Need a Job? Join Twitter

If you’ve read some of my blog posts, you might have guessed that I’ve been cynical towards Twitter, the popular social networking site that allows people to send “Tweets.” However, as I read about the site’s popularity and listen to my colleagues opinions, and the benefits, I am starting to embrace it.

I came across an article on Forbes.com that demonstrated another important use — finding a job. The article indicates that while there are many social networking sites out there, Twitter especially has helped one lucky sole. Kyle Flaherty left his marketing position in Boston last spring determined to find an in-house public relations job. He tweeted about his decision and included a link to his professional blog, where he described the kind of work he was looking for. Within days his tweet was retweeted. That is, an acquaintance forwarded it--to his current boss. "I don't think I would have gotten this if not for Twitter," says Flaherty, who moved from Boston to Austin, Texas, for the new job last year with his then-pregnant wife and 2-year-old son.

Obviously not everyone will find their dream job by tweeting about it. But if people use Twitter and other sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn as a way to network with peers or hiring managers it would be a smart move. While many people use Twitter to tell others about their trivial activities and ramblings, there are clever ways it can be used to one’s advantage. The most clever Twitterers use it to comment on happenings in their professions. They follow industry leaders' tweets and even build informal relationships by following one another.

To get a better idea of how to use Twitter to find employment opportunities, Tara Weiss give her top tips:
1. Open an account and include something about your profession in your user name. Since users can search tweets by topic, that's one way of making your feed more visible.
2. Don’t blast people with a message saying that you’re out of work.
3. uild momentum slowly.
4. In the profile section, put a few lines about what you do professionally--that also helps your searchability.
5. Before you start tweeting, search for leaders in your industry, companies you'd like to work for and other potential professional contacts. Follow them. Many companies--especially in marketing, public relations and technology--use Twitter to post job openings, and a lot of hiring managers tweet too.
6. Start tweeting. Offer your opinion on news, industry happenings and seminars. If someone you follow, particularly an industry leader, says something controversial or interesting, retweet (forward) it, or send the person a direct response. That can be an ideal way to get a casual but more personal conversation going.
7. If you're following a hiring manager at a company you'd like to work for, observe what he or she writes and then tailor your tweets to comment on similar things.

For the millions of people looking for work, besides looking at Career Builder and the NY Times Job listings section, Twitter is one site you might want to check out. For more tips on how to use Twitter to your advantage in order to find work, check out the article here.

Corporate Culture Embraces Digital

Many world class brands are doing everything in their power to adapt to the digital world and various technologies. Additionally, many corporate organizations are doing their best to implement digital initiatives such as blogs, wikis and social networks. This seems like a no brainer. However, getting used to and embracing a digital mind-set is a different story for more traditional companies and upper management. Recently, at Ad Age’s Digital Conference in New York, top executives participated in a panel moderated by Nielsen Online's Pete Blackshaw to discuss the ways in which technology has changed their companies from both an internal and external standpoint.

According to Ad Age, the “How Technology Changes Your Company, Inside and Out” panel consisted of Josh Weiss, Managing Director, Delta.com, Self Service; Bob Kraut, VP Marketing Communications, Pizza Hut, Inc.; Pete Blackshaw, EVP Digital Strategic Services, Nielsen; and Michele Azar, VP, Emerging Channels, Best Buy. Each executive went into detail about how they have embraced various technologies, the steps to get approval and the outcomes.

Each executive had compelling ideas to share, which are worth noting. If traditional companies and top executives are not willing to adjust their mindset, then they are setting themselves up for failure. Case in point, Mr. Weiss was trying to help Delta move forward by creating a strong online presence. "That meant having a totally unconstrained area on the site where consumers could come and talk about our product good and bad and hopefully make helpful suggestions about our product," he said. For his efforts Mr. Weiss met with senior counsel and the head of communications and marketing, who were concerned that consumers could say anything they wanted about the airline. His retort: They already are, so why not be part of the conversation? "At that point we were just not ready for it from a corporate culture standpoint to have unfettered social media on delta.com," Mr. Weiss said. "So we ended up with a blog where we talk about our services and offerings. And we do have customer-posted feedback. So we got [management] there eventually but definitely not without hitting some bumps along the way."

In addition to listening to customers, it is crucial to listen to employees. Employees are also concerned about the overall success of the organization. As such, if they’re educated on new policies and digital initiatives, they can be your best cheerleaders. There are benefits to employees and senior executives if they are involved in an internal digital platform. Company leaders can be in contact with employees on the most local level so they can share best practices and real-time information about internal and consumer interactions. However, in order for brands and companies to interact via digital technologies there must be active participation and meaningful involvement. Ultimately, this means not only listening to customers and employees but taking action.

Check out Ad Age for more details on the other executive’s strategies and outcomes.

“Come down from your ivory tower!”

Cried the loyal customer’s and employees of Whole Foods to its CEO. In response, John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods did just that. The economy has deteriorated, the Whole Foods customers seek lower priced but high quality foods and its employee morale is down. In order to combat these problems, Mackey is taking one step at a time and not only putting his ear to the ground, he is taking action and getting his feet wet. A clear and steadfast step—he is back to blogging. When Janet Paskin interviewed the CEO in the February issue of SmartMoney, she asked him why he was back to blogging. “It’s fun. I really do believe that the 21st century CEO is going to be more accessible and transparent. I can’t just live in an ivory tower and expect to understand what’s going on,” said Mackey.

John Mackey is one of the many CEOs that have learned the benefits of participating in the blogosphere. These forward-thinking CEOs get to understand their customers and appreciate the fact that they’re involved and want to share their ideas. Time and time again, people have demonstrated that they want to share their ideas for products and services. These loyal customers can help the company by eliminating the guesswork. Not sure about a new product or feature? When in doubt, just ask your customers. Additionally, the company can also learn what the competition is doing.

If CEOs choose not to participate in the blogosphere, or don’t do a good job of participating, they are missing out on lucrative opportunities. Why would CEOs not want to get in on the fun? At the Forrester's Marketing Forum in 2008, Forrester Research Chairman and CEO George F. Colony shared the five things he's learned after blogging for just two months. His insights explain why CEOs might be frustrated with the process. Furthermore, his observations may help marketers frame the "should the CEO be blogging" discussion within their own organizations.

George’s top observations include:
1. No one is reading my blog.
2. Posting a blog entry is time consuming and I have to run a company.
3. The blog technology and software sucks.
4. It feels like I am talking into a dark vacated house—no one is there.
5. Where the hell is the money in this thing? Why are we giving all these insights and information away for free?

Check out this video for the full scoop.

If Twenty-somethings ‘Twitter,’ why are thirty-somethings bitter?

Entering your 20s is a very exciting time. Specifically, turning 21 years old is liberating because you’re finally allowed to enter a bar and smirk at the bouncer on the way in. Likely, you’re away at college and off the parental dole. But entering the twenty-something era allows you to encounter a whole set of new experiences, such as attending weddings, paying a mortgage, having children, climbing the corporate ladder and so on. Since this is my last year as a twenty-something year old, I wanted to share a few situations that have in fact made me feel excited to leave the 20s.

While in my 20s, I kept realizing that there were a few one liners that I kept hearing over and over again. It is quite possible that you’ve heard these too, so bear with me. Doting bride-to-be’s love to say this to their bridesmaids: “I love that bridesmaid dress on you and the best part about it is that you can wear it again!” I am definitely not alone in cringing when I heard this sentence since 27 dresses came out in theatres not too long ago and Katherine Heigl, the main actress felt my pain. However, she got lucky and made all her bridesmaids wear their own special creations to her wedding.

Next up, is when people find out that I am still in my 20s. They either think that I am extremely tech savvy or a die-hard member of all the social network sites. They expect me to know all the features, how brands interact within the network and what opportunities exist for them to get involved. While I do consider myself knowledgeable about technology in this networked society that we live in and belong to a few social network sites, I am by all means not an expert nor an enthusiastic.

This brings me to all the chatter and articles regarding Twitter. I have been avoiding the whole notion of Twitter, simply because I just don’t have the time to belong to yet another social networking site. Isn’t Friendster and Facbook enough?! Apparently not. So I decided to read the articles and even check out the intro video on Twitter. Recently, I read an eye-opening article in The New York Times, and as a result, I am re-thinking my negative thoughts towards the site. Although I completely agree with the author David Pogue when he says Twitter is “yet another one of those trendy Internet time drains,” I was surprised when I read his examples of Twitter in action. David explains that he was serving on a grant proposal committee, and watched as a fellow judge asked his Twitter followers if a certain project had been tried before. In 15 seconds, his followers replied with Web links to the information he needed. Again, I agree with David when he notes that the reality is that no email message, phone call or website could have achieved the same effect. I didn’t even realize the power that this site could have. This example changed my mind in thinking that the site was a teenage time-killer.

While many twenty-something year olds are active users of social networking sites, the reality is that many older generations are also hooked. There is no age limit to signing up for a site and participating. While turning 30 evokes a different set of feelings and stereotypes all together, the truth is that even though I might not be in the “know-it-all-age-range for social networks” once I turn 30; I will be required to stay up-to-date and sharp with digital trends and the ever-changing media landscape. Maybe it won’t be necessary for me to change my status six times a day though.



P.S. Although, I have not signed up for a Twitter account, I am definitely going to consider doing so. I might just feel over-the-hill if I don’t.