That one Saturday led to a 12-week course and then another and another. Can a baby boomer really succeed in a field with "digital natives?" The answer is yes, but maybe not in the way you would think. I want to know everything there is to know and do everything there is to do in Social Media. My realization that I never will is how I came up with my business name "PinkyonthePulse.com." I recognize that there will always be someone who knows more than me. Some of them are 5th graders.
I decided to pursue more education and thought about taking an MBA program in Social Media Marketing through the University of Florida. I was ready to sign on board, rack up major student loan debt and take an 18 month course. That would certainly give me the credentials over most digital natives who are already up to their eyeballs in student loan debt and not likely to go to this new level.
There was one little hurdle I had to jump over—the GRE. Seriously, someone with 30 years of business experience has to pass the GRE to take a virtual MBA program? Don't you really just want my credit card? The answers are yes and yes. To make it into the fall program I had two weeks to study for the GRE before my deadline. I tried, I really did. I was fairly confident in the Analytical Writing and Verbal Reasoning portions, but Quantitative Reasoning, really? The last time I had to solve for x and y people still looked like the guy on this GRE Prep Guide.
By the grace of Social Media itself I had a true Twitter epiphany. I tweeted to @markwschaefer, author of "The Tao of Twitter," that I had enjoyed his seminars. I noticed on his site that he taught at Rutgers University Center for Management Development. I said this program looked interesting and he answered back in impressive social media response time and offered me a discount. Rutgers offers a program in several topics brilliantly called a "mini-MBA." Their Social Media Marketing mini-MBA was the perfect fit for me. Ten intensive weeks of everything I needed to know. The price was considerably less than a full MBA and no GRE was required, just the credit card part.
The best part was that it was all done virtually through a new iPad that Rutgers sent me. I love my iPhone and use it for everything, but I felt like I got new glasses when I started using the iPad. Finally,
I can see the appeal of Pinterest. Who knew there were so many things to do with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls!
My Rutgers CMD course consisted of 9 Modules, each taught by a Social Media professional including Mark W. Schaefer, Neal Schaffer, Robert Petersen, Mark Burgess, Mike Moran, Greg Jarboe, Glen Gilmore, David Berkowitz and Mark Mueller-Eberstien. These guys know their stuff. (Note to Rutgers CMD: There are a lot of notable female instructors out there too!) I spent hours listening to the best in the business. I created a SMM plan for a local yoga studio, LiveYoga Wellness (@liveyogawellnes fb.com/liveyogawellness ) and got an A on my final exam and project. For those who followed my Financial Planning days, you know that was not the case!
Sometime during my 10 week course I downloaded the App "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" Well, it turns out as I suspected that I am not. Some days I am not even as smart as a 1st grader (tell me an example of a word that is a diphthong.) So I will keep learning and taking classes and webinars so I can be one of the best in my field...or at least as smart as a 5th grader.
#Education #RutgersCMD #SocialMediaMarketing
