intelligence, and innovation are very important. In order to stand out from the crowd, however, one must know how to effectively demonstrate those desired qualifications in a highly “efficient” means. So, do you know how to present yourself with 140 characters?
Selected posts of relevant discussions:
Recruiting with Social Media Tools
Background Check on Social Media: Now Is a Serious Business
References:
Korn, M. (2011, September 1). Tweets, Plays well w/ others: A perfect M.B.A. candidate. The Wall Street Journal, pp. B1 & B6. (Also available online).
The picture was downloaded from Scholarships.com.
Top business schools such as Wharton (UPenn), Booth (University of Chicago), Harvard, and Haas (UC Berkeley) are shifting from essays, which can be “carefully crafted” with the aids of professionals, to those “non-traditional” methods of selecting innovative and well-rounded candidates. The Tippie School of Management at University of Iowa, for example, offered a full scholarship worth $37,240 to the applicant who provided the best answer of “What makes you an exceptional Tippie full-time M.B.A. candidate and future M.B.A. hire?” on Twitter. The winning tweet was “Globally minded (5)/Innovative and driven (7)/Tippie can sharpen (5)” --- because the candidate used “an ancient form of poetry in a contemporary medium.”
In a large degree, what these business schools are doing reflects the evolution of communications. Critical thinking skills, business ethics, intelligence, and innovation are very important. In order to stand out from the crowd, however, one must know how to effectively demonstrate those desired qualifications in a highly “efficient” means. So, do you know how to present yourself with 140 characters?
Selected posts of relevant discussions:
Recruiting with Social Media Tools
Background Check on Social Media: Now Is a Serious Business
References:
Korn, M. (2011, September 1). Tweets, Plays well w/ others: A perfect M.B.A. candidate. The Wall Street Journal, pp. B1 & B6. (Also available online).
The picture was downloaded from Scholarships.com.
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