CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- At last check, I'm getting close to 700 followers on Twitter. I'll admit, when I first heard a friend talking about the social networking tool a few years ago, I thought it would never catch on. One hundred forty characters can't be enough to get a real message out. It has proven to be enough and then some. And increasingly, it's becoming a must have if you're looking for work. Just ask Rich Sauser of Charlotte, who saw the need and founded Public You to provide training on social networking sites and their use in your job search.
Sauser points to recent stats from the website www.jobvite.com. They show an increasing number of employers using social media to find new workers. In fact, 83 percent said they'll recruit in social networks this year. Forty-six percent will spend more on social recruiting and less on job boards, 80 percent review social profiles of potential employees and 45 percent are using Twitter. Are you convinced yet you need to give Twitter a chance?
This week, Saucer will join forces with two other social media gurus for a free twitter seminar as part of St. John's Episcopal Church's Job Hunters Support Group. The panel also includes Gary Zukowski, President and founder of Charlotte-based www.tweetmyjobs, a company he started in 2009 to connect employers and job seekers over Twitter. Conrad Leo, Vice President for DATA, Inc. will also offer his expertise. He oversees recruiting activities which include social media marketing.
The seminar will offer advice on getting started on Twitter and LinkedIn, insight on how to use both to help in your job search, as well as a review of companies using social media right now to recruit talent.
The event is Tuesday, April 26th at 7:00pm at St. John's Episcopal Church at 1623 Carmel Road in Charlotte. Seating is limited, so you'll need to register. To get a ticket, click here.
And by the way, follow me on Twitter. Look for @BobbySiskWCNC.
Have ideas for the Job Hunt? Email me at bsisk@wcnc.com.
