Can you tweet your way to a job?

Good Monday morning,

Twitter has been in the news this month for raising money at a $3.7 billion valuation — a number that clearly shows its backers think Twitter has a bright and important future ahead of it.

One year ago, during this sleepy week between Christmas and New Year's, I told you that I was signing up for Twitter and would see how much of a help it could be in the job search.

If you check out my Twitter profile, you'll see I've tweeted 1,380 times this year, attracted over 10,000 followers, and have had a great time learning about this new tool.

In relation to your job search and how you can use Twitter, here's what I've found:

• Job listings and recruiters actively looking for somebody like you are relatively rare on Twitter. So it's not going to be the place where you score a hot lead on a new job. (For that, you'll need to use our "Follow Recruiter" feature on TheLadders.)
• Thought leaders from a wide variety of industries and fields are common. And they're active in sharing little bits of information and insights on Twitter. Following the prominent people in your field is a really fantastic way to keep abreast of industry developments and information.
• It's very easy to get the attention of important people on Twitter — if you have something to say. I've seen my Twitter friends pick up on new people and new voices very quickly — provided that their insights are interesting or noteworthy. For those who find "networking" at cocktail parties daunting, Twitter can prove to be a fantastic way to get your name out there and make interesting connections without leaving home.
• While I've helped out on a dozen or so customer service matters over the past year, in general, it's much faster to go direct! E-mailing "help@theladders" or calling us is the quickest way to get the help you need.

So, overall, I would say that Twitter is an interesting tool for people looking to raise their profile or stay on top of their industry. As a job tool, it's part of the slow, dedicated work of building your personal brand, not a quick fix to get your search jump started.

OK, Readers, just a few days left to get rested up for the new year! From what we're hearing from our corporate customers, it is going to be a big one!

Warmest regards,

Marc Cenedella, Founder & CEO, TheLadders.com

Follow me on Twitter here.

Author's note:

I've been writing these newsletters weekly for almost a decade in order to provide you with the advice, encouragement, and assistance you need in your professional job hunt. I'll take what we've learned at TheLadders during the week, or experiences I've had with job-seekers all over the country, and try to find a usable lesson, a valuable insight, or a helpful tip to share with you on Monday morning (my writing deadline is 3 p.m. every Sunday afternoon).

I do read your replies to this newsletter. Because of the volume of replies — typically over 1,000 per week — I'm unable to answer you personally, but one of our very qualified staff from our Job Search Support team will get back to you — most of the time within three hours or less.

As I am interested in every reply I get, I'll also occasionally reach out directly by phone or by email to say thanks, or ask a question, or to see how we can solve your problem better. Thanks for reading!