I ran into this very interesting infographic on LinkedIn today, thanks to David Merzel‘s post on the Job-Hunt Help LinkedIn Group, and it’s worth sharing.  This graphic was originally published on SearchEngineJournal.com in late August, so it’s current, comparing 2010 and 2011 data.

You will see it includes some of the impact of social media on recruiting and job search, particularly how employers research in social media and the impact of that research.

It’s long and global.  I recommend that you read the whole thing. The data sources are at the bottom of the graphic.  If you click on it, you can see a larger version of it.

Source: The Growth of Social Media: An Infographic

Career Spotlight: If you are good with words, keyboards, and technology, you might enjoy being a stenographer. They earn an average of $48,380/year, and the 10-year job growth is predicted by the U.S. Department of Labor to be 25%.  Approximately 38% of stenographers hold a bachelor’s degree. More about this and other careers in Job-Hunt’s Career Changers’ Guide to Careers.

Quote of the Week:

For this one, I went back to my days in college.  We had a saying  that seems very relevant to the job search process -

Remember: if you got shot down today, it builds character.

Of course, the corolary is that anyone only needs so much “character” building, but if you’ve had a tough day in your job search, maybe this will help you feel a tiny bit better.  Perhaps there’s a nugget of positive learning you can extract from the bad experience.  May tomorrow be a better day for you!

4 New Articles:

• Avoiding Nightmare Interviews
  Interviews can be difficult for anyone, but they can be particularly troubling for those with chronic illness.  However, avoiding nightmare interviews is possible, as described by Rosalind Joffe, Job-Hunt’s newest Job Search Expert, in  her inaugural post as Job-Hunt’s Job Search with Chronic Illness Expert. 
• Work from Home: Making-Life-Easier Businesses
  Many service businesses exist to make life simpler for busy people, and in this article, Job-Hunt’s Lifestyle-Friendly Careers Expert Nancy Collamer describes 5 of them, how to set them up, and where to find more help.
• Natural Resource Management Careers
  The growing field of natural resource management offers many opportunities, and Job-Hunt’s Green Industry Job Search Expert Carol McClelland describes the major sectors of this industry and the career opportunities that are developing.
• Using Twitter Lists 
  Twitter Lists are a valuable resource largely untapped by most people new to Twitter.  In this article by Job-Hunt’s Social Media & Job Search Expert Miriam Salpeter, learn how they can help you understand Twitter and grow your Twitter resources.

Meet all of Job-Hunt’s Experts here:  Job Search Experts.

And, of course -

Good luck with your job search!

The trend data from giant job aggregator Indeed.com, bottom, shows something very interesting happening.  Social media terms like “Facebook” and “Twitter” are appearing in more and more job descriptions every month. Since its founding in 2004, use of the term “Facebook” in job descriptions has grown an amazing 550,000% (that’s not a typo, the number really is five hundred fifty thousand percent) through July, 2010.  And it was the fastest growing in the 12-month period which ended in July, 2010.

Employers add social media terms to job descriptions because social media
is growing in importance, and they need employees with social media skills.
So, the value of your social media skills is increasing.

You can leverage your social media skills to benefit your job search in many ways.

The Do’s:

• If you have social media skills, you need to add those keywords (as appropriate for you) to your resume and other online profiles.
• Be sure you have a good, 100% complete LinkedIn Profile, and throw in a Google Profile, too. [See Job-Hunt's Social Media & Job Search section for more information.]
• If you don’t already, separate public from private (and don’t trust Facebook to guard your private side), or just act like a grown-up.
  • If you’re going to rant about politics, sex, religion, or something else controversial, don’t do it with a social media account that is in your real name. Or don’t do it at all.
  • Do a mature/employment-ready version of yourself in social media that is associated with your real name or recognizably you.
• Learn as much as you reasonably can about how companies are using social media for your field (marketing, HR, recruiting, sales, customer service, entertainment, teaching, etc.).
  • Who are the people and companies on the “leading edge”?
  • Who has done something remarkably good (or bad)?  Pay attention.
• Demonstrate your knowledge and skills
  • Focus on a few venues (3 at most) so you can show consistent, high-quality participation.
  • Participate and contribute, if possible, in a meaningful (and public) way in your field.
  • If you are over 40 or 60, this is a way to show that you aren’t the proverbial “roadkill on the information superhighway.”  You may be over 40,  but you “get” how to leverage this technology.

The Don’t:

If you are employed, don’t ignore social media.

AND

Don’t stop participating and learning – when you get your new job. (You WILL get a new job!)

What’s Happening NOW:

A search for jobs using the word “Facebook” showed these amazing results (click on the link to see the results for each of the sites named).  From “Social Media/Corporate Communicator” for a town to a “Facebook Product Manager” for a marketing company, a “Facebook Pages Developer” volunteer opportunity for a charity, and much more:

• Indeed.com
• JustJobs.com
• LinkUp.com

The Indeed Trend

So far this year, with data analyzed through the end of July, 2010, “Facebook” was the # 1 fastest growing term used in job descriptions in the previous 12 months!  Four of the top 10 “trending” (fastest growing) terms were related to social media (Facebook, social media, Twitter, and blogger).

Bottom Line:

These days, very few people can sit back and relax, “resting on their laurels.”  In this competitive job market, when you stop learning and  improving, you get left behind.  For older job seekers, demonstrating your knowledge about social media demonstrates that you haven’t been left behind.

————————————————————————————-
About the author…

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm and also served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg.

In 2008, my first impression of  Twitter was that it was really kind of dumb and useless.  It asked “What are you doing?”  and many people obligingly (and boringly) answered this question – having a grande half-caf latte in Starbucks, watching a TV show, etc.  Who cared?  Very few.  NOT me!

But, a friend convinced me to try it for a couple of days, and I discovered that I was very wrong about Twitter being dumb OR useless.

Twitter is excellent for many things and has opened a whole new online world for me:

• Sharing.
  Find something interesting?  Share/Tweet it.
• Discovering.
  Read what others Tweet, and you’ll find that they are sharing interesting information.  Eventually you’ll find people who Tweet content so useful you always check to see what they’re Tweeting about.
• Learning.
  Usually when I discover something, I learn something, too.
• Growing your network.
  I’ve met wonderful people from across the USA and across the globe, many of whom I consider friends.  FABULOUS!
• Reaching out for help or information.
  Tweet your question, and people will answer.  Some will answer with a joke or a snide comment, but many will answer the question (in 140 characters).
• Providing help or information.
  If someone asks for help or information you can provide, provide it.  Good for your karma, and your credibility. A 2-fer!

Starting in mid-November, 2009, Twitter replaced “What are you doing?” with “What’s happening?” – really the question most people were answering anyway, at least the people  that I follow.

I’ve been using and greatly enjoying Twitter since Dec. 19, 2008.  I must admit to being surprised how addictive it is.

Bottom Line

Try it.  Twitter works!  And employers are on Twitter, too.  Check out @JobHuntOrg’s list of employers recruiting, recruiters and recruiting, job search experts, career coaches, professional resume writers, and other Social Media & Job Search articles and resources.

About the author …

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter @JobHuntOrg.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve spent time researching and compiling Twitter Lists, a new Twitter capability that is currently still in “beta” (not quite ready for prime time).

Job-Hunt’s Top 10 Twitter Lists are presented in order (below) by the total number of Twitter accounts they are following today, with one exception at the end.  I expect the number of accounts in each list will probably increase as I discover new accounts in the future, so the number of accounts in each of these  lists may be different when you view them.

The accounts you find in each list should be consistent with the title of the list.  For example, the largest and most popular list, Employers-Recruiting, contains ONLY employers or in-house recruiters for employers.  It does not contain job boards or independent recruiting/staffing company Twitter accounts.   The job boards are probably on the Job-Listings list (if they Tweet their job openings), and the recruiters are probably on the Recrutiers-and-Recruiting list.  Assuming they passed the “sniff test” (below).

“Sniff Test” Criteria

More on Social Media & Job Search: Social Media & Job Search Home How to Get Started with Social Media Top 6 Employer Magnets Activate & Manage Your Avatars The Invisible Web Is Not So Invixible Monitoring Your Online Presence 10 Ways Social Media Is Like Online Dating Social Media No-No’s 5 Ways Social Media Keeps Skills Up to Date Social Recruiting LinkedIn vs. Facebook vs. Twitter vs. (Fill-in-the-Blank) Social Networked Out? More About LinkedIn: LinkedIn Basics Leveraging Your LinkedIn Profile Effective LinkedIn Profile LinkedIn Applications and Your Profile How to Be Found by Recruiters in LinkedIn Search LinkedIn’s Company Follow Function Value of Growing Your LinkedIn Network Adding Misspellings to Your LinkedIn Profile More About Twitter: Twitter Toolbox Twitter as a Job Board Top 10 Twitter Job Search Lists 101 Best Twitter Career & Job Search Resources 8 Twitter SEO Tips for Job Seekers Top 50 Employers Recruiting on Twitter Top 50 College & University Career Center Twitter Accounts More About Facebook: 5-Step Facebook Makeover for Your Job Search Social Media Experts: Miriam Salpeter, Social Media & Job Search Expert Marci Reynolds, contributor Alison Doyle, contributor Jason Alba, contributor

As usual, I’ve tried to be very careful of the accounts that are included.  They had to pass my personal sniff test which means - when added - they were:

• Relatively current (new Tweets within the last week, or within the last couple of  months - in a few cases – as with employers who Tweet only when they open a job).
• Relatively high signal-to-noise ratio (more on-topic Tweets than lol-great-party-last-night Tweets).
• Relatively reliable (on-topic Tweets at least once a day).
• Appeared legitimate.  The Bio explained who they were, and the links in the Profile fit with who they said they were.
  If links were included in the Tweets (as in the job listings list), the links that I tested went to relevant content on Websites that contained contact information and seemed to be genuine.  I usually tested the most recent 10 to 20 links.
• Not (usually) brand new unless I knew the account to be legitimate and expected it to be reliable.

The sniff test, particularly the signal-to-noise ratio requirement, has eliminated a few well-known names, unfortunately.

Job-Hunt’s Top 10 Twitter Lists:

1. @JobHuntOrg/employers-recruiting Twitter accounts of employers, across the globe, who are using Twitter to directly recruit employees. Following: 383 employers
   NOTE: Monster is on this list because Monster is now using Twitter to recruit new employees! Interesting!
2. @JobHuntOrg/job-search-experts Twitter accounts of experts in many aspects of job search. Following: 158
3. @JobHuntOrg/job-listings Twitter accounts consistently sending out a stream of job postings, from job boards or recruiters. Following: 94
4. @JobHuntOrg/recruiters-and-recruiting Tweeter accounts by recruiters or about recruiting. Following: 84
5. @JobHuntOrg/resume-writers Twitter accounts of professional resume writers. Following: 22
6. @JobHuntOrg/career-coaches Twitter accounts of professional career coaches. Following: 21
7. @JobHuntOrg/social-media-experts Twitter accounts by experts in the use of social media. Following: 9
8. @JobHuntOrg/interns-new-grads Twitter accounts by experts in helping college students find internships or new grads to find jobs. Following: 9
9. @JobHuntOrg/personal-branding-experts Twitter accounts by experts in the use of personal branding. Following: 8
10. @JobHuntOrg/military Twitter accounts relevant to members of the Department of Defense and their families and friends. Following: 38
    

    This list is not strictly a job hunting list, but I am a veteran, married to a veteran, daughter of parents who both served in World War II, and these people are close to my heart. They need and deserve all the support I can give them.

Updates and Additions

These lists are not “finished!”  Each day I find additional accounts to add, so these lists will be continuously updated, and – when they get too big – will be sub-divided into sub-categories.

If you know of an Twitter account which should be included, but is not, please:

• Add a comment with your recommended addition(s) below.
• Please do keep the Sniff Test Criteria in mind when you make your recommendation, and don’t waste your time or mine. I will not add an account which does not pass the Sniff Test or looks “fishy” in any way.
• If you find that one of these accounts has, pardon the expression, gone rogue or gone fallow, let me know.  I will check out your observation and respond, as appropriate.

Good luck with your job search!

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg.

Recruiters and potential employers search Google for job candidates, even in this economy, and Google loves Twitter.  So, by leveraging search engine optimization (SEO) techniques in Twitter, you can make it easier for them to find you, not only in Twitter but also in Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.

As a job seeker, you want to be found if someone searches on the job title you want, your profession or industry, and also your name.  Your Twitter account will be helpful for you even after you’ve found that next job.  Recruiters and employers are always searching for good people, so this account can become a major long-term asset to your career:

• People Googling your keywords (your job title, profession, industry, etc.) will find you because your Twitter account will appear in the search results, if you have used those keywords as described in the rest of this article.
• People Googling your name will find your Twitter account in the search results if you have used your name as part of your Twitter identity.

Accessing Your Twitter Account Settings

To implement the tips 2 thru 4, you’ll need to access the “Account” tab page of your Twitter settings.  First, login to your Twitter account. Then, click on “Settings” in the links at the top right of your Twitter page to
access this page - http://twitter.com/account/settings It should look like this:
The information collected on your Twitter Account page (above) is displayed on your Twitter pages, with most of it visible on your Twitter Profile page (see Guy Kawasaki’s Profile page below as an example). When you are logged in to your account, you can see what others see by clicking on “Profile” at the top of the page.

Power SEO for Twitter

More on Social Media & Job Search: Social Media & Job Search Home How to Get Started with Social Media Social Media Is Like Online Dating Social Media No-No’s 5 Ways Social Media Keeps Skills Up to Date Social Recruiting LinkedIn vs. Facebook vs. Twitter vs. (Fill-in-the-Blank) Social Networked Out? More About LinkedIn: LinkedIn Basics Leveraging Your LinkedIn Profile Effective LinkedIn Profile LinkedIn Applications and Your Profile How to Be Found by Recruiters in LinkedIn Search LinkedIn’s Company Follow Function Value of Growing Your LinkedIn Network Adding Misspellings to Your LinkedIn Profile More About Twitter: Twitter Toolbox Twitter as a Job Board Top 10 Twitter Job Search Lists 101 Best Twitter Career & Job Search Resources 8 Twitter SEO Tips for Job Seekers Top 50 Employers Recruiting on Twitter Top 50 College & University Career Center Twitter Accounts More About Facebook: Facebook & Your Job Search Social Media Experts: Miriam Salpeter, Social Media & Job Search Expert Marci Reynolds, contributor Alison Doyle, contributor Jason Alba, contributor

1.  Your Twitter Username (@YOU)

Use your real name, your profession, or your personal brand for your Twitter Username.

Your Twitter Username establishes your Twitter URL (e.g. twitter.com/GuyKawasaki or twitter.com/PublicityHound) and is your public name in Tweets (e.g. @GuyKawasaki or @PublicityHound).  So focus on maximizing the SEO benefit and the branding of your URL. Imagine Tweets coming from you as: @MarketingGuru, @FinancialWhiz, @EcommercePMP, @ProfitManager, @NYCityCPA, or something similar and appropriate for you.

In general, think long term, but, if you must, Twitter does allow you to change your Twitter Username later.  Best not to intend to do that when you start, but if you didn’t get off to a great start, you can still recover.

Twitter allows a total of 15 letters and numbers in this field.  Spaces are not accepted here, but underscores may be used to separate words or letters or numbers.  You have 4 basic options for your Username:

• Your name is probably the best Username you can have if your profession isn’t easily identified in 15 letters or fewer, if you are relatively well-known in your field, or if you want to become relatively well-known in your field.
• Your name + professional designation strengthens the connection between the two, particularly when there are in-bound links to your Twitter Username from outside of Twitter. Those links will usually use your Twitter Username for the text that is clicked.

Add a relevant and accurate job-related keyword to your user name, like [name]CPA, [name]PMP, [name]PhD, whatever is accurate and appropriate, for a little added marketing zing.

• Your profession may be the best choice for your job search because it loudly broadcasts what you do. If you use your profession here, use your real name in the Name field (see Tip # 2, below), to help Twitter, Google, etc. connect the two.
• Your business or blog/Website name, as below. If you have a business or blog you want to promote with this Twitter account, you can build brand awareness for your business or Website by using your business or blog name as your Twitter Username.  By including your name in the “Name” field (see # 2, below), you’ll create some visibility for your name, until you sell your business or Website. Probably not good long-term personal branding for you, however, unless you plan never to sell.

As with your personal email, save the @SexyBlond, @StudlyDudly, and @Colbert4Pres usernames for fun, not for your job search. And, don’t add your real name to those non-job-search accounts, unless you want that connection made for recruiters and employers.

2.  Your Twitter Name

Use your name, your profession, and/or other relevant keywords in the “Name:” field in your Twitter Settings, depending on what you are using in the Username field.

This field is 20 characters long, and will accept spaces and punctuation marks in addition to the usual letters and numbers.

When someone visits your Twitter account, they usually see your Profile page which displays your Name followed by your Username in parenthesis at the very top of the browser (the page “title” in HTML-speak) .  The words and the order of the words in your Twitter Profile page title are very important to search engines and to Twitter search.

Put your most important keywords first. That’s probably your profession or profession and location. PR expert Joan Stewart, right, is the “Publicity Hound” – the name of her business and her Website. So, Joan uses both names in her Twitter Profile.

See the examples below for more options and ideas.

Your keywords are the words you want to describe you.  Keep in mind that, in our example, Guy Kawasaki is already his own “brand” name.  For him, repeating his name is just good SEO because people will probably be searching for him using his name as the keywords.  Most of us are not in that position.

Assuming your name is Mary Jane Smith (work with me here, guys) and you are a CPA in NYC, here are some examples with options to consider:

[FORMAT: Twitter "Name" (Twitter "Username"), as they will appear at the top of the Twitter Profile page and be read by the search engines]

• Mary Jane Smith (MaryJaneSmith) – name used in both fields, Name and Username
• Mary Jane Smith (MJSmithCPA) – name plus name variation with profession
• Mary Jane Smith (NYCityCPA) – name plus location with profession
• Mary Jane Smith CPA (MJSmithCPA) – name with profession plus name variation with profession repeated
• New York City CPA (MaryJSmith)  – location and profession plus name
• New York City CPA (MJSmithCPA) – location and profession plus name variation with profession repeated

Options you have:

• If you’ve used your name for your Username, the Name field provides you with the opportunity to add some differentiation and marketing (e.g. New York City CPA in the last 2 examples above).
• If your Username is not your name, put your name in this field enabling Google (and Twitter search) to find your Twitter account if someone uses your name in a search query.

If you are like me and many others, your name is relatively common. Differentiate yourself by adding your middle initial or even your middle name for all your online activities. Then, use that name consistently with Facebook, LinkedIn, email, etc. to establish a consistent “brand name” for yourself.

You can change this Name at any time, but it’s wise to stick to one version of your name for consistent branding.  Having a unique name is becoming increasingly important when recruiters Google job seekers. 

If you have a common name, your identity may be mixed up with the identity of someone who has a bad reputation. See the Online Reputation Management for Job Search for more information.

3.  Your Location

Include where you are living or the location where you  want to work.

This is a very important keyword or keyword phrase, particularly for job seekers.

You can see that Joan Stewart has proudly indicated she is in Port Washington, WI.  If anyone searches through Twitter, Google, or other search engines for people in Port Washington, Joan will show up.

Guy gives his location as “United 3B” which sounds like he lives in first class on United Airlines.  Or, at least that’s where he was when he updated his Twitter Settings. Probably not something most people would search on, but effective and funny for Guy.

4.  Your Twitter Web address

Use the “More Info URL:” field in your Twitter Settings to connect your Twitter account to your LinkedIn Profile, your blog, your Website, VisualCV, or other relevant personal Web address.

This will be a live clickable link that you can change as many times as you want to change it.  This field accepts only one URL, so pick the one that shows your most professional “face” to the online world for your job search.  This is where people will go if they want more information about you.

If you want to connect more than one URL (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.), you may type an additional URL into your Bio. Do use the “real” URL, sans the http://, not a special shortened version in your Bio, unless you are prepared to check it on a weekly or monthly basis to be sure it’s still live.

NOTE: Because of the 140 character limitation for Tweets, URL shortener services (snipURL, TinyURL, etc.) are in widespread use. But, most of those URL’s do eventually expire, leaving links that point to dead ends. So, don’t include them in your “More info URL” or your Bio if you can avoid it.

5.  Your Twitter Bio

Put relevant, keyword-rich information in your “One Line Bio” on the Twitter Settings page of your account.

Your goal is to include the kind of keywords an employer would use in a search to find people like you.

Twitter gives you 160 characters to use for your Bio - don’t waste this opportunity!  Examples, with the keywords bolded:

Recent college grad, business major, seeking entry level product marketing job w/Fortune 500 co. Intern experience in marketing & sales. Prefer West Coast.

Attorney/corporate counsel w/10 years experience in NYC publishing industry. Skilled w/contracts, IP, & litigation management. Admitted to practice in NY Bar.

Leaving the Bio space empty is worse than having a blank billboard on a busy highway.  It doesn’t do you any good, and it could do you some harm.  Without some content here, you could look lazy and/or clueless or like someone who doesn’t know what job they want.  You may even look like a spammer.

If your Bio is empty, potential employers and followers will not be easily attracted, so a big opportunity will be wasted.

6.  Tweet daily, and Tweet on-topic.

Demonstrate your knowledge of your topic, your writing and research skills, and your work ethic, with the Tweets you publish:

• Be a good source of fresh, good, relevant information.
• Link to good information even if you didn’t write it.
• If you have a blog, link to the most relevant postings you make.
• Re-Tweet good content relevant to your topic and/or your target employers and their competitors.

Attract the attention of your target employers with your Tweets:

• If you find a news item, particularly a postive one, about one of your target employers, Tweet about it, including the name of the organization in your Tweet.
• RT positive Tweets by people working for your target employers or about your target employers (see the example in # 7, below).

Employers don’t care what your weather is, what coffee you ordered at Starbucks, or what is happening to your team in the latest round of the championship [fill-in-the-blank] playoffs, etc. UNLESS:

• The weather Tweet demonstrates your knowledge of weather or climatology for your weather forecasting/climatology job search.
• The Starbucks Tweet demonstrates your expertise as a foodie (coffee-ie?), critic, writer, etc.
• The sports event Tweet demonstrates your skill as a sports reporter, umpire, coach, caddie, etc.

You get the idea:  If it’s not on-topic for your employment and job search goals, don’t Tweet about it with this account.

BTW, it is probably a good idea to avoid Tweets about “causes” unless you are looking for employment supporting those causes.  Again, this is something better pursued with your personal Twitter account, not your “work” account.

7.  Make your Tweets keyword-rich.

If you are looking for a job in one of the green industries, be sure to Tweet on the topic using relevant keywords which would include:

• The names of your target employers
• The industry’s or profession’s jargon
• Appropriate professional and industry associations and groups (names and acronyms)
• Important company and individual names in the industry (particularly your target employers, when appropriate).
• Hash mark tags for specific Twitter groups and topics are usually important keywords, like #jobseekers for tweets about job search. [See Susan Ireland's collection of 38 job searchtags marks on Twitter.]

For example, with the keywords bolded:

#environment Green jobs initiative launched in Iowa to encourage energy conservation, use of wind & solar power http://bit.ly…

#apple Apple Computer announced an exciting new product today, according to…
(assuming that Apple Computer is one of your target employers, you’ve used the company name plus the Twitter hashtag for Tweets about the company.)

8.  Link back to your Twitter account.

People underestimate how important this step is.  If you have a blog or a Website, link back TO your Twitter home page – http://Twitter.com/[your Username] -  to encourage people to follow you and to build the search engine “credibility” of your Twitter home page.  Add your Twitter URL (twitter.com/Username) to your email signature, to comments you make on blogs, articles you write, etc.

The more links to your user name, using the user name as the click-able text, the greater the ”credibility” it has with Google and other search engines.

The more “credible” your Twitter home page is, the more likely it is to turn up in a Google search.

Bonus:   Structure your Tweets carefully, particularly the first few words.

Twitter turns the first 50 characters in each Tweet into the Web page title for that Tweet.  This means that the first 15 to 25 characters of each Tweet (depending on the number of characters of the Tweeter’s Name) are picked up as the page’s title - a very important field to Google and most search engines, helping them understand what the Tweet is about.

For example, using one of Joan Stewart’s Tweets:

Joan’s Tweet:
9 proven headline formulas that sell like crazy. http://ow.ly/fA0O

The TITLE of that Tweet generated by Twitter:
Twitter / Joan Stewart: 9 proven headline formulas

You can see that Twitter includes the content in the Name field in the page title of each invidual Tweet, as above.

With all the things you have to juggle while Tweeting (fitting into the character count limit, using the best keywords, leaving enough space for Re-Tweets, etc.).  I wouldn’t obsess about this one – that’s why it’s number eight.  Just keep it in the back of your mind when you are Tweeting, and try to keep the most important words first, if you can.

Bottom Line:

The more you understand about search engines, the better off you will be, particularly when you are job hunting.

If you find entries in the search results you don’t like when “vanity Googling” (searching Google on your name), you can supplant those over time with good content, like your blog and Tweets.  It takes time, but it can be done.  Might as well start now building a strong first page of Google results.

Good luck with your job search!

(c) Copyright 2009.  Job-Hunt.org All rights reserved.

About the author and list compiler…

Online job search expert Susan P. Joycehas been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. For the latest news and updates, follow Susan on Twitter @JobHuntOrg.

I’ve had several complaints that my #FollowFriday Tweets of great career and job search Twitter accounts are overwhelming. So, this is my #FF list, consolidated and broken up by category. I’ve tried very hard not to leave off anyone who is making a great contribution, and agonized about leaving off several to keep the number to 101 of the most useful.

Many excellent career Tweeps are not included in this version of the list because they are not currently active or not on-topic right now (new baby, new job, vacation time, whatever).

And, there are many other popular Twitter accounts which provide a mix of content with “personality” and they are not included here. But, they could still be useful to you – it just depends what you want.

Note: This has been updated numerous times, and I will continue to update it.
March 21, 2011, is the date of the latest update.

Find all these Tweeps and more on Job-Hunt’s Job Search Experts Twitter List.

More on Social Media & Job Search: Social Media & Job Search  Home Twitter Toolbox 5 Ways Social Media Keeps Skills Up to Date Top 10 Twitter Job Search Lists 101 Best Twitter Career & Job Search Resources 8 Twitter SEO Tips for Job Seekers Top 50 Employers Recruiting on Twitter Top 50 College & University Career Centers Twitter Accounts

Who is included here:

• These are the people I’ve judged best at providing good content in their Tweets and trying to help people with the job search/career management process.
• These people Tweet regularly, on topic with new, fresh information.
• For me, the signal-to-noise ratio is usually good – these people are not focused on self-promotion or sending many off-topic Tweets.

I am acquainted with many of the people in this list. I’m happy to say that several of these people have contributed articles to Job-Hunt, sharing more of their advice and expertise with the world. If they have,  currently are or soon will be, contributing articles to Job-Hunt, their names have been bolded. But, that wasn’t a requirement for inclusion, obviously.

If you have suggestions about accounts which should be added, or even deleted, let me know.

Keep coming back. I will post new versions of this every month, and, of course, this is Job-Hunt.org – there will always be more resources added soon.

The 101 BEST JOB SEARCH/CAREER TWEEPS:

	Twitter Account	Person	Associated URL
Career Coaches
	@AvidCareerist	Donna Svei	AvidCareerist.com
	@barbarasafani	Barbara Safani	CareerSolvers.com
	@Barry_at_IMPACT	Barry Deutsch	ImpactHiringSolutions.com
	@CareerConsult	Shahrzad Arasteh	CareerConsultMD.com
	@careersherpa	Hannah Morgan	CareerSherpa.net
	@CrisJobCoach	Cris Janzen	JanzenAssociates.com
	@careerdiva	Eve Tahmincioglu	EveTahmincioglu.com
	@chandlee	Chandlee Bryan	BestFitForward.com
	@CareerTips2Go	Daisy Wright	TheWrightCareer.com
	@Execunet		insights.Execunet.com
	@ExpatCoachMegan	Megan Fitzgerald	CareerbyChoiceBlog.com
	@JulieWalraven	Julie Walraven	DesignResumes.com
	@KCCareerCoach	Meg Montford	AbilitiesEnhanced.com
	@LearnSolMary	Mary Wilson	LearningSolutionsBlog
	@NancyCollamer	Nancy Collamer	MyLifestyleCareer.com
	@phyllismufson	Phyllis Mufson	PhyllisMufson.CoachConsole.com
	@susanguarneri	Susan Guarneri	CareerGoddess.com
	@susanwhitcomb	Susan Whitcomb	CareerCoachAcademy.com
	@WorkCoachCafe	Ronnie Ann
	@WorkWithIllness	Rosalind Joffe	CICoach.com
	@VaultCareers		Vault.com
Career Management
	@alevit	Alexandra Levit	AlexandrAlevit.com
	@AnitaBruzzese	Anita Bruzzese	45things.com
	@askamanager	Alison Green	AskaManager.blogspot.com
Internships
	@heatherhuhman	Heather Huhman	HeatherHuhman.com
	@internweb		InternWeb.com
Job Interviews
	@InterviewAngel	Brent Peterson	InterviewAngel.com
	@InterviewCoach	Lewis Lin	SeattleInterviewCoach.com
Job Search
	@alisondoyle	Alison Doyle	Jobsearch.about.com
	@BillVick	Bill Vick	BillVick.com
	@CAREEREALISM	J.T. ODonnell	careerealism.com
	@chrisrussell	Chris Russell	JobRadio.fm
	@CornOnTheJob	Rich DeMatteo	CornOnTheJob.com
	@DorleeM	DorleeM	DorleeM.com
	@Debra_Feldman	Debra_Feldman	JobWhiz.com
	@eExecutives	Harry Urschel	EExecutives.net
	@heymarci	Marci Alboher	HeyMarci.com
	@JacobShare	Jacob Share	JobMob.co.il
	@JobAngels	Mark Stelzner	JobAngels.org
	@JobHuntOrg	Susan P Joyce (of course)	job-hunt.org
	@JobSearchCoach	Jeremy Worthington	Linkedin.com/in/jeremyworthington
	@JobSearchNinja	Todd Bavol	integritycareertransitions.com
	@jtodonnell	J.T. Odonnell	careerealsim.com
	@keppie_careers	Miriam Salpeter	KeppieCareers.com
	@LatinosAtWork	Murray A. Mann	Latinos@Work/
	@MeghanMBiro	Meghan M Biro	TalentCulture.com
	@OneJobHunter		EverydayDilemmasBlog
	@RiseSmart	The RiseSmart Team	risesmart.com
	@SusanStrayer	Susan D. Strayer	Exaqueo.com
	@TalentCulture	Talent Culture	TalentCulture.com
	@TimsStrategy	Tim Tyrell-Smith	TimsStrategy.com
	@wendygelberg	Wendy Gelberg	gentlejobsearch.com
	@WSJCareers		online.wsj.com
New Graduates
	@GradToGreat	Anne Brown	gradtogreat.com
	@Gradversity	Trevor Wilson	Gradversity.com
	@lindseypollak	Lindsey Pollak	lindseypollak.com/blog
	@StevenRothberg	Steven Rothberg	collegerecruiter.com
	@SweetCareers	Grace Kutney	sweetcareers.blogspot.com
	@QuintCareers		quintcareers.com
Personal Branding
	@danschawbel	Dan Schawbel	personalbrandingblog.com
	@LinkedInQueen	LinkedIn Queen	cliqueitmarketing.com
	@megguiseppi	Meg Guiseppi	executiveresumebranding.com
	@SusanStrayer	Susan D. Strayer	Exaqueo.com
	@williamarruda	William Aruda	reachpersonalbranding.com
Recruiters, Recruiting,& HR
	@Absolutely_Abby	Abby Kohut	AbsolutelyAbby.com
	@Ask_The_RCTR	Norman Harris	frustratedseeker.ning.com
	@BillBoorman	Bill Boorman	billboorman.co.uk
	@BostonRecruiter	Joe Noonan	linkedin.com/in/joenoonan
	@campusdiva	Joanna Clark
	@CincyRecruiter	Jennifer McClure	CincyRecruiter.com
	@DavidGraziano	David Graziano	DavidGrazianoStaffing
	@dmcgrath		hr.com
	@financejobs	Paula Wood	financerecruiter.com
	@Fishdogs	Craig Fischer	alistsolutions.com
	@FistfulOfTalent		fistfuloftalent.com
	@hrbartender	Sharlyn Lauby	hrbartender.com
	@HRSpace	Rob Moss	personneltoday.com/
	@jimstroud	Jim Stroud	jimstroud.com
	@jlipschultz	Jeff Lipschultz	alistsolutions.com
	@MikeRamer	Mike Ramer	RamerGroup.com
	@MikeVanDervort	Mike VanDervort	thehumanracehorses.com
	@PRjobs	Lindsay Olson	paradigmstaffing.com
	@salesrecruiter	Peggy McKee	phcconsulting.com
	@SusanHeathfield	Susan Heathfield	humanresources.about.com
Resumes/Resume Writers
	@CareerHero	Career Directors International	careerdirectors.com
	@dawnbugni	Dawn Bugni	thewritesolution.info
	@DebraWheatman	Debra Wheatman	ResumesDoneWrite.com
	@ErinKennedyCPRW	Erin Kennedy	exclusive-executive-resumes.com
	@GayleHoward	Gayle Howard	topmargin.com
	@louise_fletcher	Louise Fletcher	louisefletcher.net
	@MartinBuckland	Martin Buckland	anEliteResume.com
	@Red_Inc	Melanie Szlucha	Redinc.biz
	@resumeguru	Robert Dagnall	resumeguru.com
	@resumeservice	Rosa Vargas	creatingprints.com
	@rezlady	Sheree Van Vreede	noddleplace.com
	@SusanIreland	Susan Ireland	susanireland.com
	@TheResumeBay	Jon Davidson	theresumebay.com
	@ValueIntoWords	Jacqui Poindexter	careertrend.net
Social Media
	@chrisbrogan	Chris Brogan	chrisbrogan.com
	@jasonalba	Jason Alba	jibberjobber.com
	@mashable	Pete Cashmore	mashable.com
	@SocialMediaWonk	Drew Selman	drewselman.com

The EXTRAS

Many very useful and helpful people provide wonderful information that, while not specifically targeted at careers and job search, seemed worthy of inclusion.  So these are the “Extras:”

Other Useful Tweeps
	@2morrowKnight	News & information	2morrowKnight blog
	@ducttape	John Jantsch: Interesting stuff!	ducttapemarketing.com
	@greatonthejob	Jodi Glickman Brown	greatonthejob.com
	@GuyKawasaki	Guy Kawaski	alltop.com
	@keithferrazzi	Keith Ferrazzi: Networking	keithferrazzi.com
	@Mashable	Social Media News (LOTS of it)	phishbucket.org

As always, good luck with your job search!

(c) Copyright 2009 – 2011.  Job-Hunt.org  All rights reserved.

About the author and list compiler…

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter @JobHuntOrg.

This month, Job-Hunt compiled and published 2 very popular blog posts: The Top 50 Employers Recruiting on Twitter and The Top 50 College and University Career Centers Using Twitter.   A few people have asked what criteria were used to determine which Twitter accounts were included in the Top 50.  As with the thousands of other links on Job-Hunt, care was used in making the selections.

The criteria:

1.)  The Twitter account was “findable” using either/both Twitter Search functions(People and search.twitter.com) or Google’s site search.

2.)  The account indicated, hopefully in the Name, that it represented a specific employer.

3.)  The account linked to the named employer’s Website.

4.)  Some indication in the Bio section that the account was for recruiting.

5.)  That jobs were being Tweeted more often than raining-here-today Tweets.

6.)  The account was reasonably active in Tweeting.

7.)  The Tweets were a relatively constant stream.

8.)  There was reasonably current activity in the Twitter account.

9.) The links to jobs in the Tweets, when clicked, went to either the employer’s Website or to a legitimate job site with verifiable employer contact information for the contact in the posting.

The 2 Twitter search functions, combined with Google site search of Twitter as back-up, were used to find these accounts. No other Websites were accessed.

A major concern behind the creation of these lists is the vast number of bogus sites out there, probably including bogus Twitter accounts, trying to reel in job seekers for fraud, identity theft, etc.  So, every attempt was made to ensure that these accounts are genuine.

Good luck with your job search!

(c) Copyright 2009.  Job-Hunt.org  All rights reserved.

About the author…

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter @JobHuntOrg.

We knew it was probably happening, but now we have the proof.  David Meerman Scott has documented people, like David Murray, using Twitter to connect with their next jobs.  In this case, David was looking for a job in the social network world, so Twitter was an obvious venue to use.  It demonstrated his skill as well as connecting him with his market.

In case you don’t know about it, Twitter is the “micro-blogging” network where you don’t have LinkedIn “connections.”  You have “followers” and you “follow” others.  In other words, people subscribe to your “Tweets” and you subscribe to Tweets by others.

Obviously, doing appropriate and interesting Tweets is a skill, but it can be learned, by hundreds of thousands of people obviously.