Why Are We Online?

We're on all of these platforms, won't you join us?

by Megan Elliott, Social Media Developer

When I first started working for ERS, I will be the first to admit that I had a lot of doubts about how good of a tool social media was for connecting with our customer base, but I also had hopes. I had hopes that people would see how active we are on Twitter and Facebook, and later LinkedIn and Google+, and appreciate my efforts to open conversations about employment issues facing people with disabilities. I could see the potential for people with hearing impairments, and I have learned a little about how to address some of the unique challenges that people with sight impairments face.

The rare times that I get to interact with people online give me hope that what I am doing is not in vain – all my research and monitoring are not in vain. There are times when I have been at home long after clocking out, and see someone has posted a question on our Facebook Wall that I must answer, or have found something on our Twitter feed that I just had to share at that same moment across every medium. I am always “on” for you and for this program, not just for this company. I might not have the answer right then, or I might have to give you answers that you don’t like because of the restrictions of what we as a company can do or the restrictions of the program, but that’s part of the job.

I do my best with what I have available to me – I research latest hiring trends, the newest resume and cover letter advice, what job openings are more plentiful than others, and condense what I’ve learned and put it out there for you to read in a blog, or just create a post and link. If there are changes that affect you, I try to let you know about it as soon as I learn about it. Oh, and I also spend quite a bit of my “off” time learning about how to bring that to you in the most engaging way possible! I estimate I spend another 15 or 20 hours a week just doing that, and it's all for you.

I like to think that I create value by always being “on,” but I’m not sure that’s the case. Then I read stories about how social media is changing how those with hearing impairments navigate a world not built for them; I read the Twitter feed of an advocate who has low vision and is praising the newest smartphone apps that are accessible for the blind; I get an e-mail that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is addressing changes in how the American’s with Disabilities Act is applied in the workplace; and I can’t help but be encouraged by all of this!

So why is ERS online, and why do I put forth the effort that I do for relatively little engagement?

• As far as we’re aware, we’re the only employment network in the Ticket to Work program that helps our clients solely over the phone. We don’t meet with anyone in person to discuss their particular issues, and we conduct the bulk of our business through e-mail or on the phone.
• This is the digital age. We must stay up-to-date with our online presence or we lose opportunities to help people to get back on their feet.
• Our business relies on the power of the internet and our ability to speak to our clients and meet their needs, no matter whether we use the phone, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, comments here on our blog, our website, or plain old e-mail.

We can only get better with the more feedback we receive, so I encourage (beg!) you to please let us know what we’re doing right, what we’re doing wrong, or what you’d like to see more of in the future. Your input is important to me, and all the career coaches, to provide the best service possible. So let us know – are we doing it right?