December 11, 2008

Top Twitters to Follow as a Job Seeker

Twitter is described as social network where members posts "micro-blogs" in 140 characters or less. It's a great way to connect with all different types of people both personally and professionally. "Tweets" which are the actual micro-blog posts can be viewed by your entire network. Your personal tweets and bio can be viewed by Twitter members and by anyone with a direct link (Visit mine at www.twitter.com/blogging4jobs) from your profile. Twitter is like a ever-evolving chat room that you as a Twitter member can control expanding and adding to as you find members and members find you that want to connect.

For those new to Twitter, understanding and navigating its landscape like any new Web 2.0 service can take some time, but with a couple google searches you can find some great blog resources that make navigating the "Twitter Nation" much easier.

Twitter is a great service that allows you to stay connected with old friends, business prospects, recruiters, and persons of interest can be used to get you a leg up in the job search.

There has been much discussion on the blogs and other internet sites about using Twitter in your job search. A google search can provide you with countless blogs posts and comments from job seekers and recruiters who have used Twitter with great success. The key to using Twitter in this way like any social networking site is to build your network, make relationships and post often and in a meaningful way. Twitter is not a social networkig tool where you can create a large following overnight leading you to multiple job opportunities. Like any type of social networking traditional or non-traditional, these things take time.

So while you are building your Twitter network, here are a few of my favorite Twitters to follow. These Twitterers are experts in the areas of the job search, career strategies, personal branding and networking. Not only are they very active with their posts on Twitter but most have a great website or blog that can provide job seekers additional information about the job search.

Listed in no particular order:
  • @ChrisRussell Chris has roughly 165 followers. He has a great website called Secrets of the Job Hunt. His site serves as a social networking site, job board, and resource for job seekers all in one. Recruiters and job searches can engage and network in multiple ways. His newest project is http://jobradio.fm/ that provides podcasts all about the job search.
  • @Keppie_Careers Miriam Salpeter is a career coach and resume writer that has an excellent blog at http://www.keppiecareers.com/. She has 351 followers on Twitter.
  • @DailyCareerTips has over 600 followers. Author Susan Strayer provides a daily career tip on her Twitter. Her blog, Kaleidioblog and website provide more quick tips.
  • @ResearchGoddess Amybeth Hale has over 1,329 followers. Her blog Research Goddess discusses social media and how it is used in the recruiting process.
  • @JasonAlba Jason Alba is the founder of Jibber Jobber, a career management internet site that allows the candidate to track every aspect of their job search. His site includes an excellent blog and jibber jobber library. Jason has 1,417 followers.

If you are new to Twitter and trying to navigate the Twitter Nation, check out a couple blog posts and articles that I, myself have found helpful.

  • Twit Tips The site SolidMentor has a segment called Twit Tips that provides information and updates regarding Twitter and its applications.
  • Site Masher Great post explaining the Twitter shorthand (similar to texting) and applications that compliment Twitter.

As always, don't forget to follow @Blogging4jobs on Twitter. Happy Tweeting!