Memo

To: Professor Wilson

From: Kieran Fitzpatric
Subject: Social Media Jobs Analysis
Date: February 5th, 2022

Introduction
The following is an analysis of 2 social media professions which had job openings on indeed.
The jobs being a position as a Social Media Editor at Gannett Co., Inc., and a position as a Social
Media Marketing Specialist at the General Electric Credit Union.
Links for the Job Ads
Gannet Co: https://www.indeed.com/q-Social-Media-l-Cincinnati,-OH-jobs.html?
vjk=bcf3a10032d49063
GE Credit Union: https://www.indeed.com/q-Social-Media-l-Cincinnati,-OH-jobs.html?
vjk=27db1c6bce8a6790

Gannett Co.
Gannett Co is a subscription-based, digitally focused media company. They provide a variety of
marketing services to their clients which are primarily based out of the US and the UK. This job
specifically is for The Cincinnati Enquirer part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, a company
which is one of Gannett Co’s most notable clients.
Responsibilities/Duties

 Help manage and develop the Enquirer’s various social media accounts.
 Help the Enquirer reach new audiences on emerging social platforms.
 Pitch and produce visual content for the Enquirer’s social media platforms.
 Collaborate with reporters and editors on social graphics and plans for enterprise
projects.
 Monitor social media trends for content ideas.
 Brainstorm and pitch ways to drive up audience engagement via user generated
content.
 Lead newsletter and push alert strategies.
 Use analytics and surveys to learn more about the Enquirer’s audience is and how to
reach them.

Qualifications
  Bachelor's or master’s in communications, journalism or an equivalent combination
of education and experience.
 1-3 years’ experience managing social media accounts for a news organization.
 Experience creating visual news graphics optimized for social
 Experience working with Canva or similar graphic design tools.
 Experience using social management tools such as Social News Desk.
 Experience working with Instagram, TikTok or other emerging social platforms and
features is a plus.
 Employment is contingent on passing a pre-employment, post-offer background
check.

General Electric Credit Union

The General Electric Credit Union is a large not for profit credit union based out of the greater
Cincinnati area that was started in 1954 for employees of General Electric Aircraft Engines
(Though its members are not limited to those employees). They specialize in various banking
and financial services for both individuals and businesses.

Responsibilities/Duties

 Manages social platforms, social listening, and community management across

various platforms; Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Nextdoor, etc.
 Develops engaging content to promote increased engagement in online communities.
Manages social media content calendar (paid and organic), incorporating promotions,
product launches, events, and community outreach initiatives.
 Develops, optimizes, and reports on paid social media ad campaigns.
 Tracks key performance metrics and provide weekly and monthly reports and
campaign recaps to team leadership. Recommend improvements and identify growth
opportunities.
 Monitors and responds to online reviews on Google, Yelp, BBB, etc. Monitor and
track star ratings using strategies to improve brand reputation and build brand
awareness.

Qualifications

 A Bachelor’s degree in related field and minimum one year experience in a

professional setting.
 A passion for consumer engagement within social channels to drive results and meet
goals.
 Is experienced with making data-driven decisions using analytics and campaign
specific reports.
 Has exceptional written and oral communication skills; strong grammar skills
required.
 Has the ability to manage multiple projects and tight deadlines with a positive,
proactive attitude.
  Embodies and promotes our Core Values: honesty, accountability, teamwork, and
solutions focused.

Conclusion
The duties involved by these jobs are almost identical. Both involve managing the company’s
social media presence, trying to grow said presence, produce content for their social media
accounts, and monitoring the public opinion of the company while trying to maintain an
audience. The biggest difference in responsibilities seems to be that the credit union specifically
wants performance metrics and reports.

The qualifications are also relatively similar; however, the GE credit union has fewer specific
requirements that Gannett Co’s. Gannet specifically states what kind of degrees they want and
what software they want you to have experience with whereas the GE credit union wants more
general things and only specifies “A Bachelor’s degree in related field” for education. GE’s
method gives working room for what they want which could give them a wider job pool, while
Gannett’s more specific approach gives prospective employees a better look at what they need to
know how to do.

I’d say I’m equally qualified for both jobs, but I’m missing certain things that would allow me to
get both. I need to finish my degree and acquire enough work experience for both jobs. Gannett
Co especially since it requires 1-3 years of experience in the field while also already maintaining
a job before being able to be hired. This can only really be remedied by getting other social
media jobs with lower requirements.

As for which of these jobs appeals to me more, I’d say probably the GE credit union job, but it
isn’t for any reason that I’d consider all that important. It is mostly because my grandfather
worked with General Electric Aircraft Engines and because I have a checking account with the
credit union. Also, their bar for entry is a little lower than with Gannett Co, not possibly
requiring 3 years of experience. The only thing that might sway me more towards Gannett is that
the GE credit union might require more number crunching.