Twitter’s Not Stupid If You Follow Smart People

I hear it over and over, “Twitter is stupid.” When some people find out I teach social media they tell me how dumb twitter is. They know almost nothing about twitter and have never even seen it, yet  they are convinced (based on something they’ve read or heard) that it’s a waste of time. When I explain it, some people still argue with me and announce,”I’ll never use twitter.”

To that I reply, “You don’t have to.” If you can grow your company, find a job, network effectively or accomplish your other goals without it, then good. If however, you’re looking to inexpensively reach new contacts; you may want to have an open mind. I encourage people to learn what twitter is and how it might help them. I agree Twitter isn’t for everyone but only make that decision after its capabilities are understood.

If you are unfamiliar with Twitter you may think that you have to follow people and have followers and that is what it’s all about. The power of twitter is in REAL TIME SEARCH. All the information that is attached to a ‘tweet’ is there because a person thinks it’s worthwhile.

Here are just a few facts about twitter for job seekers. Did you know that:

• There are a minimum of 180 recruiters on twitter?
• There are over 50 companies who regularly post jobs on twitter?
• You can find jobs by searching on a profession e.g. @engineering
• You can find an internship by searching @findinternerships
• You can research jobs by geography
• Check out 50 Terrific Twitter Tips for Job Seekers

Companies post jobs to twitter because:

• It’s free
• It can easily reach passive and active candidates
• People who find jobs there already ‘get’ the power of social media and don’t need to be trained

I regularly teach social media for job hunters, my next session is on October 29 at the Pittsford Library, Rochester, NY. Let me know if you’d like to join us. The sessions are free, fun and you can network at the same time as you learn. I am looking forward to meeting you.

The Bozo Explosion – How To Be an A+ Candidate

I just read a blog post from Guy Kawasaki called, “The Art of Recruiting” (2006).  In it, Guy talks about how the idea of  “A” players hiring other “A” players and “B” players hiring “C” players.  His conclusion is that “A” players actually need to hire “A+” players; candidates better than themselves. While “it takes self-confidence and self-awareness” to do this, “it’s the only way to build a great team.” The Bozo explosion, he notes, is the slippery slope of hiring “B” players who then hire all the way down to “Z” players.

So how do we get to be “A+” players? I’d like to suggest that while we may not all be “A+” players, we can learn to be “A+” versions of ourselves in our chosen field.

1. Commit to learning how to manage yourself (Peter Drucker) and never stop. Find a mentor or co-mentor and tackle the hard work of self examination. What can I do better; how can I be more effective? What are my strengths and how can I build on them?
2. Read books. Smart people write books.  I love to talk to people about the books that interest them.  Reading a book takes effort and it feels great when you finish.  Add the book and what you learned to your Linked In profile.
3. Listen. This seems so elementary and yet, I’m always working on this.  Here’s a test.  The next time you meet someone new, sit down immediately after your conversation and write down the questions you asked them.  Think about how much time you spent listening versus talking. After you shake hands to part company, honestly assess how well you listened. What are the 5 things you learned about that person? What did you admire about them? If you can’t recall, you probably could have listened better.
4. Demonstrate passion. Guy’s advice to recruiters is to hire passion not skills.  To job hunters he says, “Passion can overcome the lack of a ‘perfect’ educational background and work experience.

I learned to listen while raising my children. The more I talked, the less they listened. The more I listened, the more they talked. Pretty simple.  Let me know how you are growing to or maintaining your “A+” status. I need all the ideas I can get!