Representing your business online is just like representing your business at a conference, you don’t leave it to the new hire who doesn’t know your ins and outs.
Online presence doesn’t have to be flashy, just clever and accurate, and the best person for the job isn’t an intern, it’s a polished veteran from HR. For example, I work with FalconRadio.org, one of the radio stations here on campus. Although I hold numerous positions within the station, I was asked to take on the task of representing the station online, because I have been with the organization for four years and know the branding and image that we have, as well as the ability to troubleshoot issues. I could not even imagine leaving that responsibility on a new member, no matter how much I talked with them about the station, or looked over their shoulder.
As a student graduating in the spring, social media intern sounds like a very appealing position, and I have even pondered contacting businesses in search of the opportunity to help their online presence. This came to me as an idea, since many adults I talk to have questions on social media usage, and my generation tends to be among the most active on such sites. Due to this, I feel that I could do well with a position like that.
Being on both sides of the situation, I feel that I have a unique perspective on the situation and can definitely agree that social media manager is not the job for an intern or new hire. Instead, the youth in the company could be great as a social media IT department. They can provide great insight on how to appeal to younger clients/ customers, and can help troubleshoot. Well, at least some can.