University of Michigan to hire social media 'thought leader' after 1st director resigns due to inaccurate resume
A screen shot of the @UMichstudents Twitter page.
The Ann Arbor school posted an opening for a social media director on its job postings website Wednesday.
The position is advertised as paying between $85,000 and $100,000 and requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.
Former U-M social media director Jordan Miller resigned in December after it was revealed that she did not graduate from Columbia College or obtain a four-year degree as she had stated on her job application and resume.
Miller, who earned $100,000 a year, was hired in February 2012. The newly created position was posted on October 2011 and advertised as paying between $90,000 and $110,000 and requiring a bachelor's degree.
Jordan Miller
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
"I acknowledge that I made a mistake, and I'm very sorry," Miller, a former advertising copywriter and Ann Arbor journalist, said in December.
The posting requires the candidate to "have an established digital footprint" and "be recognized as a thought leader and have an unquestionable passion about this work, with a proven track record demonstrating community management and brand strategy."
Duties, according to the posting, include developing a social media strategy, making "U-M a notable personality that's follow-worthy and likable," constructing "a listening framework," and monitoring and commenting "on trends in social media," among other tasks.
The director, described in the posting as the "university's primary social media advocate," will supervise a social media specialist and interns. He or she will be charged with drafting a social media brand style guide, according to the posting.
The hire will be supervised by U-M Vice President for Global Communications Lisa Rudgers, whose idea it was to create the position.
In a Q & A in November, Miller said that over the course of a year U-M's Twitter followers had grown from 2,400 to 27,000 and said the school was averaging 10,000 likes a month on Facebook.
The opening closes on February 13.
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.
Comments
Ann23
Sat, Jan 26, 2013 : 1:30 a.m.
So much animosity and unforgiving statements about somebody who lied on a resume yet so much understanding and talk of forgiveness for somebody who chose to get drunk and then drive, therefore risking the lives of anybody who crossed their path. I don't get it.
Ann23
Sat, Jan 26, 2013 : 1:31 a.m.
Forgot the link for those who don't know what I'm talking about... http://www.annarbor.com/news/crime/man-who-killed-veterans-advocate-gary-lillie-ill-never-forgive-myself/
BhavanaJagat
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 4:18 p.m.
The Spirit of Freedom: I describe human 'spirit' as the potency that gives the ability to generate creative and original thoughts. That creativity stops if external conditions are imposed on the mind. University may specify the need for a degree or equivalent experience, but cannot truly find a 'thought leader' to run its social media. A leader may have a following, but I would not like to aspire for the position of thought leadership, if I have to follow the rules of the game established by other entities.
Andrew
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 5:46 a.m.
I'd recommend as an interview question. "How do you deal with situations like the commentary on this post on Annarbor.com"?
lorayn54
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 4:03 a.m.
still trying to understand how the phrase "abruptly resigned amid an inaccurate resume, " got into this publication. What could that possibly mean?
Peter Klaver
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 4:56 p.m.
@Kellie - Be prepared for the wrath of those who insist that "due to" modifies a noun, not a verb!
Kellie Woodhouse
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 4:09 p.m.
Journalism isn't dead, just perfect grammar. I agree, the wording can be improved. So I've changed amid to 'due to.'
Unusual Suspect
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 12:55 p.m.
It means journalism is dead.
Unusual Suspect
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 2:32 a.m.
Almost as prestigious a position as a "Community Engagement Officer!"
arborani
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 4:03 a.m.
One step down from a Wedding Planner?
Kyle Mattson
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 3:53 a.m.
At your service Unusual Suspect :)
UtrespassM
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 1:12 a.m.
Hi Jordan Miller. UM has recreated this position specifically for you, no bachelor's degree is required this time.
A2Momx2
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 9:59 p.m.
Kellie--Please keep us informed when someone gets this position.
A2K
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 9:53 p.m.
Really...all you need is an open mind, a decent grasp on new technologies, and a BA or MA in Marketing/Analytics. Also needed: the ability to somehow get-along with the legions of UM attorneys and lunatic UM Brand Police. Not rocket science by a long-shot, but of course it's been inflated to gargantuan proportions as nobody at the top really understands/so it MUST be worth 100K!
A2Westsider
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 9:28 p.m.
Should've hired Lindsay B.
Sebastian
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 8:37 p.m.
Well I certainly hope they kept my resume on file
GoNavy
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 8:35 p.m.
I remember seeing Ms. Miller's resume that she had submitted for the original position. I was shocked by the paucity of experience and borderline professional irrelevance for the position. I cannot help but wonder what the hiring manager was thinking when hiring her, or what the other candidates looked like.
lorayn54
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 3:59 a.m.
would not be surprised if she was someone's friend/cousin/sister/etc and that is how she got the job. I've seen it happen here and in other places.
WalkingJoe
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 8:27 p.m.
I'm getting old. This whole article and the commentary is making me dizzy. I guess i am probably the only person who doesn't think that a "social media director" is a real job. Does this mean someone is actually going to be paid $100,000 a year to go on Facebook & Twitter, while others at UM will get fired? As they say "Who'd a thunk"?
WalkingJoe
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 9:19 p.m.
LOL. Yep, I missed that one. Guess I'll have to Facebook the music.
Macabre Sunset
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 9:08 p.m.
Did you somehow miss the inspiration speech from Bo Schembechler? "Those who tweet will become champions."
TheDiagSquirrel
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 7:46 p.m.
According to LinkedIn, Jordan Miller STILL works for U-M as a social media director. It's kind of ironic that someone that once was a social media director for one of the most recognizable universities can't even be bothered to update her online resume. www.linkedin.com/in/jordanbmiller
kris
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 2:47 a.m.
I wonder if Miller has found a new job yet. She seemed to have some support from the commentors when the original story of her fraud was published so I figured someone would hire her.
TheDiagSquirrel
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 10:25 p.m.
Djacks: It doesn't surprise me at all. But given Jordan Miller being mentioned in this article, I found it relevant information that people might be interested in.
djacks24
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 9:43 p.m.
Seeing as she lied on her resume too, why would this surprise you?
An Arborigine
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 8:21 p.m.
Likely claiming during her current interviews that she's still employed by UM.
jerrydog
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 7:37 p.m.
I would this this is the definition of GRAVY job...thought leader..what is that? 100k a year, no wonder our kids are graduating with hundreds of thousands in debt.... thought leader, I have a thought for them.
jerrydog
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 7:38 p.m.
cant type... I would say this is the difinition...geez..
John Pollard
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 7:15 p.m.
"I acknowledge that I made a mistake, and I'm very sorry," Miller, a former advertising copywriter and Ann Arbor journalist, said in December. __________________ I have become SO incensed at individual such as Ms. Miller terming a long-term serial lie "a mistake"! Ooops! Is it in your habit to carelessly lies nonstop? Ooops! Is is in your habit to lose control of your fingers at the keyboard while updating your resume? Ooops! You're STILL A LIAR ! ! !
YpsiGirl2
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 6:25 p.m.
I fail to see why you need to continually bring up Jordan while talking about this position.
Dr. Fate
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 7:55 p.m.
It's a follow up to why this job is open in the first place. It's relevant.
Nicholas Urfe
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 6:33 p.m.
Because she put herself in the news by her own actions.
FrankOZ
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 5:44 p.m.
That's a pretty juicy salary for someone with only a Bachelor's degree. Makes me wish I had more social media experience. I hope they find the appropriate qualified person.
Unusual Suspect
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 2:37 a.m.
It shouldn't be too hard. Most middle schools are heavily populated with people qualified for this position.
djacks24
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 9:18 p.m.
Sure is. Last person didn't even have a degree.
ordmad
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 5:43 p.m.
Wow. Headline is nuts. Jordan Miller didn't resign "amid an inaccurate resume" and in fact that makes no sense in even a 7th grade English class. I get why if someone like one of her parents wrote this story one would stretch to try and protect her reputation, though not why a supposedly "neutral" news organization would do so. Miller got caught lying on her resume and job application and that should rightly haunt her for a long, long time. Please stop protecting your own -- you lose all credibility in the process.
Unusual Suspect
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 2:36 a.m.
Now, let's be fair. Resigning "amid an inaccurate resume" could be correct... if she had her resume wrapper around her at the time of her resignation. Otherwise, you're right, it's horrible writing.
David
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 9:13 p.m.
Jordan's LinkedIn (still) shows she was *employed* at AnnArbor.com as: Lead Blogger AnnArbor.com July 2009 – November 2009 (5 months) Arts & Culture Writer Social Commentator Would that mean she is "inaccurate" on this too? ref: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanbmiller
Silly Sally
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 8:38 p.m.
Why not say it like it is? She lied on her resume and was fired!
Dr. Fate
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 8:07 p.m.
While your straightforward version, "Miller got caught lying (et cetera)... and that should rightly haunt her for a long, long time," is more entertaining, I think AA.com covered the story as any professional writers should.
John Pollard
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 7:21 p.m.
I agree w/ ormad....this reads like someone protecting their own.
Kyle Mattson
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 6:23 p.m.
HI ordmad- Just to clarify once again Jordan was never employed here at AnnArbor.com as a staffer, but was a contributing community writer for a few short months in the fall of 2009.
DBH
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 5:20 p.m.
From the story, "making 'U-M a notable personality that's follow-worthy and likable [sic],'..." Likable is a perfectly acceptable spelling of the word and does not deserve the "[sic]". "For the adjective meaning pleasant or attractive, writers from outside North America generally use likeable. Likable—without the first e—is the preferred spelling in U.S. English." See http://grammarist.com/spelling/likable-likeable/
DBH
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 6:03 p.m.
Thanks, Kellie, but I really wouldn't characterize "likeable" as antiquated in American English, either. For example, have a quick look at the Google Ngram for books in American English from 2000-2008 (2008 is the latest year searchable) comparing the frequency of "likable" and "likeable." More than 43% of the time "likeable" is the spelling used (I did the math using the frequencies displayed). That can't be described as antiquated. http://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=likable%2Clikeable&year_start=2000&year_end=2012&corpus=17&smoothing=3&share=
Kellie Woodhouse
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 5:49 p.m.
The posting originally used "likeable" which is an antiquated spelling of the word. I put the sic in there, but it appears "likeable" was changed to "likable" by someone else (or perhaps autocorrected by our system) so I've taken the sic out.
An Arborigine
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 4:37 p.m.
I'd wager there's a background and/or credentials check in the future of these applicants.
djacks24
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 9:16 p.m.
I wouldn't be so sure! Old habits (or political red tape procedures) die hard.
whojix
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 3:53 p.m.
Nice job title, I'm getting close to scoring my first office buzzwords bingo.
Dog Guy
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 3:52 p.m.
'thought leader' = a flack, a flack
Chip Reed
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 3:42 p.m.
@Kellie What does the picture of Melanie Maxwell have to do with this article? Or is that really Jordan Miller?
Kellie Woodhouse
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 4:16 p.m.
Yes, thanks Jess. Melanie's photo credit accidentally appeared in the caption area. That has been fixed.
Jessica Webster
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 4 p.m.
The photo of Jordan Miller was taken by AnnArbor.com photographer Melanie Maxwell.
Ghost of Tom Joad
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 3:42 p.m.
"thought leader" is the most ridiculous title I have ever seen.
glacialerratic
Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 12:19 a.m.
As a job requirement, "thought leader" (whatever that is) achieves a new standard in the history of irony. Maybe this refers to a position in the Church of Scientology. But in the University (which is not a "school") thought leaders are found in the departments of philosophy, history, economics, chemistry, or the dozens of other academic departments of the University. This is a position for a flack who can dish out spin in 140 character mini-bites. And how can one be "amid an inaccurate resume"? Nice image. And Miller was an Ann Arbor.com journalist, if that's the right term. Maybe that should be acknowledged.
Ken
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 5:22 p.m.
"Thought Police" might be a better title.
Kellie Woodhouse
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 4:17 p.m.
It's not officially called 'thought leader.' The title is actually social media director. Being a 'thought leader' seems to be one of the requirements. From the posting: "The Social Media Director must be recognized as a thought leader and have an unquestionable passion about this work, with a proven track record demonstrating community management and brand strategy. He or she must have a finger on the pulse of emerging technology and mobile trends."
JBK
Thu, Jan 24, 2013 : 4:07 p.m.
Kind of like "community organizer" ? :) lol She/he can run for President in 4 years. You realize that!:)