The group of students sat at their computers in anticipation waiting for what their social media content creation course was going to bring them. They are met with their professor A.J. Chiarella, also a musician, and the owner of The 914 Collective who is ready to give his students the ins and outs of for students who want to start creating impactful social media content to let their voices be heard.

“It starts with self-awareness. You first have to know who you are and what you love,” Chiarella states.

***

Social media has become a huge factor in every aspect of the job industry. It has paved the way for employers to find new hires and a way for new hires to find employers more sufficiently. But it has also opened many doors for those who want to take control of their careers and be their own boss.

Nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide use social media, and it was only a matter of time before recruiters had to join in on these platforms to build their teams.

According to Apollo Technical Engineered Talent Solutions, over 84 percent of companies are recruiting new hires through social media with another nine percent of companies who never recruited through the media, but now plan to.

Recently, social media has become an important tactic for when it comes to screening these candidates for new job positions. About seventy percent of hiring managers have successfully found employees through social media and believe every company should be screening their profiles when considering hiring them. Screening social media can be an important tactic for hiring managers as they may not want to hire a candidate due to something they find on a person’s profile that they may not want their business to affiliate.

Apollo Technical also says, “The Harris poll found that 21 percent of hiring decision-makers … said they are not likely to consider a candidate without a social media presence.”

However, social media has come to influence more than just hiring and applicant screening. It has opened the door for thousands of people who want to become an entrepreneur and own their own business, create a brand for themselves, and build their own community.

A.J. Chiarella is a prime example of the endless opportunities that one can come across with social media.

Chiarella is a musician, company owner, and an adjunct professor at Mercy University who has made quite the name for himself. At Mercy, he teaches a course on Social Media Content Creation.

Just over a year ago, Prof. Jay Zalinger, the Communication Arts Program Director, wanted to add this type of course to the curriculum. During this time, Chiarella was working as the part-time night manager for the recording studios, and his name had come up because he is someone who had built a large social following.

“Social media is a communication tool that allows you to build a brand around yourself and your passions. It positions you as the person people think of when opportunities arise,” Chiarella stated, he was excited to have the chance to come in and create a curriculum centered around this.

The course gives students the opportunity to explore the elements that make short-form videos successful, including content planning, shooting, editing, branding, and audience engagement.

Aside from the technical aspects of the course, the main goal is to make students realize that they truly can build a life and career around whatever they love most.

“Whether it’s sports, music, helping people, politics, law, comic books—really anything—social media can enable them to build a brand around their interests and work toward a career they absolutely love. The days of being stuck in a job you hate are over. Take advantage of the opportunities!”

But how did he get here?

“Just like many people, when the pandemic hit, he had a lot of time on his hands while being at home.

“I put my energy into learning how to create short-form content for TikTok in 2020 and grew a page from scratch to what is now 86,000 followers. From there, I decided to start a local media company called The 914 Collective, which has since grown to nearly 80,000 followers,” Chiarella said.

He always knew he wanted to start his businesses, and social media has given him the opportunity to be creative and work on things that he loves for a living.

The 914 Collective is a space where the positive aspects within the community of Westchester County, NY are highlighted through content and media.

“I want to use this website and my social media platforms to help create media and content that drives a positive narrative for Westchester County. Something that showcases the different people, businesses, artists, musicians, whatever it may be.” Chiarella said.

Since starting this company, The 914 Collective has been something that has continuously opened doors for him because of the sense of community he built.

“When people know you, like you, and trust you, they’ll want to work with you. I feel as if I can transform it into whatever I want it to be, and that thought is super exciting. I get to do something positive for the community while also pursuing the things I love.” Chiarella stated.

Through impactful social media content creation, it lead him to having opportunities he never imagined he would have, like playing at the biggest rock festivals in the country, teaching a class at Mercy, pursuing his music career, or working as a marketer for companies like Yonkers Brewing Company.

Waking up every day and getting to work on projects he truly enjoys is something he is extremely grateful for. With an inbox filled with messages and emails from people who want to collaborate with him, Chiarella says he has social media to thank for all of it.

Like all careers, of course it wasn’t so easy to grow to the top right away. It was a lot of trial and error when he started taking social media seriously in 2020 before getting to where he is today.

“I created over 200 videos that went absolutely nowhere,” Chiarella stated. Through that process, he learned everything he knows now, which led to the next 200 videos which helped him create his first big following online.

“There are a lot of ups and downs in marketing. It’s all about being creative and testing, but the journey and challenges are what make it fun.” Chiarella said.

Chiarella is just one person who is an example of how powerful of a communication tool social media is to get into any field.

“Whether you use it to build your own business or to create a personal brand that helps you land the job of your dreams, social media can be the reason you wake up every day excited to pursue your career.” Chiarella exclaimed.

Chiarella took the time to give out some insightful advice to those looking to turn something small into something big on social media but may be nervous or not know where to start.

“It starts with self-awareness. You first have to know who you are and what you love. The main reason people don’t post is because they care about what others think,” Chiarella stressed.

Once one is truly self aware, know what they are about, and what they want to accomplish, it becomes easier to not care what others think.

“There will always be people who don’t like what you do; your job is to be authentic and find the people who love what you do.” Chiarella proclaimed.

Stay tuned for an upcoming New Years Eve event being held at Yonkers Brewing that will be announced on his Instagram soon and keep an eye out for the new community app that will be released as well.

If you are interested in joining A.J. Chiarella on his journey, you can find him on his Instagram Page @the914collective.