• Drupal developer wanted. Must have 8 years experience with Drupal or similar Open Source CMS.
• Client needs a Workpress programmer. Required skills include C++ and/or Visual Basic.
• Social Media Manager. Looking for a Facebook and MySpace guru with 5+ years experience and a BS in Social Media. Master's preferred.

"New Media" jobs are hot. We've seen the power of connecting directly to our clients, constituents and pretty much everyone through blogging and social networking applications on the web. Now businesses and organizations are trying to figure out how to make effective use of these technologies to expand their reach, improve customer relations and take control of the online conversation.

Search the big job boards and you'll find plenty of postings seeking people with experience using online networking applications like Twitter or Facebook, or those who know how to install and customize a WordPress or Drupal site. It's a great time to be involved with new media.

So who's writing these ridiculous job descriptions? Excepts from three of them are above, and they'd be funny if they weren't also real. Eight years experience with Drupal? I think there's only one person on Earth with that qualification. Workpress? Is that another startup that sounds like WordPress, or was someone not listening very closely? C++ and VB are great, but what do they have to do with WordPress? And five years experience with Facebook and MySpace? Good luck with that, not to mention finding someone with a Master's in Social Media.

The HR departments that posted these jobs were faced with something new and strange, and apparently tried to apply existing requirements for "normal" jobs like Programmer or Network Administrator to these new positions. The problem is new media is developing so quickly, and the demand for professionals to work in the field so great, that old expectations don't apply. In some cases, the best qualified person for some of these jobs may not have graduated from high school. It's tough to get used to the idea you're going to have to pay someone under the age of twenty-five a wage approaching $50.00 an hour - and they may not even have a Bachelor's degree!

If you're hiring, flexibility and curiosity are keys to look for from applicants. The most important qualification anyone can demand from a new media hire is the ability to think creatively, because as the field continues to grow, the person you hire will have to be able to adapt to those changes. Having a genuine curiosity about other people and now they think and react is important, too (maybe a new use for a psychology or sociology degree?).

Companies that can think outside of the box when looking for new media candidates will be rewarded in the long run. Those that reject candidates for not matching unreasonable requirements may find it hard to find anyone to fit their needs, at a time when the potential benefits of new media and social networking is so great.

Photo credit: Maare Liiv, Estonia (www.sxc.hu)