Having trouble finding a job these days?  Join the club.  However, more and more people are realizing the value of Twitter.  It’s no longer just about 140 word character blurbs.  In fact, Twitter may help you get a job.  Here are some tips on how:

5 Things to Consider When Finding a Job on Twitter

1. Revamp the Profile Appearance- If you still operate off of the original template that Twitter started you out with, shame on you! You’ll never attract any attention to yourself that way!  There are some great (and free) backgrounds that you can find here.
2. Join the Conversations- Twitter is all about tweeting your message to others, having them (hopefully) tweet back and then sharing that message with others.  You should be constantly engaging yourself with others.  The more you network and build up your online presence/reputation, the more people will notice you.
3. Using the Search Option- Twitter has it’s own search option where you can type in key words for what you’re looking for.  However, there is also something really cool called TwitterJobSearch, which is a search engine for twitter that was designed specifically for those out there who are seeking jobs.  Try it out and see how it goes! Tweetmyjobs is also useful.
4. Be Wary of Who You Follow- These days, most companies are jumping on the Twitter bandwagon.  If you’re interested in applying or have recently applied for a position with a particular company, don’t be afraid to follow them or to even send them a useful message on Twitter.  Also keep in mind that if you follow them, you’re probably going to want to hold off on the Tweets about when you last ate, brushed your teeth, etc…Also, you’ll want to follow people who you think will be most likely to follow you back, because let’s face it- no one thinks much of the person who is following 15,000 people but only has 3 following them back!
5. Use the Hashtags (#) & Make Your Message Count! There are a ton of job recruiters on Twitter nowadays.  Don’t be afraid to use your hashtags and represent your availability clearly when you tweet!

People You Should Be Following for Job-Related Stuff

• @microjobs
• @FindWorkSoon
• @mediabistrojobs
• @jobshouts
• @jacobshare
• @uvaucs
• @attjobs
• @MTVNetworksJobs
• @juicyjobs
• @SocialMediaJob
• @Web_Design_Jobs

For a more complete list of twitter jobs, Sarah Evans over at Mashable has a very nice list broken down into various categories.  To see the list, click here

Other Useful & Related Articles

• 5 Tips to Finding a Job on Twitter
• The Beginner’s Guide to Finding a Job With Twitter
• I Found My Job on Twitter
• Twitter 101: Get Yourself a New Job
• How David Murray Found a New Job Via Twitter

First people were getting Myspace fired, then they were getting Facebook fired…and then there was Twitter.  There is no doubt that Twitter is the hottest thing in Social Media at the moment, the idea being that you spout out whatever is on your mind…which can sometimes get you in trouble or even fired.  After all, you never know who is looking at your tweets!

140 Words or Less

Sure, there have been times when you may have been in the worst mood and didn’t even blink when you typed up your 140 character message to the rest of the twitterverse- or there may have been the time when, in your drunken stupor, you wrote something totally incoherent and moderately offensive, but now the tables have turned.  As Twitter has quickly climbed the ranks to win the social media popularity contest, more employers are now well versed in the Twitter language and can “tweet” with the best of them.  That being said, don’t think for a second that there’s no way your boss can find you on Twitter-or worse- that he/she can find out exactly what you think of your job and/or the people you work with. How do you think an employer would feel reading the following tweets?

5 Tweets Best Left Un-Tweeted

Sometimes you have to learn to keep your thoughts to yourself…or at least off of Twitter.  The following is a brief list of the aforementioned:

1. Boredom- Tweeting about how bored you are at work is not a good thing. Duh.  If anything, it alerts your employer and makes him or her believe that you don’t have enough work to keep you busy. After all, what are they paying you for?!
2. Anger- Things that are said in anger (especially regarding your job in today’s economic climate) are almost guaranteed to come back to bite you.  If you’re feeling a little grumpy about work or your boss, write it in your journal-not on the Internet.
3. Trash Talk- Remember that saying about how if you don’t have anything nice to say, you shouldn’t say anything at all? Riiight.

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time on Twitter (who are we kidding; everyone and their mother spends a lot of time on Twitter) and I’ve noticed a few more things that are extremely annoying:

1. Profile Picture-  If you haven’t already obtained one or created one, you need to.  True Twitter users will be extremely reluctant to befriend someone that they can’t see.
2. Auto Responses-  This is perhaps my biggest pet peeve with Twitter users.  Whenever I receive an auto response, it feels sorta’ like a slap in the face, saying “I’m too busy to actually care about talking to you and making a connection.”  I’ve actually begun to unfollow people who send me an automated message.
3. Stupid Posts-  It’s ok to occasionally tell people what you’re doing, but if you’re using Twitter to make connections (especially business connections), you need to stop telling people what brand of cereal you’re eating.
4. Misspellings- It’s understandable that sometimes you’re trying to write a quick response to someone before you lose your thought, but spellcheck yourself every now and then-especially if you have a lot of loyal followers.  If you make a mistake, follow it up with a quick correction.
5. URL Links- Make sure that your URL in your Twitter profile: a) works and b) links to something worthwhile that you’re proud of.  Whether it’s a new blog that you’ve been working on or something else, choose carefully.  Twitter users aren’t stupid, and they will report you to Twitter or block you if they click on your link and think it’s spammy looking.