Career Management Alliance Blog

Can you tweet your way to a new job? Maybe and I would guess some people have. What is Twitter anyway? When recapping the Wausau Regional Chamber of Commerce Lunch and Timely event, Embracing the Digital Age in my Are you on board? post, I talked about how the presenter, Gerald Mortenson from Flapjack Creative introduced the mixed audience to the complex concept of social media marketing. At the beginning of his presentation, he opened up Twitter and wrote, “I’m having mashed potatoes.” He asked the audience if this was their impression of Twitter. Everyone laughed. But for many people, that is their impression. I’d like to talk to you about my Twitter experiences and how it changes. When I first came to Twitter in fall of 2008, I really knew nothing. What drew me to Twitter originally was Flylady. Tweet… Fly, I know, you think I am losing it. But I really do like Flylady’s concepts for organizing your life. I had used IM in 2003 to talk to flybabies throughout the state and nation and build some strong friendships with those people. One flybaby even came to visit me here in Wausau because of the bonding we build while challenging each other to get organized. I used Twitter in the beginning to replicate that IM experience. But I digress… I started noticing that there were a lot of interesting people out there talking on Twitter and I used tools like Twitter Grader by Hubspot to add to my groups. I figured out who was giving the most information on how to use this new tool and followed them. I followed bloggers, career experts, marketing people and more. I followed Darren Rowse, Problogger before he launched his Twitip.com resource. In other words, I just researched, connected, and learned. I was like a sponge. I learned about tools to make Twitter work better and easier to track, like Tweetdeck. At the same time, I built friendships and connections by talking with people.  The words “authentic” and “transparent” are big in social media but to me they come naturally. I like connecting with people. Sure, I own Design Resumes and I am always willing to have new clients who want me to help them with their career marketing materials but I just like connecting and as I have said before, I like helping. I would say my initial Twitter experience was very positive. Then whitewater season rolled in and with the preseason marketing and all the long hours and on river hours as Wausau Whitewater’s Operations Manager, I didn’t tweet much. I grew disconnected. When I came back in the fall, I felt lost and thought Twitter didn’t work for me anymore. But as I started connecting again with people I knew before and meeting new friends, I found that it wasn’t Twitter not working, it was me. So how can Twitter work in a job search? I said in the beginning that I suppose you might be lucky enough to be in the right place with the right people at the right time and maybe you could directly be offered a job on Twitter. But more likely, if you incorporate Twitter as part of your networking strategy which has to have both an online and as we call in social media a “real life” component, you will grow connections. I have taken connections that I met first on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook to “real life” lunches. Converting those conversations with people you value doesn’t happen instantly and it won’t happen with everyone but it can happen. I also have created business alliances with people I met on social media and I have connected with new clients on social media. Can it happen, yes! You have to learn to use the tools and you have to be those things… “authentic” and “transparent” but honestly, that’s how I want my real life friends, colleagues, business partners, and clients to be too. Honest, real, trustworthy, caring… brave, truthful… on you go. So that’s where I see Twitter fitting in. Find me on Twitter and now you can also find my faithful companion,Teddy, the German Shepherd there. He was invited by @thedogsamson and has already participated in his first #petchat. What do you think? and what else would you like to know about how to use Twitter… in a job search? in business? in life? What tricks, tips, and tools would you like to know better? #hashtags, what are those anyway? You ask me, I’ll find out and tell you. Talk to me! I talk back! Print This Post

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