Twitter-based jobs conference: Brave new world? -- Career Center Blog

July 17, 2011

Twitter-based jobs conference: Brave new world?

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By Randy Woods
NWjobs

You knew it had to happen eventually. Since everybody these days seems to be conducting business in 140 characters or less, it was only a matter of time before the Twitter machine would take on the world of conferences.

This Tuesday, July 19, the Twitter-based recruiting platform TweetMyJobs will host what it's calling the "first ever" national conference via Twitter. Called the American Jobs Conference, the free event runs from 9 a.m. until 3:15 p.m., and will bring together some heavy hitters in the job search, technology and recruiting arenas to discuss how social media is transforming the way we look for employment.

"Our goal is to raise awareness with job seekers and small businesses about how effective social media can be in terms of recruiting connections," said Robin D. Richards, chairman and CEO of TweetMyJOBS. "Small businesses are the engine for job creation and social media opens new, affordable avenues for those companies to connect with job seekers."

For those who care about such things, Republican presidential candidate and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty (a.k.a. "T-Paw") will be on hand to deliver a 45-minute keynote address, which the organizers, regrettably, are calling a TweetNote. (Ugh.) Also, Manny Diaz, former mayor of Miami and current lawyer for the Miami firm Lydecker Diaz, will take part in a TweetSession (enough with the silly names already!) about "Business and Jobs." Good luck trying to limit these guys to 140 characters on any issue.

Once this political air clears, however, I believe the real substance of the conference will kick in. Most of the conference is divided into consecutive hour-long Career Chats, in which various career experts will share their advice about how best to capitalize on the Twitter revolution.

Some of the career experts scheduled to appear on the agenda include:

Dan Schawbel -- One of the nation's leading personal branding gurus; managing partner of Millennial Branding. Title: "What Is My Personal Brand & Why Do I Need One?"
Jessica Miller-Merrell -- Human resources and social media expert; owner of Xceptional HR. Title: "Job Searching for Mid-Level/Executive Career Changes."
Susan Whitcomb -- Founder and CEO of The Academies Inc.; author of "The Twitter Job Search Guide." Title: "Tweeting Your Way To A New Job: Job Searching in 140 Characters or Less."
Heather Huhman -- Founder and president of Come Recommended. Title: "Job Searching for Interns & Recent Graduates."
Michael "Dr. Woody" Woodward -- Professional career coach; author of "The YOU Plan"; columnist for Fox Business. Title: "Networking -- The Key to a Good Job Search Strategy."

The conference also will include a panel discussion called "Technology & Job Searching," featuring Lou Kerner, social media analyst and managing director of the Private Shares Group at Wedbush Securities, and Mark Suster, a partner at venture capitalist firm GRP Partners.

The hashtag for the overall conference will be #jobs4US, but each session will include its own hashtag so participants can follow whichever sessions they choose and drift from one conversation to another. Conference attendees will also have the chance to submit their own questions to the keynoter and to the discussion panelists. From time to time, the session leaders will poll attendees about certain topics and discuss results in real time.

Although it would help to have your own Twitter account to take part, it is not a requirement. Each session will have its own interactive page online, where participants can monitor the discussions and contribute directly to the conversation.

I'm not sure what to expect from this new conference format. Twitter is great at conveying short bursts of information with lightning speed, but I have my doubts about its ability to add any value beyond the basic bullet points that will be shared with the audience. I look forward, though, to checking out the feature that allows immediate feedback from the audience. Tuesday's sessions ought to spark many lively, thoughtful debates in a manner you don't normally see at a traditional conference or one-on-one workshop encounter.

To see the American Jobs Conference, go to the TweetMyJobs registration page and submit your questions. If you attend, let me know what you think!

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