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inarelationshipwith · 7 years

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Social media -or- How Instagram played a bigger role in my selection of a job than it should have.

I’m a millennial, it’s true, according to the internet. I just Googled “millennial” and my birth year falls within the parameters of “the early 1980s to late 1990s” so I’m a millennial. It’s Google official. The date range varies depending on the researcher, with start-years as early as 1976 and as late as 2004, but even the latest start year cut-off of 1984 still includes me, by 7 days. A week can change a lot of things. I’m a millennial because despite my 9-year-old self’s strong campaign for half-birthdays, I cannot change my birth date.

Since there are numerous similarities between job searching and mate searching (dating), it would make sense that I use some of the same tactics in both. When you find someone online you may consider dating, or even if you engage in the strange activity of meeting someone in real life, the first thing you do is check out his/her social media outlets: Facebook (if you’re an early era Millennial), Instagram, Snapchat (if you’re a later era ‘ennial). Understandably, I did the same thing when considering future employers. Most restaurants don’t have Snapchat or bitmojis, and Facebook pages remain seldom updated, so my main source of information was Instagram.

One restaurant that offered me a job – my first official job offer – didn’t even have an Instagram. I’m not sure how that’s even possible in 2017. My friends’ moms have Instagram and they are from many generations before the ‘ennials. I know the restaurant has access to Millennials. I saw dozens of them working when I went in for an interview, and they all have smart phones that they were on instead of greeting customers, clearing tables or running food. Somehow this restaurant couldn’t find its way onto the internet to post some incredibly close shots of food and as a result I didn’t find my way onto their payroll. Coupled with the location, the lack of Instagram page acted as a deciding factor in declining a job to work at this sport’s bar-esque restaurant that will remain nameless. I can’t even sneakily link you to their name because, well, they have no Instagram and definitely no Tumblr. Before anyone thinks my absurd reasoning is snobbish and horrible, I will say that the lack of “Insta” will not keep me from eating, drinking, and pretending to watch sports ball games at the establishment.

My second job offer came from a place with an Instagram account, nothing spectacular, standard filter usage, but at least I could tag my friends in the comments section of pictures. Subconsciously with a considerable amount of leakage into the conscious, I took this job off more seriously than an offer from a restaurant without basic social media outlets. Looking back on it, I don’t even know why. It seems silly and foolish, but I thought it significant enough to weigh this detail more heavily than health insurance. I’m a millennial, for better or worse, and I need to be able to keep tabs on my friends, boyfriend and my employer. How am I supposed to do that without a frequently updated Instagram account? How?

Safe to assume I have an Instagram account but I don’t post on it every day or in any amount of frequency. I do scroll through other accounts pictures every day but I wouldn’t consider myself an active Instagram user. I’m fairly certain I’ve never used it to plan my week or even a night out based on the activities, deals, or menu-offerings of a restaurant (Whiskey Wednesday is any day I damn-well want it to be, thank you) but I do believe it keeps some restaurants and brands in the forefront of my mind - a place they would seldom be without the visual infiltration of Instagram. Whatever it is business, specifically restaurants, are trying to do with their Instagram accounts, it’s working.

The second restaurant had an Instagram page, no criminal record a simple Google search could produce, no face tattoos, and called me back, so I accepted it. But it’s one of those relationships you don’t rush to tell all of your friends and family about. You don’t change your Facebook status for this guy. You’re hesitant to tag him in photos and you flinch a little when he tags you in his. It doesn't matter what filter you put on a picture of a burger with American cheese on it, it’s still a picture of a burger with American cheese on it. #notrealcheese As with the first, the restaurant will remain nameless and this time link-less, and I will definitely eat and drink at this restaurant, as long as they don’t tag me in pictures, because I’m a millennial, not a monster, and maybe a bit of an alcoholic.

Up next, job offer three. You may think I’m bragging with talk of all these job offers, but I’m not, these are all average restaurant management jobs with average pay, nothing to write home about, and certainly nothing to post on Instagram about. The third restaurant has a well-curated Instagram account that is clearly operated by a millennial in full hipster uniform – chambray shirt, dark jeans, and Vans/Cons. Off-center pictures of dishes and craft cocktails? Check. Mason jars? Check. Picture frames framing nothing except the wall it’s hanging on? Check, check, check, check! (There are a lot of them). Vintage-looking décor sourced from Etsy and/or Home Goods? Check. This is the kind of Instagram account you link your friends to. This is the kind of Instagram account that brings in diners on looks alone. As an ‘ennial, I swooned a little. I may not adhere to the specifications of my astrological sign but if you ask me if I want my wood reclaimed, my cocktails from liquors unnamed, and my chickens free range, I will say yes. Put Brussels sprouts on every menu for no reason, call bacon pork belly, and make 10 different kinds of aiolis. If you also ask me if I want a 401K, health insurance and vacation time I will also say yes, but I’ll gladly accept less money than I’m worth and pretend I’m never going to get sick or have use for one of those doctor things.

So hashtag me #yolo and #hired because if I can’t proudly tag my employer on Instagram I don’t want to work in this world anymore (except I have mountains of debt so I totally still need to work in this world and this care-free ‘ennial attitude I’m trying to portray is really just a guise to mask my paralyzing depression, lack of a savings account and missing 5 year, let alone 2 year, plan.) Double tap this post for the secret to success and more followers.

I’m told I have to stick with this job and learn to settle down with one employer, but monojobomy has never been my strength. I’ll do my best as long as I don’t get a fourth offer from an employer that has an Instagram account full of #cutepuppies #omg

#job #jobs #employment #instagram #work #millennial #restaurants #social media

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