Using Twitter

I've done a couple of presentations now on the use of Twitter as a job-searching tool, and in both cases, when I asked the groups about using Twitter, I got blank stares (ok, a few people blinked).

Twitter is a "micro-blog" tool/site on which you can network (the magic word for job hunters) with people at companies you have an interest in and actually search (like Google) for job openings. People usually tell me they just don't get it and don't see any use for something like Twitter. Of course I agree with them when someone tweets about waiting in a doctor's office or sitting on their couch.

A very mind-stretching article on the use of Twitter (and why it will grow in importance) is at http://zikkir.com/it/12274, "10 Ways Twitter Will Change American Business" by Renato Leon | 22 September 2009. I thought I was informed, and I was surprised by a comment in his blog entry:

"Outdoor ads are used almost everywhere in the world because of their simplicity and the relatively low cost of creating them. Current estimates are that global outdoor-advertising sales will be a $30 billion business this year. One of the great weaknesses of older ad media, like outdoor-billboard marketing and newspaper display, is that results have been nearly impossible to quantify effectively. Twitter will change that."

Think of the applications of "instant blogging:" instant feedback on TV shows, ads, anything!

Presenting at Fort Worth American Society for Quality!

This Thursday, Sept 4, I will be presenting an overview of job hunting in 2009 called "Dynamic Job-Search Skills" and briefing ASQ members on "Social Networking Skills" for the Fort Worth Chapter of the American Society for Quality (http://www.asqfortworth.org/) . The sad part is that I only have 1.5 hours total to squeeze in 15 years' worth of experiences and knowledge.....but I love sharing with people about ways they can improve their job-search skills.

If you're in the neighborhood, drop in!

When I was growing up, the only kind of rejection that seemed to really hurt was being turned down rudely for a date by the prettiest girl you'd ever seen.  But, eventually you got over it, because you knew there were "plenty of fish in the sea," and after all, you weren't worried about losing your house, car, 401K, etc. in the process.   When you experience job hunting rejection, the stakes are much higher than a bruised ego, and you sometimes feel as though you'll never land a new job.  The emotions can then take you into a death spiral of ever self-condemning emotions.

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Overcoming Job-Hunting Rejection

With each rejection, we lose a little more dignity. Here's how to turn things around.

This article from BusinessWeek discusses 21 actions you can take to bolster yourself and your job hunt.

http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/may2009/ca20090522_290737.htm?chan=careers_managing+index+page_top+stories

....and then there's this....

The Smart Way to Tap Social Media

Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn activity means nothing if it doesn't move the needle on your strategic business goals

http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/may2009/ca20090526_882141.htm?campaign_id=managing_related

Using Twitter in Your Job Search

Came across this great article/resource on using Twitter to find your next job.  Yes, Twitter is very new and is catching on, so if you haven't gotten a free account yet, do so now.  When you are looking for work, every networking tool is one more possibility of finding your next job.

Twitter Tips: How to Use Twitter to Job Hunt

"If you're just using LinkedIn to job hunt, you're missing out on the power of Twitter. Here's expert advice on how to tweet your way to new contacts and opportunities."

http://www.cio.com/article/482324/Twitter_Tips_How_to_Use_Twitter_to_Job_Hunt

On the same page, there are other Twitter resources: Twitter: How to Get Started Guide for Business People, Twitter Etiquette: Five Dos and Don'ts, Twitter Tips: How And Why To Use Hashtags (#)

Weekends

So, you're hunting for a new job, and it's the weekend. What are you going to be doing? Since life is not "normal," it may be hard to really rest. I do recommend that you force yourself to take some time off from the job hunt to do what you like, spend some time reconnecting with God, exercising, etc. You will run yourself into the ground very quickly if you ignore the reality about your need for regular rest and recharging.

The weekend should also be used to review and revise your job-hunting strategy, applying to jobs you didn't have time to in the past week (if a job has been advertised for more than a week or two, your chances of getting an interview are slimmer, but not impossible), doing some Internet research on your target companies and/or industries, and setting up your plan for the next week (contacts to be made, lunches, networking group meetings, etc.). Steven Covey refers to recharging as "sharpening the saw"---"Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have--you." Recharge your batteries, renew your spirit, and get ready to dive into the job hunt again early in Monday morning.

Weekends are great for getting renewed, but depending on your financial situation, you may have to rely on less "rest" than a weekend when you have a job and may feel more stress, because you cannot contact prospective employers (weekends are a good time for working LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites). God set up every seven days as a day of rest, and it's clear that we all need the cycle of winding down every week and refreshing to be able to attack the next week with all cylinders running.

Planning and executing your job-search strategy helps to keep you from just generating a lot of activity and instead helps you focus your activity on producing the results you want---landing a job. If you're spiritually, mentality, and physically worn down, you'll have a hard time executing even the greatest job-search plan effectively.