The Situation

Jason Schober started his career working in Sales with Financial Services firms in the Twin Cities market. In his work, he found social media to be a great tool for networking and lead generation. As he progressed in his career, he discovered that he was frequently drawn to projects that utilized social media as a core element. When he transitioned into the marketing and digital communications world, he was tasked with optimizing his employer’s social media presence for sales development.

As he learned more about the real benefits of having a well-developed social media presence it created a spark within him that caused him to look into new job opportunities that featured social media as the core of the work that he would be doing. The only problem was showing a potential employer that his skill in social media was at a level that they could feel confident in his ability to create a return on their investment in his talents.

NISM Support

Jason was excited at the prospect of starting a new chapter of his career, and wanted to ensure that when he found the right opportunity that he would be able to prove himself to the prospective employer with a combination of both his experience with marketing and digital communications firms, and with specialized education related to social media. He wanted to demonstrate the skills that he had acquired over the years in a meaningful way.

That was when Jason approached the National Institute for Social Media (NISM) regarding the possibility of becoming certified as a NISM Social Media Strategist (SMS). He knew that specialized credentials are a great tool for prospective employees to demonstrate to interested employers that they are the right fit for the job at hand.

“I think it was important for me to emphasize that I wanted to be in a social media position,” said Jason. “For me to continue my education beyond my previous jobs with a combination of continuing education and certification […] they could see that I had a passion for the field, and that I was willing to go the extra mile for their company.”

Jason then applied and successfully passed the NISM certification exam, which allowed him to be highlighted as a NISM-certified Professional.

The Results

Not long after being certified, Jason was hired as a Social Media Specialist dedicated to serving clients using social media. The company he was hired at was looking to build a team who could build a social media service offering for their clients from the ground up, and wanted a skilled staff to accomplish this.

“I am 100% happier, doing something that I really want to do,” said Jason. When asked whether he felt the certification program applied to the work he was now doing, Jason responded by saying that the certification program itself was very expansive, which was good because it proved that he can work cross-functionally with many platforms. Even though in his new role all of the areas of study were not emphasized the program helped him to ensure that if those opportunities arise he could quickly integrate those areas into solving a client needs.

Finally, Jason was asked whether he would recommend this program to anyone else out there who also may be looking for an opportunity to obtain employment in the field of social media.

“Definitely if someone is searching to get into the industry, but also for those who are already in the industry. Any marketing professional who has a passion for social media marketing should think about this program, because it is going to separate them from their peers. Many small firms are looking to designate that person in their agency to integrate and manage social media for clients. That need is there now, and will continue to be there as the social media industry continues to grow.”

About Jason

Jason Schober is a certified NISM Social Media Strategist (SMS) with experience working with Financial Services, Food Services, and Digital Communications companies. He was recently interviewed by NISM as a part of their effort to highlight those who have found successes from their effort to pass the NISM certification exam and become a Social Media Strategist. Recently, Jason has also been approved as a NISM-certified Instructor, and will be eligible to instructor NISM-approved courses at our educational partner locations. You can learn more about Jason at his business blog Sprightly Insight, or on the Sprightly Insight Facebook page.

For more information on the NISM Social Media Strategist certification, or to schedule an interview with Eric Mills, the President of NISM please contact 763-200-NISM, or email [email protected]