As an intern, I work Monday – Friday, 10-6, doing overtime every night. I basically run the social media accounts, as well as writing and researching scripts for our presenters. I am not an understudy to anybody nor am I really being taught how to use social media. Essentially, I am in charge.
What this means, is I can do or say anything , and it is the voice of the company. I could say some really horrible stuff, racist, sexist, homophobic, even that Miley Cyrus is a slag, and it would be the opinion of Airfi. (But I don’t, obviously.)
Essentially, what I mean to say is that most Social Media Managers are paid not to do that. They are paid to be the responsible voice of the company. And that’s a worthwile job to do – I mean its free publicity, it’s how your company engages with the public.
Yet I’m not paid.
I have found that a lot of the older generation are shocked and appalled by this, whereas people my age see it as what you have to do to get a job nowadays. Most of the over 40′s are angered by this (mainly because they didn’t think of it first), complaining that it is exploiting young people (which to be fair, it kind of is). One man even said to me, ‘When the revolution comes, these people will be the first to be shot‘.
And it’s fair enough. I mean, our company is getting all its digital marketing for the price of my train fare. And there are millions of people out there who need well paying jobs, when so many companies are getting their labor so cheaply.
But then again, its what I have to do. I need the experience. And it is good experience, it will do no end of good, having professional experience on my CV. I feel so helpless. I hate that this is able to happen, but yet I allow it to. I am sorry.
(God I hope I don’t get sacked now.)