Came across this post and had to share - so many good candidates for jobs get left out of consideration because companies hold so tightly to the tools they use - social media planning tools, project management tools, etc. - it's rather sad. And don't get me started on recruitment companies - all they do is hold onto those keywords of specific applications, instead of educating themselves in the spectrum that could make up their candidate. From my own experiences - I have not once come into a situation having been "trained" on the tool a company uses. My work ethic leads me to learning that system and tool as fast as I can. From videos to clicking around and finding out, it's so easy for a good worker to get up to speed fast. All they need is that opportunity. So, if they feel right, but don't have the experience- give them the opportunity, and I promise you'll be happy.
Social Media Consultant, Strategist Speaker, and Founder of Saturn 9 Media--I say things louder for the people in back.
Stop requiring candidates for social media manager roles to have experience in whatever specific social media management tool your brand happens to be using. There's a lot of tools out there and most social media professionals have used several. But if they haven't used the particular one your brand uses...THEY CAN LEARN IT QUICKLY. It's like driving a car. If you get into a car you've never driven before, you can still drive it--it just might take you a few minutes to figure out how to turn the windshield wipers on. Social media professionals are smart people...they'll figure it out.
