TikTok your career

Posted on 13 March 2023 • Career planning, Networking and social media

More than ever, there is a wealth of careers advice online that OU students may use to help steer their career. We hope our on-demand webinars on social media networking and LinkedIn guide will help you navigate your cyber-presence, as well as our recent LinkedIn: standing out from the crowd session which was hosted by the OU and run by EMBRACE, Microsoft’s Black, Asian and minority ethnic outreach programme. In recent years, however, the new kid on the social media block, TikTok, has captured a lot of attention. It’s become so popular for everything from marketing make-up to managing health issues, from cat videos to… career planning.

I’ve heard of TikTok, but what exactly is it?

TikTok is a video sharing platform that has gained huge attention in recent years and has now been installed over 3.5 billion times on devices worldwide. The platform has become particularly popular with the younger Millennials and Generation Z (teenagers and twenty-somethings).

What’s it got to do with career development, isn’t it just bizarre and often random videos?

Well yes, it has those sorts of videos, but it can also provide insight into a range of careers. You’ll find a wide range of ‘day in the life’ videos featuring electricians, hiring managers to IT professionals, living various career paths across the globe. There are also self-styled ‘career gurus’ offering advice which may vary considerably in quality – more on that shortly. Of course there is no substitute for professional careers guidance and as an OU student we have you covered with our vast range of self-service resources, group workshops and employer panel events and professionally qualified individual support, but TikTok can be a place to share experiences and learn from others.

TikTok as a career

Some people aspire to become ‘Content Creators’ and use platforms such as TikTok to generate an income, either from TikTok’s monetisation streams or using videos to promote an existing business. Equally, TikTok as a company may provide an enticing career path for anyone interested in working for a social media giant. Roles range from research and development, to operations, design and marketing, to name a few. Check out our OU career planning tools to help you discover the types of roles that best match your qualifications, skills, strengths and interests.

CIA – Investigate the risks of TikTok career advice like a detective

Jumping in to learn, share and create may sound like a win: win. However, as a careers guidance professional, it’s my duty to highlight a few potential pitfalls. Become an expert TikTok investigator with my CIA checklist:

1. Context
   Does the context fit? Social media platforms are global. Information is often context specific. You might hear boasts of huge earnings and how brilliant a role can be. What may not be clear is what location and circumstances this applies to.
2. Intention
   What are the user’s intentions? Check for the TikToker’s hidden interests. You’ll find lots of videos offering advice on ‘get rich quick’ ideas and lucrative side hustles. Usually there are no quick wins or easy money gains, so make sure to evaluate any claims with a healthy dose of scepticism.
3. Accuracy
   Assess whether the information, insight and advice is accurate. This is where your critical digital literacy comes into play. As a higher education student, you’re learning how to evaluate information sources to check for provenance, reliability and validity, and this approach applies to social media content too.

Get inspired by TikTok but get the real deal

TikTok is an entertaining source of all sorts of insights into a range of careers, but always remember that as an OU student, Careers and Employability Services’ professionally qualified support is here for you throughout your studies and for up to three years after you qualify.

Leigh Fowkes is an OU Careers and Employability Consultant specialising in supporting WELS students. Leigh helps students navigate their futures, figure out their goals and build their confidence and skills to achieve them through one-to-one careers consultations and by designing career learning events and resources for the OU. Explore the rest of Careers Stories page for more articles from the Careers and Employability Services team.