MarketingJobWire.com

You’re not interested in what Brittney is wearing, where Oprah ate lunch or whether Ashton has more followers than CNN. No problem, I get it. But if you think Twitter is just colossal waste of time, think again.

People are finding jobs on Twitter. Real people like Susan Spaight Moorhead, VP of Account Management and Digital Strategy at Meyer & Wallis in Milwaukee. She may not be a celebrity, but this rock star brand strategist found value – and a job – on Twitter. Here’s her story:

Q: Susan, thanks for sharing your story with Marketing Job Wire. Let’s start with a little background on your career path and type of work you do.

I’ve been working in advertising agencies/marketing firms for nearly 20 years. I started in Account Management, then research and strategic planning, and got heavily into social media about a year ago. Now, as of one month ago, I’m VP of Account Management and Digital Strategy at Meyer & Wallis, a firm with offices in Milwaukee and Indianapolis. I don’t consider myself a social media “expert”; I am a strategist that also knows social.

Q. How did you find the job you have now?

Actually, it found me, mainly because I am very active on Twitter. I built a relationship on Twitter with a key executive at an interactive agency. That turned into drinks, which turned into an interview, which turned into a job offer that wasn’t quite right. But then, that same executive introduced me to a connection of his, also via Twitter, which turned into coffee, which turned into doing business together (he is a consultant), which turned into him recommending me for the job that I have now. It’s been quite the chain reaction.

Q. So many people are unsure how to engage on Twitter… how did you get your feet wet and start meeting like-minded Tweeps? Were you actively seeking a new job?

I was not at all actively seeking a new job. I found amazing tweeps mainly through seeing who friends and people that I consider thought leaders were following, and through #followfriday. I really cannot believe how much more connected I feel in my local marketing community than one year ago; it is absolutely amazing.

Q. What advice do you have for marketers interested in learning more about leveraging social media?

The best way to feel confident applying social media in your marketing/ communications plan is to first get comfortable using it yourself. I know it can be difficult to find the time, but it is most definitely worth finding 30 minutes a day to build your personal network while learning. Find and follow great people and actively initiate conversation. Ask people you respect who they recommend. Read, read, read. Start blogging if you are so inclined; that has been an incredible learning experience for me as well. And if you aren’t sure how to leverage social media, hire a great strategist ; )

Q. Any thoughts for job seekers on how to weave social networking into their search strategy?

In my experience, the best strategy is to weave social networking into your life before you need to search. But whether it is before your search or during, the most important thing is to put true value and equity into your relationships. Demonstrate that you really care and are not just networking superficially to try to get a job. Put some skin in the game, and keep it real.

Susan’s not alone. Recent Chicago transplant Chelsea Winkel found a great job at Duo Consulting on Twitter.

Let’s make a deal. Try it for 21 days and decide for yourself. If after three weeks you’re not convinced, at least you’ll know a bit more about what all the Twitter buzz is about, and what P. Diddy had for dinner.

Susan’s on Twitter @suespaight, Chelsea is @hirechelsea and I’m @simasays.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 11:18 am and is filed under Job Search. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.