Twitter for careers (Overig)

*****
As a new work initiative, our boss is encouraging us to use Twitter to talk with other professionals in our field, as well as potential clients. He says not only will it promote our firm, but it will also help us individually. We have some guidelines for what to say, of course, but they’re pretty lax. There’s also a prize for having the most followers.

I’m trying to look at this as an opportunity for my career. How do I get started effectively using Twitter as a career helper?
- John

Your best bet is to simply open up an account, find people who are saying interesting things relevant to your career path, and converse with them. It’s really as easy as that.

I’d suggest that 80%-90% (if not more) of your Twitter posts should be responses to others. Ask questions. Post useful links that back up what they’re saying. If you make a comment, try to make it useful or entertaining. At first, follow everyone that follows you, but you can filter later on when it gets overwhelming.

There’s really not too much else to it. Don’t look at it in terms of the numbers. Look at it in terms of the value you get out of it.