10 Twitter Tips to Find Your New Job

10 Twitter Tips to Find Your New Job We’ve given you Twitter, perhaps the most talked about social media site of the moment. Although Twitter is arguably perceived as being more about socialising than professional networking, it is still a hugely valuable tool for businesses, professionals-and job seekers. Here are 10 tips for using Twitter to get a job. 1. Fill in your bio You only have 160 characters for your bio, so make them count. Make it clear what you want and what value you can bring, i.e. “As a qualified social worker for x years, Im currently looking for a position in a y type of organisation”. See How to Write a Twitter Bio for more on this topic. 2. Use a real photo of yourself It’s important to upload a photo on your Twitter profile and it’s just as important that it’s a photo of yourself. As hilarious as putting up a photo of a cat in a bow tie or Simon Cowell is, it doesn’t look very professional in the eyes of potential employers looking at your profile. 3. Follow the relevant people Obviously if you’re using Twitter to tap into a certain job role, organisation, career or industry, it’s useful to follow tweeters associated with your target areas. There are a number of Twitter applications and directories that can help you find people in particular fields. The most established, popular and recommended one is Twellow. 4. Connect with people Following people who could be beneficial to your job search won’t be of any help if they don’t know you’re there! Connect with potentially useful contacts by replying to their tweets, following tweeted links to their blog posts and leaving comments, and also tweeting them any thoughts or links that they might find interesting. 5. Tweet smartly Once you’re interacting with people on Twitter and have some followers that are really listening to you, it becomes increasingly important that you tweet smartly. If you’re using Twitter as part of your job search this means giving off a professional vibe. You may only have 140 characters with which to tweet, but it’s still important to be interesting, avoid major controversy and to use correct spelling and grammar. 6. Offer your help This is an important part of connecting with people and being a smart tweeter: You can show both your authenticity and your ability to fellow users by offering your help to them, be it by answering a question, voting on a poll, or even sending them a book that they’re looking for and that you have. Giving assistance by using your career expertise in particular will of course demonstrate your viability as a job candidate. 7. Ask for help If people are asking for help, that of course means that you can also ask for help, especially if you’re looking for a job. Asking for help doesn’t necessarily mean coming across as desperate: it can be as simple and understated as asking a journalist who writes about your particular industry if they know of any organisations that are hiring soon. 8. Don’t spam Unfortunately, as Twitter is such a popular platform, it does get its fair share of spammers. Even if you’re not intentionally spamming, other tweeters can be so sensitive to spam as to label you as a spammer and block/report you. It’s one thing to ask for help from a variety of connections on a variety of job seeking issues, but if you repeatedly address exactly the same question/request to the particular person or to the whole of Twitter, you may become a spam suspect. 9. Be cautious Speaking of spam, if you do get a tweet or DM (Direct Message) from someone you haven’t been interacting with, or have never been told about, and they offer you a dream job opening, be wary. Ask yourself if what they’re saying is too good to be true and why the offer has come out of the blue. Be careful not to click on any links you don’t trust, as these can often be the main tool of phishing scams. Just as there can be non-existent, questionable, or even illegal jobs disguised as legit positions on listings websites, they can also appear on Twitter and other similar forms of social media. 10. Preserve your Twitter reputation Spamming is just one way of ruining your reputation. As your online reputation as a job seeker is very important, be sure to also avoid swearing, lying, posting inappropriate photos, being rude, pestering famous (or any) tweeters and tweeting drunk. Now that you have taken these steps youre ready to check out the list of 140 companies tweeting fresh jobs. Author: Nisa Chitakasem is the founder of  Position Ignition  â€" a careers company dedicated to taking you to the next step in your career. Nisa is passionate about helping individuals find the right career path for them whether it involves finding a more rewarding career, making a career change, figuring out the right career plan or being creative about career directions.  

5 ways to work for yourself in 2015

5 ways to work for yourself in 2015 Whether you’re tired of your current job or simply fancy a career change, why not consider working for yourself throughout 2015 and beyond? There are many ways to earn a living without being stuck in the traditional 9-5 slog, so here are five suggestions that might work for you. Start your own business If you’ve got an interesting business idea which you believe could make money, pursuing it could be a viable option. Of course, you’ll need everything from funding to determination but if you want to lower the risks of going alone, starting a franchise might be the right option for you. Professional cleaning companies such as Molly Maid, for instance, allow you to control your own future by owning a franchise business in the £1.6 billion plus domestic cleaning industry. Like other businesses of this nature it’s an affordable investment that can yield high returns. Be a self-employed representative Companies such as Avon, Ann Summers and The Body Shop are always looking for self-employed representatives to promote and sell their products. By signing up for this kind of role you can be your own boss, work from home, control the amount you earn and yet still have all the support necessary from some of the world’s leading companies. There’s sure to be rules you have to follow, but if a flexible career that will fit around your busy lifestyle is what you’re looking for, this is a good option. Try freelancing These days, more and more companies are hiring freelancers of all different specialities. Why? Well, it means they can take advantage of the best talent out there without hiring a full-time employee. This is great news if you’ve got a talent such as copywriting as it means you can look for jobs via sites like Elance or oDesk and work from the comfort of your own home. Of course, freelancing is a dog-eat-dog, so be prepared to sell yourself, meet deadlines and impress people with top-quality work as employers have no obligation to use your services again. Be an independent contractor If you have skills that other individuals or companies might find useful, think seriously about becoming an independent contractor â€" someone who provides a service to another entity under an agreed contract/arrangement. Not only can you pick and choose who you work for but you can also set your own rates, do different things on a daily basis and travel across the country if you feel it’s necessary. Technically, you’re your own boss and can do as you please although if you sign a legal agreement be sure to fulfil your obligations to avoid getting in trouble. Become a childminder If you’ve got young kids and can’t bear the thought of being away for them while you go out to work, becoming a childminder could solve a number of problems. Firstly, you’ll get to stay at home with your little ones while they’re still young and will save on nursery fees. Secondly, you’ll make money by looking after other people’s children on a daily basis. There are certain procedures you must go through, however, so look into registering as a childcare provider through Ofsted and changing your life for the better. Sometimes, working the 9-5 just isn’t practical, particularly if you have kids or are responsible for elderly relatives and such like. While working for yourself has its fair share of risk it can be extremely beneficial and rewarding, so it’s worth looking into these different avenues.

What if an Employer Requests My Facebook Password

What if an Employer Requests My Facebook Password There have been several stories in the news recently about employers requesting the Facebook passwords of employees and job applicants. Should employers have access to our most private details? What rights do employees have in this situation? Is this even legal? Why would an employer want my Facebook password? Employers would probably be hard-pressed to come up with a legitimate business reason for requiring full access to an employee’s private social networking profiles. It seems as though employers are taking advantage of desperate job seekers who would rather surrender their rights to privacy than miss out on a job opportunity. Should employers have access to my private information? With today’s technology and increasing connectedness, there is a very fine line between our professional and personal lives. This is why we go through the painstaking process of perfecting our privacy settings on our social networking profiles. We know that current and potential employers are likely to research our online presence, but there is a difference between viewing our publicly available information and having full access to our most personal details. While it might be uncomfortable to allow an employer to read your private messages and scan through your personal photos, this unrestricted access can actually be harmful for employers as well. Employers are at risk for discrimination claims if: The employer asks some, but not all, individuals for certain information (ie, Facebook passwords), The employer discovers bits of personal information (e.g. race, religion, sexual orientation, medical conditions or political views) that are typically made available on protected Facebook profiles or in personal conversations. What should I expect from an employer regarding social networking privacy? Some companies that have been pressured to cease requesting employees’ Facebook passwords have resorted to “shoulder surfing,” or having an individual log in to their account and click through messages, photos and wall posts while the employer watches. In some cases, student athletes have been required to “friend” a coach or other authority figure as a means of monitoring activity. Basic background checks are a standard practice in recruitment, and every company should have a formal social media policy that includes guidelines for conducting social networking screening. Ideally, these checks should be carried out by a third party, and certainly not by the individual in charge of making the hiring decision. All employers should reveal their social media monitoring policy to employees, including the use of software that takes screen snapshots of login information. Is it legal for an employer to ask for my Facebook password? There are no specific laws to protect the social networking privacy of employees and job applicants, though lawmakers in some US states have introduced bills to prohibit employers from requesting Facebook passwords. In the UK, the Computer Misuse Act 1990 offers some protection to employees. According to the Act, it is an offence to use a computer to gain access to data you are not authorised to use. Unfortunately, many employees are willing to fork over their passwords in order to keep their jobs, thus “authorising” the employer to access their personal information. However, this practice still constitutes a direct violation of Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. According to Section 4.8 of Facebook’s policy, “You will not share your password…let anyone else access your account, or do anything else that might jeopardize the security of your account.” What can I do if I’m asked to give up my password? Do not be afraid to defend your rights to personal social networking privacy. Ask about the company’s social media policy. Express your concerns about your legal rights, quote Facebook’s official policy, or just say no. If all else fails, ask yourself: do you really want to work for a company that doesn’t respect your right to privacy? Related: How To Protect Your Online Reputation (Infographic). Adriana Costello is an MSc Management and HR student at the London School of Economics. She blogs regularly for Link Humans and Jumpstart:HR as a HR and Social Media Intern. Follow Adriana on Twitter @AdrianaTereza.

10 Step Intermediate Guide to Blogging Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

10 Step Intermediate Guide to Blogging Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career If youre a beginner, please see my previous post on blogging your personal brand. 1) Start adding links to your posts All of your new blog posts should contains links. The links should link to blog posts youve created previously, other peoples blogs and additional resources that may support your thesis or commentary. Make sure your blog is setup so that people can advance to the next post and go back to a previous post as well. When you add links, try to highlight a word of phrase that makes sense for the location youre sending people to. For instance, if I wanted to link to a marketing blog, I you could write There are other marketing resources on the web that can help you too! When you create links to your content and other peoples content, its benefits you in these ways: youre giving attribution, youre helping other bloggers (and may receive reciprocation with a future link), and youre increasing the page views of your other posts. 2) Get consistent with formatting If youve read my blog for a week, then you are aware that I have the same formatting for every post. My subtitles are all in blue, I highlight key phrases in bold and underline keywords. I also align most of my images to the right side of the screen and more. Aside from finding your voice, you need to find your format. Ask yourself what colors should I use to represent brand me? If you can keep things consistent, it will be easier for people to read because they will adjust to your blog rhythm. 3) Create your “About this blog” page In my beginners post, I spoke about having a page that highlights you, as the blogger, but now I want you to create a page about your blog. Before you even create your blog, you should have an idea of the niche youre going after and your unique value that you bring to the blogosphere. Your about page should describe what your blog is going to be talking about. Give people a general idea, so they know to come (or subscribe) to your content to receive that type of information and nothing else. Remember, people can get information elsewhere, so you only want a piece of their attention. Your about page should scream enthusiasm for your topic and you might have a picture as a way to describe it too. The best about pages Ive seen are one paragraph long. Mine has more because my topic is more complicated and because Ive run out of room on my blog (Im launching a new one next year). 4) Comment like a champ Ive spoken about branding yourself with comments previously. In order to get comments on your blog, you need to comment on other blogs. A comment signifies that youve taken the liberty to read and reflect on someone elses material. To me, that is like starting a conversation at a cocktail party. As long as you fill out the comment field with your blog URL, the receiver of that comment will want to reciprocate by either commenting back, subscribing to your blog or writing a post promoting brand YOU (maybe all 3 if youre lucky). Subscribe to topics that reflect your blog and comment on what you can lend expertise to. Youll notice, after a while, that people will comment back on your blog. When this occurs, you benefit by having more subscribers, viewers and a stronger TRIBE. Plus, those bloggers will keep blogging on your topic because youve given them a reason too ?? 5) Find out who your visitors are Some bloggers use MyBlogLog and others use another website called Blog Catalog. MyBlogLog is much more popular, especially because its endorsed by Yahoo!. By signing up for an account, you are strengthening your personal brand and that of your blog. First, you can use a MyBlogLog widget on your blog, which showcases the avatars of those whove already signed up for MyBlogLog and have landed on your blog. Second, when you go to other blogs, your avatar will appear (its like face-time with your manager). This is how you continue to build a community around your brand. 6) Guest post on another blog If youve written a number of posts for your own blog and are interested in getting more traffic and networking, then guest posting on another blog is a good strategy for you. Do not randomly email bloggers asking them to guest post or to comment on their blogs with a request or theyll be turned off immediately. The top bloggers get these requests all the time, so in order to stand out, you need a long term relationship strategy. You need to comment on their blog over the course of a month or so before you engage in a guest post conversation. When you write for another blog, be sure to only link back to your blog and make sure the content is as good, if not better, than your own blog content. 7) Integrate your blog URL/feed throughout your digital kingdom Promoting your blog through all of your current materials is key. Your email signature should have a link to your blog and blog feed. The presentations that you give should have a link to your blog. Your resume should have a link to your blog. Your website should have a link to your blog. Your business card should have a link to your blog. You want this link almost everywhere your name is cited because thats how people will remember it. 8 ) Promotion on discussion forums One great way to get your name out there and to promote your blog is through discussion forums. Find threads where you feel your website would benefit those people and comment, while including your blogs address in your signature. The more you do this, then more people will click on your site, especially if its targeted appropriately. 9) Use at least one picture per post Dont publish a blog post without including a picture. Sometimes I struggle pressing publish without multiple pictures. I know your writing is good, but without a picture it is faceless. Your voice needs to be matched with a picture that gives an experience to your readers. A picture says more than 1,000 words in the blogosphere; it says everything. The pictures you select for blog inclusion, will tell the reader what your main point is immediately, so they can connect with it and follow your content trail. 10) Allow for search and organization Instead of waiting two years to organize your content, do it right now. This includes, deciding on categories for your posts, using a calendar or archiving widget, as well as giving people the ability to search through your content. By creating categories and organization your content now, you will save hours later. You will also help readers navigate your content much faster, so you get more views.

Resume Writing Tips - How to Easily Outsmart the Marketers

Resume Writing Tips - How to Easily Outsmart the MarketersIf you want to impress the employer, you should know that there are certain resume writing tips that will help you. These include proper resume writing font and size, the content of your resume and the format.To begin with, there is a rule in resume writing that goes like this. You should avoid the word 'include' in resume writing. Why? Because this is a direct invitation for the employer to take your resume and call you for an interview. He may even add a query which asks about your abilities.Resume writing tips focus on two components. The first is to ensure that your resume is well organized and well formatted, in a format which would make it easy for the reader to read, understand and respond to.Font sizes and placement in resume writing is a vital step in this regard. It has been observed that the font size of resumes used for successful applicants is small and big sized fonts. Many employers do not require a very large f ont size. Thus, this aspect can be ignored and resume writing can go on without difficulty.The second tip on resume writing to be considered is the content of your resume. This is where you have to clarify what you have to offer in the job application. When it comes to this, it is best to use well structured resumes containing the following information:Include details about your employment history. Be as specific as possible. Use the dates or numbers to mention that you have held that particular job.On the same line, mention the display skills. Use a blank space and write down the display skills you have. Note that if you have ever worked with any specific company you should mention that as well. For instance, if you have worked for Goldman Sachs, you should mention this.The last and most important part of resume writing is to include your contact details. Include them in the appropriate format.

Should LinkedIn Be Afraid of BeKnown

Should LinkedIn Be Afraid of BeKnown Monster.com just launched a new Facebook application called BeKnown that lets users create a separate professional identity profile while on the Facebook platform.You may be thinking, I already have a LinkedIn profile for professional networking. Why do I need another one? While its true that most professionals have been using LinkedIn as their main professional networking site, LinkedIn only has one million users compared to Facebooks seven million. In addition, users tend to spend a lot more time on their Facebook accounts than their LinkedIn accounts. This means that your chances of gaining an introduction through a strong or weak tie could be significantly higher via a Facebook platform than through LinkedIn.Some of you may have recently heard about BranchOut, another Facebook application that allows you to connect professionally by leveraging the power or social networks on Facebook. I like BranchOut a lot, especially because of its ability to easily show you how you are connect ed to people at other companies, but BeKnown has some features that neither BranchOut or LinkedIn offer including:The ability to claim and manage company profiles.The option for employers to make referral payments for hires.Specific skills endorsements rather than the generic Bobs an employers dream. type of endorsements you sometimes see on LinkedIn and BranchOut profiles.The ability to access Monster.com job postings from inside Facebook including jobs posted at friends companies.In addition, the BeKnown app is supported in 19 languages in 35 countries as opposed to LinkedIn (6 supported languages) and BranchOut (1 supported language.It will be interesting to watch how LinkedIn, BranchOut, and BeKnown compete for users (or even collaborate to build a better platform) and where users loyalties will fall. You can learn more about BeKnown here and here.

How Can You Turn Your Name Into a Brand

How Can You Turn Your Name Into a Brand Image from rawpixel.com When developing your marketing strategy, your personal brand can be as important as your corporate one, and help you grow your business much faster. Personal branding can also help you get more clients, land you a better job or more sales. It can bring you recognition and respect, raising the odds of gaining more influence and more success. Still, to turn your name into a brand successfully, you will need a strategic approach. Here are the most important steps you need to take. Know your purpose A personal brand is a reflection of who you are. It’s what you will be remembered by and recognized for in the industry of your choice. Your personal branding efforts should begin with a serious assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, your interests as well as the skills you have mastered. Put a special focus on discovering your competitive advantages over all the others in your niche. Are those your marketing or social skills? Your personality? This will be your unique value proposition â€" the extra value you will bring to the lives of your target audience, a particular answer to the challenges they face and the reason they will distinguish you from your competition. However, you won’t be able to offer an adequate solution to your target audience’s problems unless you’ve defined them. Make sure you have a clear insight into the characteristics of your ideal customer, their needs, desires and pain points so that you can address them with your branding campaign. Choose your name wisely If your personal name is unique, or youre already well-known by it in your industry, you can use it as your personal brand name. It may be that you already have a reputation as a trustworthy source of information in your line of work, so you can use it to build on that reputation. When using your personal name for branding purposes, there are a few more things you should pay attention to: Is your name unique? Would you benefit from using a differentiator, such as a middle name initial or a tagline?Is your name easy for people to spell and pronounce?Can you imagine the possibility of your personal name limiting the expansion of your business?Do you stand for the values your business stands for?Is there an available domain you can buy that corresponds to your name? If for any reason you find that it’s not a good idea to use your personal name for branding purposes, try to create a name that is a combination of your career direction and your name, which is simple and memorable. Establish your look The visuals you use in your personal branding campaign are of extreme importance too. The advantage of personal branding is its human side, so don’t be afraid to show off and present a great photo of you. This will help you establish trust in your target audience and add credibility. It’s best to use a photo of you while working â€"facilitating a meeting or autographing your book, but a photo of you looking into the lens and smiling can also serve this purpose well. You should also decide on the logo, as well as the color palette and the fonts you will use, to make your personal brand recognizable and consistent on all platforms. Have a website After you’ve chosen your brand name and established your personal brand’s visual identity, the next step is having your own website. Building a website doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. You can make a perfectly functional website even if you opt for a standard one, created with WordPress, Wix or Joomla. Make sure your website is registered by your brand name. If you’re using your own name for branding purposes or want to add your business a more intimate feel, you should check out .me TLD domains and consider the most personal domain extension on the market. Create content If you want your brand to become recognizable, you need to constantly and consistently create content that will show your expertise and reflect your brand. Your starting point should be a blog â€" websites with blogs have 97% more links and 434% more indexed webpages. It is also the best way to improve the SEO rankings of your website and bring more organic traffic. Make sure the content pieces you create are focused on your target audience and not yourself. Your posts should add value to their lives, addressing their pain points and their needs in a way that is easy to grasp. You can also use social media channels to share the content you create in your social media circles or the groups you are a member of and engage with your target audience. Always look for ways to connect with people using your content, so make it diverse and use a variety of media types, such as podcasts, webinars, videos, eBooks, etc. And remember, you can’t develop a personal brand unless it genuinely feels personal. Don’t be afraid to show your target audience your authentic self â€" your story, opinions and values, even if it feels a bit risky.