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Why job seekers should join instead of follow on Twitter

Julie Walraven — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:33:06 +0000

Notice I said join, not follow. This is another lesson that Jim Connolly taught me. You want people to JOIN you on Twitter not follow you. Follow sounds like you are setting yourself up as a magnet. Join suggests that you are open to conversation and relationship building on Twitter.

What’s the goal of a job seeker on Twitter?

Your goal should be to build beneficial and productive relationships on Twitter. Hence the word join instead of follow.

Dictionary.com defines follow as:

to accept as a guide or leader; accept the authority of or give allegiance to: Many Germans followed Hitler.
to conform to, comply with, or act in accordance with; obey: to follow orders; to follow advice.
to imitate or copy; use as an exemplar: They follow the latest fads.

I don’t know about you but I don’t like that idea. Let’s look at the definition of join:

to bring in contact, connect, or bring or put together.
to take part with others (often followed by in ): Let’s all join in.

I like that better. I want to connect with others, to share ideas, and find common ground.

How do you join or connect with others on Twitter?

You look for common ground. If I want to find people who like dogs or in my case, German Shepherds, I could search for German Shepherds using the search button on Twitter. I might get results that look like this: https://twitter.com/#!/search/german%20shepherds It constantly changes and then I might look further to find someone giving me useful information about German Shepherds or talking about their German Shepherd. This might encourage me to join them. Before I join someone, though, I expand their stream beyond one tweet and look at what they are saying. Then I join them and ideally, I initiate conversation.

What about job search on Twitter?

You can use this example with anything else, including job search on Twitter. You can search for a company or a field and then analyze the stream to see who is really conversing as opposed to blasting and then you check if they are conversing about things you want to learn or if you want to get to know them. Then join them on Twitter.

You can also learn the latest in job search strategy by following career professionals. I have gotten to know many of my colleagues much better because of Twitter and have formed offline friendships by calling or chatting on Skype with those career professionals separated from me by many miles.

What about brands on Twitter?

Some brands blast and some brands are people. I prefer people. Eastbay Careers is a good example of a brand who is represented by a person. The bio says:

Tweets brought 2 you by Jessica Fane, Employment Coordinator for Eastbay! I am a 5-10K runner and lover of coffee!

Best part, Jessica talks to you. Her stream is friendly and she responds to you. But she is serious about answering job seeker questions that are pertinent to Eastbay careers.

Someone who is a brand but represents like Jessica does instead of just blasting positions or a steady stream of company retweets makes it easier to talk to a company. You can see the representative of other companies doing this with customer service.

Benefits of joining people on Twitter

If you focus on joining people on Twitter and join in the conversation, I believe you will build the connections you want. How do you join me on Twitter? You talk to me. I have so many people “following” me that unless they start the conversation, I won’t know they want to connect.

What do you think? See possibilities for job search on Twitter?

Stuck in your job search or just ready to move on from your existing position? Julie Walraven can help you find a new career! To find out how, Click here!

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The secret to using Twitter in your job search

Julie Walraven — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:48:41 +0000

Using social media in your job search has been a hot topic for a long time but many times job seekers use it ineffectively and even create the wrong impression. Let’s talk specifically about Twitter.

How should you use Twitter for your job search?

Frequent readers of this blog and the Marketing Results blog will remember that I really emphasize building relationships as the successful way to communicate on any social media platform and in real life. When I work with sales representatives or sales managers as clients one of the key words in the job descriptions they share is relationship building. This has become so key that it is the primary sales strategy for many companies. You need to use it on Twitter too. Build relationships with people you want to follow.
Analyze the Twitter stream of those you want to follow. If they seem like relationship builders (see number 1) follow them.
Use the profile to explain your value. You have 160 characters to describe your value. Link to your LinkedIn profile or your own blog site so those wanting to know more have some place to go.
If you are wanting to let people know you are looking for a new career or job, use HireFriday’s stream and model your tweet after their best examples. (Hint: see #1 below)
As Tim’s Strategy reminds us: Key to success on Twitter is using your own name and a photo. To build relationships you need to be personable and people like photos and real names.

Job Search Strategies that will backfire on Twitter

Using hashtags (# sign) for every word in a tweet, only hashtag your key industry or title. Overuse of hashtags will be ignored by many readers.
Repeating the same message over and over. Periodically look critically at your own stream. If you look boring to you, change your strategy and become more conversational.
Cursing or swearing. Despite what happens on TV, you don’t win friends by sounding like a potty mouth on social media. Just like on Facebook, make sure you make a good impression.
Criticizing your former employer. Keep your rants to yourself or friends you can trust in a private space. You never know who is reading and your next employer will not be impressed.
Chasing someone and telling them you want to work for them. This is going to look and feel like stalking. You can look for information without sounding pushy.

Overall, the secret to success using Twitter for job search or anytime you are trying to promote a business, idea, event, or yourself is not to sound like you are promoting, selling, or yelling. Key concept: build relationships!

Stuck in your job search or just ready to move on from your existing position? Julie Walraven can help you find a new career! To find out how, Click here!

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Are you invisible in your jobsearch?

Julie Walraven — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:46:16 +0000

Photo by Luca Venturi Oslo

I’ve been in business as Design Resumes for a long time. I’ve lived in Wausau, Wisconsin even longer. But until Sunday, for many people in Wausau, I was invisible.

Now for those of you who read this blog regularly or know me from Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or the many blogs I visit and comment on, I am anything but invisible! But when the story ran in in the Wausau Daily Herald and dominated both the front and the back page, I became visible in my own hometown.

All time records

Sunday set an all time record for this blog and Monday, I booked 5 new clients and answered 5 more email inquiries. The first new client came in last night and she is a nontraditional student at one of the local colleges. When she mentioned was going to have her resume written, the head of the learning center asked who she was going to see.

My new client replied that she was going to Design Resumes to see me and the other individual asked, “oh, is she the one on the cover of the newspaper?” When my client said yes, this person replied, “we cut out the article so we can post it and recommend that our students consider using her services.”

Funny thing is, I have taught resume seminars at this college for 9 years and written resumes for both former students and management! Still, to most of the college and the surrounding community, I was invisible.

In the last year, my business expanded nationally and even globally with a strong reach via this blog and my social media presence. I can share job seeker success stories from clients throughout the United States and the world. My clients in Greece are now in new positions in Barcelona. But I was still invisible to most people here in Wausau.

Invisible job seekers

Job seekers are often invisible too. Despite a strong blog presence, people who didn’t use social media or Google didn’t see me. Many job seekers, even those who chose to have a professional write their resume and it overflowed with accomplishments and keywords, still stay invisible!

Why? They are assuming that they are visible when they use the only the online job boards to apply for positions. Unlike my invisibility caused more by people who didn’t know Wausau had a professional resume writer because they never Googled, these job seekers are hidden in the sheer volume of resumes sent to employers. They had an outstanding resume, perhaps, but no one could see it.

How to become visible

Job seekers who found me previously often came from Google and from referrals or networking contacts. A job seeker needs to commandeer their networks to increase their visibility. How?

Start by building a network before you need it. Harvey MacKay in his popular book, Dig your well before you are thirsty, advocates:

A network replaces the weakness of the individual with the strength of the group. The idea of the group is to benefit members who have the same race, religion, gender preferences, ethnic background, business, trade and professional interests, economic interests, or personal interests. They are the basic building blocks of any networking system.

If you think you need to wait until you need a network, you will not be able to successfully build one quickly. But if you have waited too long, you can still gain ground by making an effort to network correctly. MacKay also says:

A network can make you look good. To keep your network up and running, freshen up each entry at least once every six months.

Work your way into a company through the back door, find out who you know either in the company, or who you know who knows someone in the company. This could be a college alumni, your next door neighbor, your fellow board member in an organization, or your hunting buddy. You don’t know if you don’t ask.
When you find that answer, it is time to schedule an informational interview. Contact your desired individual and offer to buy lunch or coffee. Your goal is to gather information. You should always have your resume with you but it is not your goal to hand off your resume in the informational interview. If the individual is too busy to meet with you or on the other side of the country, ask if you can schedule a 10 to 15 minute phone conversation. If you get a yes, keep your word when you make the call, plan ahead what you will say so you can be clear what you are asking. Tell them you appreciate their time and if they have any leads for you, please let you know. Send them a thank you (hand-written is a nice touch).
Armed with your new information, make the contact in the company and get your resume to that person, letting them know that John Smith suggested that you might be a great solution for the issues that the company is facing. Be sure you ask John Smith for permission to use his name before you do this.

Before you know it, you will be celebrating your successful job search and you will no longer be fighting invisibility. Invisibility is never fun. But the good thing, is that it can be removed and when you remove that invisibility cloak, your talents and accomplishments will take you to the next level in your career.

10 secrets to avoid common Twitter newbie errors

Julie Walraven — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:57:22 +0000

Photo by webtreats

I didn’t join Twitter on day 1 but I’m not a Twitter newbie either. I believe my first tweet was in October 2008. I learned Twitter the way I learn most things. I followed people who seemed to know what they were doing, read blog posts on how to do it and went on from there. I made some mistakes, but that is how we learn right?

15,997 Tweets later, here I am. I’m still very fond of Twitter and it has developed many great relationships. At this point, I do encourage my Design Resumes clients to test the waters of Twitter and other social networking applications (Facebook and LinkedIn mainly). And I really want others to enjoy Twitter too.

Common Twitter newbie errors:

Complete your profile: Twitter gives you 160 words. Make it your branding statement. Tell me something about you.
Add a Link to your Profile: Do you have a website, a LinkedIn profile, a blog, a Facebook page, whatever it is, add the link in so people can learn more about you. 160 words is not enough in most cases.
Privacy Lock: You are following me but you turned on Protect my tweets in Tweet privacy. If you are only using Twitter to talk to friends, I suppose the privacy level is important. The difference in Twitter from Facebook is that you don’t choose who follows you. Anyone can follow anyone in Twitter. If you follow me and want me to follow back, then make it easy for me to follow you, don’t protect your tweets.
TrueTwit: Again, If you want me to follow you but you make me jump through authentication hoops, I just won’t bother. I know there are bots and spammers on Twitter but I don’t have time to prove to you that I am real.
Don’t Broadcast!: One of the problems with the name social media, is that people think of it as advertising. Stop! You cannot build community by broadcasting. You may have a message to share, that’s fine. But if every tweet repeats your message and you don’t engage, you can guarantee that Twitter will not work for you.
Direct Message (DM) Tip #1: If you aren’t following me, I cannot send you a DM. If you want to send a DM to someone, follow them first.
Direct Message (DM) Tip #2: Do not send me a DM with a link to your new site, your blog, or secret offer. I will not open a link from someone I do not know in a DM.
Direct Message (DM) Tip #3: What are DMs for? You are having a conversation with a Twitter friend and you do not want the whole world to know. Or you want to give someone your e-mail or phone number. Then use a DM.
No Gravatar: When I spoke to the Competitive Edge group in Green Bay recently, they were learning about the basics of social media. One of the members told me to find his profile and he was there but everyone teasing him because his icon was the default Twitter egg. One of the keys of using social networking is to let people get to know you. It isn’t hard to upload a photo. It doesn’t have to be a professional photo but neither should it be a mug shot. Check out this post by Mark Harai for more Twitter avatar tips.
Law of Subtraction: Quickest way to ruin either a business building or job search social networking experience is to implement the Law of Subtraction… (which is the opposite of the Law of Attraction). You can read more here.

OK, that being said, you know how to get my attention on Twitter? Talk to me. I love it when you retweet my posts because it brings more people here to read my blog but there are many people that I know that I didn’t know before because of Twitter.

How did that happen? They talked to me. I am much more likely to follow you back if you talk to me. You don’t have to talk about job search or resumes with me, I am interested in much more. You can talk about the weather, or coffee, or dogs.

Did I miss anything? Please share your thoughts in the comments.