Twitter is great, isn’t it? It’s the first real platform where everyday people like us can interact with celebrities and gods of industry. For our generation it allows us to be closer with complete strangers as well as unlock new ways of networking that others could only hope for before. The great thing about sites like Twitter is the invention of the hashtag. Most young people will hashtag virtually anything- #Tebowfor2, #icantdateyou, #icecreamrules and the ever popular #stufffoundinmynose. Seriously messed up.
Yes, it seems that while young people like to abuse the hashtag feature, it’s the professionals- aka the older people, gen X, your boss or professor- that seem to grasp the potential behind the hashtag. Human Resource professionals for example, use hashtags to start conversations and connect with other members of their profession. Hashtags are also used to categorize posts for easy searching. For example, if someone was looking for marketing tips, they could search #marketing in Twitter. I have a feeling virtually no one is going to be searching for #epicthingsmyhamsterdoes or #trashmydogeats.
So, why am I talking about hashtags if all I am saying is how badly we abuse them? Believe it or not, hashtags can be used in the search for jobs. Like I said before, hashtags can be used to start chats, where professionals and prospective candidates can gather and chat about an industry. I wrote an earlier entry about using career centers and counselors at your school, well here is another source of free information to help you in your job search. I’ve done some research and here is my list of Top 11 Twitter Hashtags That Will Help You Spark Your Career.
11. #hirefriday. Held all day every Friday, this chat is geared toward students who are coming up on graduation. A good mix of recent graduates, upcoming graduates and young professionals.
10. #HFChat. Fridays at 12 p.m. EST. Get the inside scoop of what HR (Human Resource) professionals are looking for in candidates. A great way to learn from HR professionals and recruiters from a wide range of companies and industries.
9. #jobhuntchat. Mondays at 10 p.m. EST. Great advice from professionals on filling out applications to general job hunting.
8. #jobseekersm. Tuesdays at 7 p.m. EST. Learn from experts on utilizing social media to not only find work but advance in your career as well. A good learning tool for social media etiquette in the workplace as well.
7. #CareerSuccess. Mondays at 8 p.m. EST. Straight from the weekly podcasts of Career Success Radio, this chat focuses on using social media for job searching to interview tips and tricks.
6. #CareerChat. Tuesdays at 1 p.m. EST. Very useful for college students or recent graduates looking to make that rough transition from campus life to work life. Consists of young professionals, young entrepreneurs and dedicated alumni looking to help out.
5. #U30Pro. Thursdays at 7 p.m. EST. Generally geared toward aspiring young professionals under the age of 30. While most of the chat consists of career issues facing young professionals, these energetic users are always more than willing to provide insight on the working world to those looking to cross over.
4. #InternChat. Tuesdays at 7 p.m. EST. This is a great chat for insights on internships in general and how you can utilize what you learn and experience from previous internships. Chatters will participate in discussion about what the next logical step is in taking internships to the next level.
3. #GenYChat. Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST. While not specifically a career oriented chat, members of Generation Y discuss a wide range of topics that currently affect young people today. Job and career searching is among them, but the chat also focuses on the issues surrounding it. For example, a topic could be about how to transition from a rural setting to an urban environment and how that can affect you as a student. The reason this one is so high on the list is because it is very comprehensive about the factors surrounding college students and members of Generation Y and how they all play together.
2. #MillennialChat. Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. EST. Usually consisting of the same niche as the #GenYChat, this one is more specific to career advice targeted toward members of GenY.
1. #leadershipchat. Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST. I have always felt that being a good leader is important whether or not you actually hold a position. This chat is great for creating a foundation for values important to aspiring leaders which can be, and should be, transferred to a life in the working world. A participant can gain insight on important skills such as management, communication, teamwork and organization in the work place.
There are hundreds of other hashtags and chats to follow. I know that I did not find or cover all of them, but these should provide you with a good jumping off point. Get involved in these chats and pretty soon you could be one of the participating leaders giving advice back to your fellow aspiring professionals. Remember proper social media etiquette dictates that you not only listen but participate. Nobody likes a leech. Add something to the table and make the experience that much better, not only for yourself but for others who will follow you.
If you know of a great twitter chat that I missed (and I know there are a lot of them out there), please leave a comment below OR tweet me with your suggestion!
Questions? Ideas or suggestions? Follow me on twitter @ChrisComella or email me at [email protected]
IMAGE: Courtesy of Fire Pole Marketing
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