Get Set Up on Twitter - In Ten Minutes Or Less
A Tool For Job Seekers There's a huge buzz out there in the world of social networking, and it goes by the name of Twitter.
If you're on MySpace, Facebook, or LinkedIn, this may at first glance, appear to be "more of the same.
" A closer review of it's properties reveal that this is an application that is worthwhile weather you are a small business person attempting to utilize additional channels for marketing, or you are a job seeker, looking to connect with quality hiring managers and recruiters.
If you're not familiar with how Twitter works, here's how to get started in about ten minutes time: 1.
Go to Twitter's homepage, and click on the sign up button.
When you select a user name, keep in mind that this is the name that others will see when you communicate with them.
Basically, what I'm saying here is if you are a professional looking to be hired as Finance Director at an International Bank, you may not want to have the Twitter alias of "hotpants69.
" 2.
Upload a good picture of yourself.
Especially when you're job hunting, it's important that you aren't pictured doing any activity that you would not want to be brought up during your face to face interview.
If you don't have a good picture in the photo album archives, put on your "Sunday's best," and have your significant other or friend take a digital head shot.
Try to stand in front of a plan wall, so that the background won't be a distraction from your appearance.
3.
Click on the Device tab in Settings, and you can send and receive text messages from followers.
My first reaction to this was - NO WAY! Why would I want to have to deal with voicemail, email, and now an abundance of text messages? Trust me, as you use Twitter, you'll see how handy it is for an HR director or your Recruiter to send you a quick text to let you know the date and time of your interview.
This is just one example - you can use this to your full advantage.
4.
Click on the Notices tab in Settings, to control how much communication you receive.
Here, you can choose whether you want to receive a reminder email if you haven't updated your status within the last 24 hours, and you can approve or deny whether you want to receive notices when you have a new follower, direct text emails, and the newsletter.
5.
Click on the Design tab in Settings, and either pick an available theme, or choose your customized background and colors.
Get creative, but when you're attempting to land a job - go professional.
It's common sense, but again, you want to stay away from posting that background picture that shows you and your buddies in a drunken stooper last weekend.
Another good rule of thumb, if your mother wouldn't approve of the picture, just save it in your personal photo album.
Even though it may seem overwhelming with the large volumes of social networking tools that are out there, it's important to pick and choose those sites that are going to provide you with results.
If your goal is to find a new job in this economy, you can't afford not to give Twitter a try.
If you're on MySpace, Facebook, or LinkedIn, this may at first glance, appear to be "more of the same.
" A closer review of it's properties reveal that this is an application that is worthwhile weather you are a small business person attempting to utilize additional channels for marketing, or you are a job seeker, looking to connect with quality hiring managers and recruiters.
If you're not familiar with how Twitter works, here's how to get started in about ten minutes time: 1.
Go to Twitter's homepage, and click on the sign up button.
When you select a user name, keep in mind that this is the name that others will see when you communicate with them.
Basically, what I'm saying here is if you are a professional looking to be hired as Finance Director at an International Bank, you may not want to have the Twitter alias of "hotpants69.
" 2.
Upload a good picture of yourself.
Especially when you're job hunting, it's important that you aren't pictured doing any activity that you would not want to be brought up during your face to face interview.
If you don't have a good picture in the photo album archives, put on your "Sunday's best," and have your significant other or friend take a digital head shot.
Try to stand in front of a plan wall, so that the background won't be a distraction from your appearance.
3.
Click on the Device tab in Settings, and you can send and receive text messages from followers.
My first reaction to this was - NO WAY! Why would I want to have to deal with voicemail, email, and now an abundance of text messages? Trust me, as you use Twitter, you'll see how handy it is for an HR director or your Recruiter to send you a quick text to let you know the date and time of your interview.
This is just one example - you can use this to your full advantage.
4.
Click on the Notices tab in Settings, to control how much communication you receive.
Here, you can choose whether you want to receive a reminder email if you haven't updated your status within the last 24 hours, and you can approve or deny whether you want to receive notices when you have a new follower, direct text emails, and the newsletter.
5.
Click on the Design tab in Settings, and either pick an available theme, or choose your customized background and colors.
Get creative, but when you're attempting to land a job - go professional.
It's common sense, but again, you want to stay away from posting that background picture that shows you and your buddies in a drunken stooper last weekend.
Another good rule of thumb, if your mother wouldn't approve of the picture, just save it in your personal photo album.
Even though it may seem overwhelming with the large volumes of social networking tools that are out there, it's important to pick and choose those sites that are going to provide you with results.
If your goal is to find a new job in this economy, you can't afford not to give Twitter a try.
