I read an article a few weeks ago that really got me thinking. Mark Schaefer of {grow} posted an article about a month back about the birth of the “social media slut.” According to Schaefer, some companies are making hiring decisions based solely on applicants’ Klout scores. My first thought? Oh shit.
When I first checked my score last month, it was a pitiful 10. Yes, 10. And that’s when it happened. That’s when I became this so-called social media slut. Immediately I went into a personal branding frenzy. I created an about.me profile, updated my LinkedIn, ramped up my Twitter, posted photos to Flickr and started a Tumblr. Phew. And of course, I connected them all to Klout.
I spent the next few weeks glued to my social media accounts. Hoping, waiting, wishing that someone would mention me, like me, reblog me. Yet today, three weeks later, my score has climbed to only 23. Still a lousy “explorer.” It feels like I’m back in high school and losing the popularity contest. (However… Ryan Cabrera is following me on twitter. I have no idea why or how, but if this were a high school popularity contest, I’d definitely be #winning.)
But really, what does a Klout score even mean? How can you make a hiring decision based on a computer-generated number? And is there even any truth to this rumor? I don’t know. And although checking my score is no longer part of my daily routine, I am still very conscious of its existence.
Has anyone else heard about this? I’d love to know if there’s any truth to it. But until I know for sure… follow me, retweet me and add me! Just kidding. Sort of.
