Social media: Pink slip solution?

There are many things I hope to experience in my career as a public relations professional: being hired, moving up the corporate ladder, landing my dream job, leaving my mark on an organization. One thing I hope I never experience? Getting fired. It’s a situation I’m sure we all work tirelessly on to avoid. Yet, for some professionals a bad break heads your way and luck just doesn’t seem to be your friend. For Tyler Durbin, a young public relations professional in Columbus, that bad break arrived at his doorstep about a week ago.

Disclaimer: I do not know Tyler Durbin on a personal level. I spoke with him about a week ago at a conference, but that is it. Therefore, I cannot comment on why he was fired or reasoning behind the decisions. However, this blog serves as a space for what I can comment on: his reaction to the unfortunate situation.

When fired, people seem to turn to various things: excuses, hiding places, or maybe the large gallon of ice cream in the freezer. The item most people probably don’t think to turn to is social media. Apparently Tyler Durbin is not most people. About an hour after being fired, Tyler recorded a personal video on his instant reaction to this situation. Tyler chose to go public with the personal video a few days later on his blog. The video log proved to only be the start of his social media campaign. A few days later, this upbeat, inspiring video was posted, proving not only that Tyler has a positive attitude, but knows a thing or two about the power of social media.

These videos evoke various feelings in me. Discomfort. Sympathy. Curiosity. For some I know it creates negative feelings, viewing the videos as unnecessarily awkward glances into a situation that is all too personal. But you know what? We are all watching. No matter how you choose to react, you watch the video all the way through and learn Tyler’s story. This guy knows how to grab attention in a way that counts. Can you think of a better way to make a noticeable splash into a field fueled by social media? I sure can’t.

Regardless of whether you view this as a smart or harmful life decision, I think Tyler helps prove the overwhelming power a creative and thoughtful social media campaign can have on a public. If you play the right cards, you can have a viral hit on your hands. Time will tell, but I have a feeling Tyler will have few job offers in his hand soon.