April 7, 2010

Five ways to maximize your tweet power

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Have you tweeted yet today? If so, did you get more out of it than a few marginally funny forwarded video clips, some lunch-menu updates from friends or perhaps a few hundred re-re-re-retweets from a long-obscured author?

Hire Ground readers know that I am, as best, ambivalent about the Twitter trend. Perhaps it is a generational issue, but it still seems that we are reaching the useless information saturation point, considering the amount of forwarded chaff to be separated from the few precious grains of wheat that can be used for finding a job. But I also know a genuine phenomenon when I see one, so I continue to keep an open mind to learn more about the pliability and immediacy of this still-young medium.

On my path to Twitter Enlightenment, I came across the new book, "The Twitter Job Search Guide," which discusses effective ways to optimize job seekers' time on Twitter.

"Twitter can give job seekers a much-needed edge in today's job market. It helps them uncover little-known opportunities, research employers, enhance their visibility, expand their network and much more," says Susan Britton Whitcomb (@SusanWhitcomb), a career coach who co-authored the guide with Chandlee Bryan (@chandlee), president of career management firm Best Fit Forward, and Deb Dib (@CEOCoach), a social media and branding expert.

The good news is that those who are already spending most of their day looking for work don't have to waste their remaining precious time fiddling with iPhones and BlackBerries. "We like the concept of spending 15 well-planned, solidly productive minutes a day on Twitter, at least initially, because it imposes a strategy and discipline that keeps you focused on the big picture--your job search--rather than getting lost online," Bryan says. "While Twitter is great way to expand your network and reach, transitioning those relationships to off-line connections is an essential element of a successful search."

Here are five of the strategies the authors suggest in the "Twitter Job Search Guide" to get the most out of these 15 minutes, 140 characters at a time:

1. Keep track of your progress. On of the best qualities of Twitter is the instant feedback it can provide. Following key players in your field is an important tactic, but don't waste your time with dead ends. By counting the number of "@replies," direct messages (DMs) and retweets (RTs) you receive, you can tell if you are getting your message out to a receptive audience.

2. Know your limits. In this era of attention-deficit syndrome, it's easy to get carried away by turning every thought in your head into a tweet. Be sure to bookmark or star your favorite topics that will best convey your skills and knowledge to potential hiring managers and keep a written file of other themes that you would like to tweet about later.

3. Keep it simple. If you have too many people in your tweet stream, it's easy to get overwhelmed with information. Use Twitter lists or Twitter APIs to organize and review your stream by follower, topic and more. That way you can separate the tweets from your friends to view later and focus more on the viable leads.

4. Don't retweet too much. Amen! If you populate most of your Twitter stream with RTs or @replies, you give the impression to employers that you don't have much original to say. On the other hand, if you are too conversational, you run the risk of alienating readers or--even worse--coming across as unprofessional. Keep your stream well balanced.

5. Be generous. Join groups such as @jobangels and other philanthropic organizations and send DMs offering help to others whenever you can. Watch for opportunities to offer a tip, insight, job lead or helping hand.

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

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