Aug

12

Using Twitter for business networking and even finding a job

Filed Under Career, Networking, Social Media | 7 Comments

In case you weren’t aware, social sites such as Twitter are not just being used for killing time. I’m sure you have heard over and over by now that networking is the best way to come across new career opportunities. Well, Twitter is another way to grow your business network. I believe it can be used effectively to find anything from entry-level internships to high-level executive positions. This is primarily because of the fact that many of Twitter’s users are HR reps, regular employees, and even CEO’s. They may have signed up just for fun, but now they have begun using Twitter (along with other online tools) to recruit and even to make hiring decisions. With unemployment rates the highest they have been in several years in this highly competitive job market, going above and beyond and keeping up with the social networking as part of your job search is more important than ever.

I personally have found Twitter to be more effective than LinkedIn in growing my professional network. This is mainly because on LinkedIn, I generally only add colleagues and friends I have already worked with in the past or know personally. You are free to follow anyone on Twitter you want to connect with that may have similar or common interests. Therefore, Twitter will help you find and network with new people worldwide.

Here are a few steps to help you build your professional network followed by some tips on using Twitter to find a job:

  1. If you haven’t already, obviously create an account on Twitter here.
  2. Search for people and even brands in the same industry as the one you are currently working in or the industry you would like to get into. To do this, use the search field in the upper right hand corner or search.twitter.com to search for keywords that relate to your industry. For example, I wanted to find other people already working in or just interested in the mobile space in NYC, so I searched for terms like ‘mobile marketing’ and ‘mobile NYC’. The search will return results with these keywords in each user profiles and from there you can click on the account to find out more about the person. (Note: If you are searching for a job in the social media/pr/marketing industry, check lists that highlight Twitter’s top users because many of them are people well known in this industry. A few I have used are here and here. A great list of brands on Twitter that is constantly updated can be found here.)
  3. Build your network of people you are following and followers. Step 2 is only one way. There is no need to rush this, as it will happen with time and as you come across Twitter links on the blogs you visit and on other social networking sites. Make sure to fill out your Twitter Bio completely and if you make it clear you have the same interests, the people you decide to follow will most likely check out your Bio and follow you back.
  4. Build your presence by not only using Twitter to update your friends and followers on what you are up to, but also to post interesting links and info you come across. This can be from around the web and wherever else you are spending your time. I personally prefer to follow people that share information but I also don’t mind reading about their life to get a better idea of what they are doing and their personal interests. Twitter can be very serious or very fun, so make sure you use it for both.
  5. Start participating by replying to questions, giving feedback about blog posts/mentioned articles, or even introducing yourself with a personalized direct message. Thoughtful replies will get noticed. Some people like to reply to all messages directed to them which often starts short conversations. If someone that you thought would follow you doesn’t, don’t worry about it. They may add you at a later point after a few responses. I try to only reply to other tweets when I have something valuable to add or when my input is wanted for a question that was asked. Lastly, Twitter is also a great way to find out about local networking events and meetups (aka tweetups). Attend some of these tweetups and you will meet new people who will then follow you to keep in touch.
  6. Use the search at search.twitter.com to find specific tweets about companies and recruiters hiring. Search for specific titles you are interested in like ‘community manager‘ or more generic terms like ‘now hiring‘. Also, check out TwitHire which is a free service that has begun aggregating all job related tweets. Take a look at this article which explains TwitHire in more detail.
  7. Get creative with the ways you network on Twitter (or any other social networking site). Plain and simple, more followers will equal more opportunities. The people with the most followers on Twitter gained those followers from doing something very creative or because they are very knowledgeable in what they do and love to share that knowledge. That’s why they have thousand’s of people listening and why you should be to. They way I think about it, using Twitter effectively to follow an industry expert is similar to reading a book written by them. There is a huge potential to learn more from the person both ways.
  8. Sharing your knowledge related to your career interests will create a different type of online resume that may be the deciding factor between you and 30 other qualified candidates. I know if I was a hiring manager and found a Twitter account of a potential candidate, I would browse it.

The fact that you are on Twitter alone should be a great selling point in an interview or if your potential employer Google’s your name and sees you are active in online communities. (Again, especially if you are looking to get into a social media or PR role.) Furthermore, expanding your network on Twitter will probably lead to more connections on other social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook. Community and Social Media expert Chris Brogan has recently been writing several great articles which are very valuable to anyone serious about expanding their network.

Of course, you must use your own judgment when posting anything to your account that may ultimately have a negative effect on your image. Just use common sense and you should be fine. The same goes for not only Twitter; but Facebook, LinkedIn, FriendFeed, and even the stories you digg on Digg. Personally, I occasionally tweet about fun nights in the city and funny videos online because it is part of who I am and my personality. I am not worried about an employer seeing this because I am not interested in working for them anyway if their hiring decisions are based on personal hobbies that are in no way harmful to their business and brand.

I came across one digital agency that even created a dedicated Twitter account for recruiting, which I believe will be a new trend to keep an eye on. Below are screenshots of some of the job related entries on Twitter I recently came across:

Even if you are not looking for a job, you never know if one day you might decide to start your own business or become a free agent and start consulting. In that case, (you guessed it) your Twitter network can also be a very strong starting point in establishing your company, finding business partners, and reaching out to potential clients:

I’d love to hear success stories about how Twitter has helped you find a new job or hire a qualified candidate. Also, please let me know what you think of my outlined steps and what changes (if any) you would make to improve the list. I am personally not looking for a new job at the moment because I am happy where I am. But if I were, I think Twitter would be a very effective job search tool for me, and more so than some of the other popular job search websites and social networks. I only regret not singing up and using Twitter earlier than I did. Connect with me on Twitter @jsmakr.

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Aug

4

5 favorite tips from the Little Red Book of Selling

Filed Under Books, Career | Leave a Comment

I was given The Little Red Book of Selling by the CEO of my company and was told that everyone who worked for us was asked to read this book by Jeffrey Gitomer. After a few chapters, I quickly realized that this book was not just about selling, but also about strengthening your career through improving other essential business skills. These five tips stuck out to me when I went back and reviewed the book after I was done:

1. The most powerful person on your sales team is your customer.

Any satisfied customer will hopefully lead to referrals and more sales but what Gitomer describes in the book is using your best customers from the beginning of your sales process and not just after. One way to go about this is to have one of your loyal customers do you a favor and contact a potential client (if you have a strong relationship, they will be happy to). Of course, there are many other ways to get your customer involved like getting testimonials from them, but try to think of new, creative ways to spread their message to potential clients.

2. Your voicemail is a key to getting new customers and creating word-of-mouth advertising.

I don’t think many people put much thought into their voicemail away message, which is why this is a great way to stand out from the crowd. By having a creative or humorous message, your clients and potential clients will hear it, leave you a message, then most likely talk about. This should lead to a much higher overall message rate which should lead to more sales and stronger future relationships.

3. Humor not only helps make the sale - it also helps build the relationship.

Most people like to separate fun from work and I never really understood why (I am sure you probably agree). There are times to be serious and times where humor is appropriate during business hours and client meetings and I definitely think the right mix of both will lead to an increase in sales. It is up to you use your best judgment in each specific case if humor is appropriate or not and, if so, what type of humor. Just remember, it never hurts to make your potential customer laugh.

4. Creativity is a science that you can learn.

Gitomer recommends several books on creativity that have helped many people become more creative. I also believe that exposing yourself constantly to creative environments and creative individuals, you will learn how to be more creative as long as you are motivated and take notes. My favorite combination is when I come across something or someone that is both creativity and funny. Some of my favorite TV shows and movies for example are both creative and made me laugh. Once again it’s simple - exposing yourself to creative material (such as books, movies, etc.) and environments will help you learn how to be more creative.

5. Networking builds rapport that leads to appointments and sales. Lots of sales.

Everyone knows just how important networking is to having a successful career but many people avoid networking because they are too shy or afraid to meet new people. The first step is to get over this fear because it will be a major hindrance on your career advancement. Start slowly by attending small networking events with like minded people who you can talk to about your interests and not just the weather. It’s essential to keep in mind that you have nothing to loose when it comes to approaching new people at these events.

So those are just 5 out of the hundreds of tips given in his book. I recommend it to anyone, not just people in sales. Because Gitomer practices what he preaches, he has been able to become more successful from coaching people and organizations in sales. Remember, just reading and studying his sales techniques and tips is not enough to accomplish anything. It’s about hard work first, then sales techniques second.

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Aug

2

iPhone screenshots after App Store

Filed Under Apple | Leave a Comment

I thought it would be cool to share my current iPhone apps now that it has been a few weeks since the App Store has been available.

Here are the screenshots (click on each one for full view of screen):



Apps in order of appearance:

Twitteriffic, BeeJive (technically not an app but I still prefer to use this over the AIM app), WordPress, Remote, Facebook, Google, Monkey Ball, Loopt, Jolt, Kyte (have not used this yet - only installed it because I thought it would allow live streaming to web), Yelp, Bank of America, Labyrinth LE, Tap Tap, NYTimes, Pandora, Crash Kart, Salesforce, AP Mobile News, iBeer (bought this by accident - definitely not worth the $3), iPint, Urbanspoon, Restaurants, Shazam, Light, Twinkle, vSNAX, Currency.

So far, I have been installing new apps a couple times a week as they become available or I hear about them. I’d love to see links to your own screenshots and let me know if you have any questions about the apps I currently have installed.

To take a screenshot on your iPhone, simply hold down the Home button then simultaneously hit the Power button and the screen will flash. The screenshot is now in your image library.

Update: Since this post, I have rearranged my icons for better organization and grouped similar apps on the same screen (main iPhone apps, games, social tools, etc).

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