Have you ever seen your best friend’s resume? You know…that non-Web based paper thing people use to apply for jobs? Yeah, that.
I haven’t. In fact, I haven’t seen any of my close friends’ resumes. Sharing it seems almost taboo, like telling someone your salary.
Granted, my five or six closest friends work in completely different industries and have goals that are entirely different from my own, so their lists of professional accomplishments are irrelevant to me, but what if we had similar careers? Would their resumes matter to me then?
Maybe a little…
Let’s say my friend Jeff and I had both started a mobile app development business and his operation was going gangbusters while I was holding a second job to make ends meet and struggling to get my business off the ground.
Would I compare my company to his? Hate to admit it, but yes.
When it comes to professional achievement, it’s only natural to use the successes of others as a means of gauging our own. It’s how people determine where they fit. It’s also an exceptionally self-limiting behavior, and creates an imaginary hierarchy that tells us what we can and can’t do. Overall, comparing yourself to anyone you perceive to be better than you is a huge downer when it comes to self-confidence.
If taken to heart, seeing my app startup as inferior to Jeff’s would only discourage my efforts, or even cause me to abandon them altogether.
What does this have to do with social media?
Well, with the rise of the social Web, it has become incredibly easy for twenty-somethings to compare their successes (or failures) with those of their peers. Sites like Brazen Careerist and LinkedIn as well as the multitude of Gen Y blogs out there (like this one) will put you face to face with thousands of young professionals in every stage of their career development. It’s an awesome opportunity to connect with associates in your industry or function, but with so much professional information on display, it’s also easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to them – especially those who have been wildly successful.
And while it’s fun to dream, the reality is that the majority of us are still slogging away in the trenches trying to figure out what we want out of life. Why do you think it’s the topic of so many blogs?
Spending any amount of time online examining your achievements in light of someone else’s isn’t going to get you any closer to your goals, so stop comparing and start connecting.
See someone on LinkedIn in the type of position you hope to eventually be in? Ask them about it.
Found a friend on Twitter that’s blazing a trial in your industry? Get their attention, then move in for the DM.
With a little confidence and a willingness to put yourself out there, you’ll find that using your social profiles to build yourself up is far more effective than using them to tear yourself down.
Don’t forget that the personalities on the other side of those 50×50 pixel avatars are real people. And by simple virtue of their participation in social media, they’re saying, “Let’s connect!”
So DO it.
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