Career-related Twitter sites

Below is a compilation of career-related Twitter sites you might want to check out if you’re looking for a job. Some are specifically focused on recruiting (such as HersheyCareers or FedExCareers), while others are more company specific and can be used to help you prepare for interviews, learn about industries of interest, etc.

I’ve clicked through all of the links and they seem to be legit but, as always, be sure to check them out on your own before sharing any personally identifiable information.

And now on to the list…

Consumer Packaged Goods

Campbell Soup http://twitter.com/CampbellSoupCo

Hershey http://twitter.com/HersheyCareers

Kraft Foods http://twitter.com/kraftfoods

Mattel http://twitter.com/mattelmba

Pepsi http://twitter.com/pepsi

Procter & Gamble http://twitter.com/PGNewsUS

Unilever http://twitter.com/Unilever_Jobs

Technology

Cisco http://twitter.com/CiscoSystems

Google http://twitter.com/googlejobs

Intel http://twitter.com/JobsatIntel

Raytheon http://twitter.com/Raytheon_Jobs

Texas Instruments http://twitter.com/TXInstruments

Finance

Accenture http://twitter.com/Accenture_Jobs

Bank of America Europe http://twitter.com/BACcareers

Citigroup http://twitter.com/CitigroupJobs

KPMG US http://twitter.com/KPMGUSCareers

KPMG Europe http://twitter.com/KPMGRecruitment

PricewaterhouseCoopers http://twitter.com/PwC_LLP

Securities Exchange Commission http://twitter.com/SEC_Jobs

Media, Entertainment and Hospitality Management

CBS Interactive http://twitter.com/CBSI_Jobs

Hyatt http://twitter.com/hyattcareers

MTV Networks http://twitter.com/MTVNetworksJobs

NBC Universal http://twitter.com/NBCUniCareers

Warner Brothers http://twitter.com/WBCareers

Pharma

Genentech http://twitter.com/genentechnews

GSK http://twitter.com/GSKUS

Johnson & Johnson http://twitter.com/JNJComm

Merck http://twitter.com/merckcareers1

Quintiles http://twitter.com/quintiles

Consulting

Deloitte http://twitter.com/Deloitte

MarketSphere http://twitter.com/MarketSphere

Sustainability

Herman Miller http://twitter.com/hermanmillerinc

Net Impact http://twitter.com/NICentral

Starbucks http://twitter.com/Starbucks

Urban Land Institute http://twitter.com/UrbanLandInst

Whole Foods http://twitter.com/WholeFoods 

Shipping and Transportation

American Airlines http://twitter.com/AAirwaves

FedEx http://twitter.com/FedExCareers

Southwest Air http://twitter.com/SouthwestAir

Misc.

MBAHighway http://twitter.com/MBAHighway

 

Which ones am I missing? Leave a comment. Happy job hunting!

Personal Branding vs. Personal Grooming

This is a guest post by Chris Perry, founder of  Career Rocketeer, the Career Search and Personal Branding Blog.

It has always been said that you should not judge a book by its cover.  Appearance isn’t everything, or at least, it shouldn’t be.  In your career search and development, the substance of your personal brand and the promise of the unique and differentiating value you consistently deliver in any given situation are inevitably most important. 

However, presentation can make or break your personal brand and can be one of the deciding factors in your career progression.   The following results from a recent survey of over 500 HR professionals (commissioned by Gillette and conducted by Harris Interactive®) on the topic of personal grooming among male job candidates and male employees provide some valuable personal branding insights for all job seekers, both men and women:

• Nearly two-thirds (66%) of HR professionals believe that a candidate’s physical appearance is very important or important in distinguishing them from other job candidates.
• More than 9 in 10 (92%) HR professionals agree that a candidate who takes the time to be well-groomed exudes confidence.
• Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) HR professionals agree that the more well-groomed the job candidate, the better impression they get of him.
• More than 8 in 10 (81%) HR professionals agree that they take special note of job candidates who are well-groomed.
• A majority of HR professionals (52%) believe that being clean-shaven is an extremely important or important aspect of personal grooming in making a good first impression when meeting a job candidate for the first time.
• Other aspects of grooming—besides a clean shave—that are also extremely important or important to most HR professionals, include the absence of body odor (91%) and hair that is well-cut and styled (60%).
• One in four (25%) HR professionals believe facial stubble is one of the biggest red flags when meeting a job candidate for the first time.
• Other red flags, according to a majority of HR professionals, include body odor or sweat stains (93%) and wrinkled, ill-fitting, or inappropriate clothing (73%). 
• The top three aspects of physical appearance that men often neglect, according to HR professionals, are their fingernails (59%), clothing (27%), and shaving/body odor (23%).   
• If a candidate comes to a job interview unkempt, 71% of HR professionals conclude that he is unprofessional and more than half (55%) conclude that he is not seriously interested in the position.

The results from this survey should not deter any of you from keeping your facial hair or from creating and developing your own unique style or look to go with your personal brand.  I would not recommend to anyone that they change the essence of who they are by altering how they want to look in front of others.  We were not all made from the same cookie cutter, and thus, we should not all have to conform to looking exactly the same to achieve career success.

However, keeping yourself well-groomed and maintaining higher levels of personal hygiene should not limit the evolution of your own unique personal brand and look.  In the end, whether you know it or not, a clean shave, a good hair cut and clothes that fit not only make you look good, but feel good, too.  This leads to a subconscious confidence that will come across in your interviews and networking and help enhance your personal brand.

It’s also important to present yourself well once you have your job, too.  According to the survey, more than 8 in 10 HR professionals (84%) agree that well-groomed male employees climb the corporate ladder faster than those who are not well-groomed and two-thirds of HR professionals (66%) conclude that an employee is not professional if he regularly comes to work looking unkempt.

Don’t change who you are; just build your personal brand to be the best and most effective it can be!

Chris Perry is a Gen Y Brand and Marketing Generator, a Career Search and Personal Branding Expert and the Founder of Career Rocketeer, the Career Search and Personal Branding Blog.

It’s Not Who You Know…It’s Who Knows YOU!

This is a guest post by J.T. O’Donnell, nationally syndicated career strategist and founder of CAREEREALSIM.com.

I was trading e-mails with a colleague, Thomas Parry, founder of a very innovative new local networking program in Greenville, SC called Linking the Upstate. We were discussing new trends in networking and he said, “It’s not who you know, it’s who knows YOU,” which suddenly made me want to explain what that really means.

Once upon a time…

There was a job seeker who was accomplished, smart and very professional. He had so much to offer. He had a wonderful personality, had been very involved in various activities, and thus, knew lots of people. Yet, he could not find a job. Why? Because nobody knew him.

I’m sure you are thinking: “What is she talking about? She said he knew lots of people.”
Ahh, but there is a difference between the two. You can know thousands of people, and yet, if you aren’t connecting with them and making sure they are aware of your unique career identity, then the hard truth is they don’t know you and can’t help you find a job.

Why does this matter?

Well, if you are job seeking right now, then you’ve surely heard the industry statistic that says currently 80% of all jobs are being landed via referral. That means, someone you know most likely knows about a job that would be a fit for you. BUT, they may not know you well enough to connect the two.

If you want to find a job, you need to market your ‘company-of-one.’ And every good marketer knows, when times are tough and sales are down, you must do the following:

• Get real clear on who your target audience is.
• Build a strong, positive message they won’t forget.
• Get out there and spread the message as much as you can.

Most job seekers have #1 and #2 covered. Their resume is polished, their cover letters are well-written and they even have their Facebook and LinkedIn accounts up and running. But, it’s #3 where the majority of job seekers grind to a halt. This is where the excuses come in: “I can’t call employers,” and “I’ll feel stupid asking my friends for help. Besides, they know I’m looking for a job.” And my all-time favorite, “I don’t want to seem desperate.”

If this is how you feel, then it sends a strong message about how little you actually value the professional services you provide. I’m not asking you to be pushy and overly confident. In fact, there are many people who are overdoing it in that department right now. All I am asking is for you to be proud of your skills enough to want to effectively spread the word about them.

I realize your mind is racing right now. The idea of putting yourself in the position to be judged by others has the appeal of eating worms. But trust me, like anything in life, the more you do it, the easier it gets. Besides, for you those of you that watch Man vs. Wild, you know when food is scarce, you eat what will sustain you. (Actually, that guy has eaten some crazy stuff!)

And here’s some good news:

Unlike the marketing of most products and services, there are two things in this situation that work in your favor:

• The people you are contacting recognize they could be in the same position as you one day.
• Helping a person find a job is a great feeling and doesn’t require much more than a recommendation by e-mail or phone. You are still going to have to make it through the interview and get the job on your own.

So, here’s what you need to do:

Logistically, job seekers need to be connecting and promoting their career identity to at least 10 people per day. Otherwise, they can expect their job search process to be drawn out. If you are having trouble reaching that number on a daily basis, then besides the traditional forms of networking, here are two additional ways:

• Build your personal brand on Twitter. (You can sign up to receive step-by-step instructions on how to do this.)
• Create an Interview Bucket List. (Watch video that explains this concept.)

In Summary

Finding your next job is going to boil down to making a good, lasting impression on as many people as you can. It’s the best way to ensure they think of you when they hear about an opportunity that might match your skills and experience. At the end of your next job search day, the only thing that should be assessed is the quality of the connections you’ve made.

So, I ask you. How many people know YOU as a result of what you did today?

J.T. O’Donnell is a nationally syndicated career strategist and founder of the career news and perspective site, CAREEREALISM, where free tools and resources for the savvy professional are made available daily. O’Donnell can be reached via Twitter at twitter.com/jtodonnell and by e-mail at info@careerealism.com.

Interview Attire: Looking Like a Million Bucks, For Significantly Less

Looking to overhaul your interviewing wardrobe on a tight budget? Check out this week’s guest post from Laura Knepper, fashion guru and owner of LKc Style.

Wool Suit $150 @ Kohl's

It used to be a handful of people interviewed for a job and the most talented person was clearly ripe for picking. With today’s scary unemployment figures, the pool of competition is now vast. It is possible that there are many equally talented people all interviewing for the same job. Anyone interviewing right now is, or should be attempting, to differentiate, or personally brand, themselves from the crowd. One piece of personal branding is style. Although the economy has our pocketbooks thinner, there are some great ways to personally brand yourself via style specifically for your next interview:

1. Decide what you need.

• Suit: A charcoal grey or navy suit is superbly classic and professional. It will stand out more than a regular black suit that most people will choose for an interview. Both colors are versatile and can be worn for many other occasions in the future. Ladies, skirts can still be worn for interviewing, but consider it in the context of the job for which you are interviewing.  
• Shirt: Crisp, classic white. Never opt for anything showy in your interview. Ladies, choose something with a slight embellishment around the neck or a subtle pattern. You probably already have this; if not, it’s easily found for under $25 at Target, Kohl’s (check out their Arrow Fitted Dress Shirt for $21) or any department store. 
• Tie: A bold but not distracting tie will be best for interviewing. Some of my favorite and least expensive ties can be found at topman.com—all below are only $20.
• Shoes: Black will coordinate best with the charcoal suit and a very dark chocolate brown or black will coordinate best with the navy (avoid lighter browns for interviewing, they are too casual looking). Best deals and biggest variety can usually be found at DSW Shoe Warehouse. Shine your shoes before the interview if you don’t buy new; they’ll appear new.
• Accessories: consider belts, watches, cufflinks and pocket squares as additional but not always necessary for interviewing. Choose one or two quality accessories that may already be in your wardrobe. Avoid anything looking worn or faded. Ladies, wear jewelry that is classic and not distracting; pearls are almost always the best choice.

2. Preview two to three stores and look for sales.

• Target and Kohl’s have suits at very low cost. They will probably have blended fabrics which isn’t optimal, but you can still have a look without paying for the high quality fabrics.
• Department stores like Macy’s and Boston Store can have decent brand name suits at moderate cost and are having huge sales frequently due to recent tanking retail sales. Tell a sales associate your budget and ask for the best quality suits in that range.
• Men’s Wearhouse has a huge variety and most sizes. Sales abound frequently here too. The sales associates here will be most knowledgeable. Their costs can range from moderate to high. Be upfront about your budget and they will be able to pinpoint your needs.

3. Try Suits On.

• I think this is a given, especially for bigger ticket items or items that will be worn frequently—but I know a few of you that might walk out of a store without a test drive first. A suit that meets your financial and aesthetic needs on the hangar may or may not fit your body in the dressing room. You must try on any suit you are seriously considering purchasing. There may be slight areas that need tailoring (see #4), but overall, it should appear to flatter your body.

4. ALWAYS get tailored.

• Find a trustworthy tailor. Some department stores and Men’s Wearhouse will have their own tailors for a quick fix. Your drycleaners might even have a spiffy and spendthrift tailor. Look on Yelp.com for reviews in your area. Consider this person similar to your doctor—they will get to know your body and what it needs over time—try to find someone you like, that has reasonable prices, and is convenient.
• Some consider a tailor a luxury. It shouldn’t be. Especially if you are saving money on purchasing a less expensive suit, a tailor is the BEST and least expensive way to make the suit look more expensive!

Good luck in the interview process. Wear your suit and a sincere smile with confidence. For more tips on business attire, casual wear and other style do’s and don’ts, visit me at www.lkcstye.com/blog.

Do post-interview thank you notes really matter?

Yes and no.

Why thank yous don’t really matter. Imagine that you’re a recruiter and you identify a candidate who looks to be a total rock star on paper–he or she has all the right skills, tremendous work experience, and seems to be a great fit for the opening. You bring that person in for an interview and he or she completely blows the doors off of the hinges—well prepared, confident, and light years beyond every other candidate you have in the hopper. But, days go by and you don’t receive a post-interview thank you. Do you knock that person out of the running and extend an offer to someone else? In almost every case, I’m pretty sure the answer is going to be no.

But beyond the fact that the primary goal of the interview process is to hire the best overall candidate (and that’s way more important than a single thank you note or lack thereof), most interviewers will have made a “yes” or “no” judgment call about you either by the time you leave the interview, or at the latest as they evaluate the day’s candidates. So, in most cases, by the time they would actually receive the thank you (even if it’s within a 24-48 hour window), they’ve already formed an opinion about you one way or the other.

And not to muddy the water even further, but it’s important to keep in mind that a poorly written thank you could actually harm your chances more than not sending one at all.

Why thank yous could matter. Your background is almost identical to another candidate. After the interview, you’re still in a dead heat. You send a thank you but the other person doesn’t. If the recruiter is looking for something to knock somebody out of the running, it could come down to something as simple as a thank you note.

Don’t get me wrong, post-interview thank yous are nice. In fact, candidates probably don’t send them enough. However, in the grand scheme of the selection process, companies are going to be hard pressed to pass over a rock star candidate who has a great interview just because he or she doesn’t send a thank you. And if you do decide to send one, make sure you individualized your message by restating your value proposition (those 2-3 things that make you unique from other candidates) and restating your interest in the position.