Nice to see you again. Follow me, @SydneyOwen. Thanks for being here!
There has been a lot of talk lately about whether or not Twitter is going to get you anywhere. Jamie Varon wanted to get hired – she set up a campaign, and though she didn’t get hired by Twitter, she did land a job as Community Manager for TechVenture. Case in point – when used correctly, Twitter can absolutely get you somewhere.
My story? I was at the “Old Media, New Tricks” panel at SXSW. I was tweeting live all of the points that I thought I would want to remember, since I was using it as a way to take notes, and I was participating in the virtual discussion about what was being said in the panel. Adam Keats from Weber Shandwick saw my feed, liked it, followed me on Twitter, which lead him to my blog, where he commented on my series about SXSW and self-discovery, and I emailed him after he posted the comment. We emailed and texted back and forth the rest of the day, met up later that night, and he took me under his wing, introducing me to everyone I needed to know.
Because of that connection, I have had two rounds of interviews and a writing test with Weber Shandwick’s Chicago office. Now I wait. In the next two weeks I’ll know whether or not I’m going to be uprooting my life to Chicago in August. If I get hired, no doubt it’s because they believe I am qualified for the position – but the connections made on Twitter are what got my foot in the door. Had I not been on Twitter during the panel, Adam may not have met me, and I would have been another resume in a stack of hundreds. Networking with him allowed me to make an impression before he had even seen my resume. Now that is what social media is all about.
Regardless of whether or not Weber Shandwick brings me on board, I learned valuable lessons. I went through a total of six phone interviews (post on how to rock a phone interview coming up). I took a writing test – demonstrating the skills I could offer the team. And that’s what life is all about.
I think the people that think you’re wasting your time on Twitter are either not understanding the true value of building a social network or they are upset that it hasn’t gotten them anywhere. And Twitter isn’t for everyone – I know that. But being a senior, about to graduate into the world of PR, where social media is starting to revolutionize that industry, Twitter is for me. And I thank Twitter for opening doors I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to explore.
Now cross your fingers and think good thoughts!
What are your thoughts? Have you made valuable connections on Twitter or other social networking sites that have helped your career? Do you think Twitter is a waste of time? What is the best way to use social networking to your advantage?