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.

“You’re on Facebook?!”

This is the question that my 21-year-old brother asked me when he found out that I was on Facebook. I asked him to be my “friend” and a few hours later I got the frantic phone call. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was not pleased. I explained to him that I was introduced to the social network by a coworker and felt compelled to see what it was all about. Since I am in the advertising industry, I wanted to learn how brands were interacting with consumers, what the ads looked like and what possibilities were out there for other brands. I promised that I would not check out his pictures and not ask to be “friends” with any of his college buddies at Emory University. I lied. Checking out his pictures and learning about how he spends his weekends at the frat house and bars was truly entertaining. As his older and wiser sister, I felt it was important to tell him that the employed-folks, such as hiring managers and bosses also belong to these social networking sites and they’re out to find out information about prospective candidates. A person on an interview can tell one side of the story, but a profile on Facebook or MySpace can truly tell the other side of the story. That one piece of advice hit home with my brother. The next day all the pictures were off and a lovely, smiling, clean shaved face was the new profile picture. Needless to say, I was relieved.

Besides the “friending” aspect of Facebook, there is a long list of activities to participate in. Spending more time on the social network and reading about the new trends for the future enticed my appetite to get more involved. In a previous blog, I mentioned the various applications that Gillette has for their fan base. However, the reality is that there are many brands on Facebook and more people are getting hooked. Additionally, in Social Networks: Five Consumer Trends for 2009, a recent eMarketer report explains that the social networking audience is growing rapidly. According to the study, “In 2008, 79.5 million people, or 41% of the US Internet user population, visited social network sites at least once a month, an 11% increase from 2007. By 2013, an estimated 52% of Internet users will be regular social network visitors.”


While there is steady growth in the number of people getting hooked to these social networking sites, there has to be something in it for the brands. Are they actually making money? Are they satisfied with consumers just interacting with their brand? Do they think that consumers will try their product simply because they put a fun interactive game on Facebook?

I recently read an article in Ad Age Digital that answered some of my questions at best. I thought it was worth sharing since I am sure many people have similar questions. The article explains that Facebook’s strategy has been focused on growth at the expense of advertising. However, Facebook is testing new models to gauge consumer interaction.

I don’t know about other people, but I like going on the site to check out what my friends are up to. I stay within my own community of friends and love to read their updates and see new pictures of their family and children. To date, I have a Friendster account and a Facebook account. I am on the verge of cancelling my Friendster account and have no interest in signing up for a MySpace account. Ask me in a few months if my account status has changed.