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10 Twitter Tools to Effectively Manage your Followers

Original Post: dailyseoblog.com by Mani Karthik

Managing your followers and friends on Twitter is not easy. But its a fact that your success ratio and influence power is directly proportional to how active your followers are. I’ve realized that rather than who follows you or how many people follow you, its important to know whom you are following and how active they are.

Some of the factors that will determine your influence power on Twitter are
- How active your followers are.

- Do they ReTweet your tweets.

- Whether they are regularly updated and have a good following.

- Are those whom you follow, following you back etc.

With the default options on Twitter, its not really easy to manage your followers, but here are some interesting web based applications that I found to be of great help. Hope you find them useful too.

Twitter bird icon courtesy – Aravind Ajith

1. Mass Unfollow those who are not following you back with Huitter

I believe that there is no use in following people who aren’t reciprocating on Twitter. I use this tool weekly, to check for people who aren’t following me back. It automatically unfollows everyone who aren’t following you back. Huitter.

2. Automatically unfollow all inactive accounts you are following with MyCleener

This is yet another tool that will help us automatically unfollow all the inactive accounts based on when their last tweet was, and help you save your follow number. MyCleener

3. Find out common users following and being followed by two accounts

This is a great tool, because if you knew two power user accounts, say from your niche, then you can find out who are the guys they keep in contact with and who are the guys they are following and followed by with this tool. Running this tool with maximum five accounts will more or less reveal the “hidden” circle among them. Very effective if you know whom to stalk. Who follows whom

4. Manage your friends and followers with tags

This tool lets you rate and tag your friends and filter them on a timeline! You can also create custom groups of your followers and filter you timeline by that group. Very effective, but a little complicated to use. Twittangle

5. Unfollow people who have not updated within “X” amount of days

This is one of the best ones out there. It lets you find out the tweeps out of your followers who have not updated within a specified number of days (you can decide how many days is it) and lets you unfollow them. Extremely helpful when it comes to keeping your followers group healthy. Untweeps

6. Find out which Tweet made you popular and which one un-popular

One of the things that’s frustrating about Twitter is the un availability of a tracking mechanism. I personally would like to know what was that one tweet that got me popular and which is the one tweet after which people unfollowed me. Very effective in finding out what people expect from you and what they don’t. This tool helps you find just that.Tweet Rank (it’s German, you may want to translate it to English.)

7. Find out your ReTweet Rank

ReTweets I believe are a good measure to find out how popular your tweets are. This site picks up all the re-tweeted stories and grades you based on the number of re-tweets. Though its not sure what the algorithm is, its a nice tool to find out where you stand. Retweetrank

8. Find out who’s following who on Twitter

Well basically this tool helps you to find out if those people you are following are following you back or not. Shows you the number of friends, fans and followers. But I use it for a different purpose. If I find out a power user in my niche who is popular and is often re-tweeted, I would like to find whom he is following and what are his sources. Simply use this tool, give in the username and it will show who all are following him, his friends and fans. The good thing is that you can sort them by the number of followers they have. So if you want to steal a power users “precious friends”, this tool comes in pretty handy.

Friendorfollow

9. Find out common followers between accounts

If you’re unsure whether to follow someone or not, just use this tool to find out if you have common interests and whether there are guys you are following in common.TwtrFrnd

10. Find relevant and interesting Twitter users to follow

As I said earlier, a good twitter life is all about following and keeping in company with the most active and interesting Tweeps. And Mr.Tweet is one damn tool that lets you connect with them. I mean, its a very simple concept executed in an awesome way. It shows interesting profiles and stats such as they are active or not, responds to tweets or not and whether they’ll follow you back. Mr.Tweet

Most of these tools require username and password, so use them wisely. Hope you like them.

UPDATE

Thanks to Mark, who introduced this tool called Tweepular to me. I wish I had known them before making this list. It is “the” best tool I’ve found so far. It has almost all the features I can think of for managing followers. Do check it out and you’ll quit using all others.

How To Win Your Local Job Fair

From Consumerist

The anonymous, newly unemployed personal finance blogger behind Well-Heeled with a Mission put together a timely, helpful guide on how to avoid wasting your time at job fairs and actually come away with the experience with some positives rather than feel as though you've wasted your time in a cattle call.

Well-Heeled advises you prepare exhaustively for the fair, boning up on the top two or three companies that interest you, focusing on them at the fair, then following up with short, polite e-mails afterward.

The key to it all, she writes, are knowing what you're getting into before you head out into the fray. Here are her top three pre-fair preparation tips:

1. Determine if this job fair is worth your time and effort. Look at the requirements for attendance – for example, some fairs require a 4-year degree, others don't. Some fairs are specialized (i.e. teaching professionals or high-tech workers only), others are general. Look at the location (is it 15 minutes away? 3 hours away?).

2. Go over the company list and pick 2-3 companies that are your top choices.

3. Spend 30-40 minutes researching your top choices, particularly on any programs / specific functions you are interested in. Spend another 10-15 minutes studying a few other companies that you are interested in.

She follows up with some key advice to avoid getting a speeding ticket on the way home. It's advice she says she learned the hard way last week.

Do you have any additional advice for job fair navigating or job seeking in general?

Making The Most Out Of Job Fairs [Well-Heeled, with a Mission]
(Photo: Lisa Pisa)

Old Workers Vs. Young In A Tough Labor Market

Original Post: Consumerist

Forget about mall-walking and midday bingo games. It seems that workers over 55 just aren't interested in retiring. This is problematic for the young people who, under different circumstances, would have replaced them in the workforce.

These observations come from a new Pew Research Center report, which looks at current workforce trends and predicts what may happen in the near future. So why are people over 55 staying at their metaphorical desks? For many of them, it's not because of the hit their investments have taken—it's because they want to stay engaged and relevant.

When asked to identify specific reasons for working, older workers emphasize psychological and social factors: 'to feel useful'; 'to give myself something to do'; 'to be with other people.' Younger and middle-aged workers are much more inclined to cite classic pocketbook considerations: 'to support myself and my family'; 'to live independently'; 'to qualify for retirement benefits'; 'to receive health care benefits.'

Meanwhile, fewer Americans between ages 16 and 24 are employed or looking for full-time work, and they are generally remaining in school because of the number of jobs that currently require college education of some sort. Or because school is a much safer place to be than the job market right now.

Recession Turns a Graying Office Grayer [Pew Research Center] (via Consumer Reports Money)

(Photo: Hitchster)

How To Use Common Sense In The Job Search

From Brazzen Careerist by Andrew Weitsman

So I’m gonna gloss over the whole networking aspect of this, as I think it was covered pretty well in a previous post, and skip right on to the cold-call aspect of the job search, what with the Internets and the classifieds and the trade magazines and so on.
When considering a job to apply for, there are only two questions that one needs to be able to answer:

What kind of work do I want to do?
How far (literally and figuratively) will I be willing to go to do it?

The answer to the first question should come based off of your personal checklist and your prior work experience, education and so on. I’m not saying that it’s a bad idea to apply outside of your comfort zone, but rather to make sure that you have some expertise/logic/reasoning to bridge the different industries. Unless you’re prepared to jump into an entry-level position in your new field, you might want to rethink your options.
According to a recent survey I lost the link to, relocation is becoming more prevalent among today’s workers. And while this may be a good thing for those of you who are afraid of being the only kid on the block to move because of a job, it’s also something to take into consideration in another way. Due to the stressful economy, fewer and fewer companies are helping to fund relocation expenses for new hires, so one may have to weigh the costs and benefits of the move financially first.
Finally, you might have to think about the costs of the job. I’m not just referring to money you might lose paying for the commute, but also the comparative value of the work. What would you lose (besides the opportunity at a different job)? What would you gain (besides employment and money)? It’s essentially a pros-and-cons list, but many people gloss over this step only to be sorry that they didn’t think about these things beforehand. After all, some jobs are almost entirely bad.
As for where to look, there are so many different job search sites that it can be confusing. I am not much of a fan of the Big Two because of the number of unrelated jobs/pyramid schemes/repeated postings that flood their job boards. I’ve made a list of a number of good search sites on the links bar on this site.
You can usually find a website or twitter account devoted to job searches in your particular career field, and in many cases, a social network as well. You can use these sites to find more pertinent job postings in less time than if you were using a generic job search site. Or, you could skip the third party stuff and go straight to the company’s website itself. In many cases, companies will not post all of their available positions on job search sites. So it’s to your benefit to do some industry analysis and track down the business’ web sites to see all of the positions that they really have available.
Does all of this seem a bit elementary? Like stuff that you already know? Of course it does, and of course it is! It’s common sense! But are you using it in your job search?

Don't Say These Things In A Job Interview

from Consumerist by Chris Walters

Don't hit on the interviewer. Don't ask whether they might be able to discover your past arrests. Don't ask what the company does, or see if they can pick you up when it rains. In fact, here are 43 things you shouldn't say during an interview if you actually want the job.

On the bright side, if you're looking for work try to remember that there are people out there who do say stuff like this, so if you can learn from this list you'll already be one step ahead of them.

"43 Things Actually Said in Job Interviews" [AOL Jobs]

Turning Your Natural Born Talent into a Career

Original Post: Turning Your Natural Born Talent into a Career

Image via RagingRouge

Crystal Cotton says: With 20 years of experience in Human Resources, Recruitment and Staff Development, I‘ve had my share of really bad interviews. I confess, early in my career the bad interview experience could have conceivably been my fault. After all, the interview process can be just as grueling for the interviewer as it is for the interviewee, especially if either are inexperienced, overly nervous or just have poor communication and social skills. But, as I became more experienced, more precise with my questions and more skilled at soliciting critical information without crossing any lines of legality (this takes a great deal of intuitive skill), it became apparent that sometimes…no, most of the time; it’s not me it’s you. Yes, YOU…the ill prepared, inexperienced, unprofessional and inconsiderate job applicant. YOU are the primary reason why you’ve gone on a dozen interviews and were not hired!

Before I move on and explain, let me put in my disclaimer to stave off all the nasty-gram email I am bound to get. The job market is bad and opportunities are few and far in between. There are more job seekers than job opportunities. However, when you are getting interviews but no offers, you must look at yourself more closely. Something could be amiss.

Recently at a round table discussion with several of my HR colleagues, I posed the following question, “assuming all major qualifications are met, what’s the one stand-out thing that makes you think twice, or even disqualify an applicant for hire?” These are the things that make a difference when the playing field between you and another candidate is leveled and now the employer is making character judgments, as a means of finding just the right fit.

Eager to vent and air their pet peeves, my colleagues all chimed in, almost simultaneously. It was like HR harmony as they vocalized their top 5 reasons for not hiring an applicant. It echoed what I’ve personally experienced over the years, and have heard time and time again from employers and recruiters. It’s YOU… and your inability to make a good and convincing impression. This explains why you’ve gone on a dozen interviews and were not hired! Listed below are the top 5 reasons revealed in my informal, unscientific query. Take heed, these are opinions of people who influence and sometimes make the final hiring decision. These are experienced Human Resources Professionals who give weight to these 5 things when deciding who gets hired and who doesn’t.

YOU ARE DRESSING INAPPROPRIATELY: By inappropriate we mean too much cleavage, or too body conscious. It’s a job interview, dress like you have a clue. Tone down the cleavage. Ok, I get that some people don’t have a suit, and no-one’s saying it has to be Armani, but at least put on a blazer. Please remember that flip- flops are traditionally beach wear, and even if they are embellished with rhinestones, or made from the finest leather, they are not appropriate for a job interview.
YOU ARE NOT PREPARED: Did you do your homework? Employers are impressed when you know more about the job than what is on the posting. It shows you have a sincere interest in the job and the company. Take what you’ve learned about the company and formulate some questions to ask at the interview.
YOU CANNOT CLEARLY EXPLAIN YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, GOALS OR POTENTIAL WORTH: This is a key point. So you’ve got skills, but what have you done with those skills which demonstrates your successes? Can you clearly state your goals and align those goals with the company in mind? Worth, in this sense does not mean salary, it means value. What value do you add to the company? What will be your contribution to their bottom line? Know how to express these things and you’re well on your way to your next job or career move.
YOUR RESUME DOES NOT SUPPORT YOUR INTERVIEWING SKILLS: A prime reason to draft your own resume (get the help of a professional if necessary, but know what it says and make sure it accurately reflects your skills and capabilities). When I work with people to re-write their resume, I make sure we do it together, I get their input, and see that the client understands how to present it to employers. Know that the resume is an extension of you and is the first way you are identified by the employer; know it like you know your birth date and social security number.
YOU’VE FORGOTTEN YOUR MANNERS: Never under estimate the power of being polite and just using a bit of common sense. Confirm your appointment, this shows responsibility and interest. If by some freaky chain of events you are late, call. When you get there, apologize and offer some explanation. Let me be clear, your explanation should be short and simple. Save the melodrama for your friends. Don’t interrupt the interviewer when speaking. It might lead the interviewer to think you have control issues. Lastly, say thank you for the opportunity to interview at the end of the meeting and in your follow-up communication.

Believe it or not, these things can be just as important as your skills. Make one of these faux pas and you may still be a contender. Make a few of these at once, and you’ve earned yourself a standard rejection letter. So the next time you go on an interview and things don’t go well, think about what you could have done differently.

Guest Expert:

Crystal Cotton is a career development consultant, President of Crystal Clear Connextions, and author of career blogging site, Job Ready, Job Savvy www.JobReadyJobSavvy.Blogspot.com. She specializes in empowering individuals with communication skills necessary to succeed in the workplace and beyond to create meaningful and intentional relationships. Through communication workshops, seminars, and coaching, Crystal helps people connect, influence, create and achieve career goals. Get Better Communication Skills Now at www.BetterCommunicationSkills.com .

Crystal has a Master’s in Public Administration & Human Resources; a Corporate Training Certification from NYU’s School of Professional Studies, and is the Director of Human Resources for a NYC non-profit.

Recently Laid Off? Here’s A Quick Job Search Refresher Guide

Recently Laid Off? Here’s A Quick Job Search Refresher Guide: "

First job search in years? Use this refresher guide to get your new job search moving in the right direction.

This a guest post by Pearl, a veteran Human Resources Specialist.

The employee trap

Searching for a new job can be very stressful and is actually a job in itself. If you are the one who just got laid off, do not forget that staying in the same job for years sometimes has its own share of disadvantages.

When we know our jobs are secure and safe, we tend to become complacent and lazy and learning a new skill either never comes to mind or when we do think about it, it feels like an effort especially if it’s something that has no use in our current job.

With many companies completely going out of business or closing their plants and offices, many of your skills may also be outdated and not needed by other companies.

Solution: learn new skills

Treat your time out of work as an opportunity by

enrolling at a vocational institute or take a class at a local community college
doing something positive with your time instead of sulking will stand out in the stack of resumes.

But what if you cannot afford to go back to school? And finding another job is the only way you and your family can survive?

Start your job search off right

The very first thing you will have to remember is not lose heart and stay positive. Treat this whole process of job searching as an important project and not give up until you have achieved your desired goal.

There are many ways to tackle a job search project. The easiest and quickest way is to do a Google search of course. Now, most people use the Internet but not everyone knows HOW to search and find the things they are looking for.

As a matter of fact, I know quite a few people who have no clue how to search through millions of pages on the Internet without giving up. If you want to learn how to get better results from Google when doing job searches, watch the following video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Don’t forget that Google is a general-purpose search engine. With that in mind, you might prefer to go directly to where the jobs are being listed.

There are hundreds if not thousands of job sites and resources to choose from. Make your job search activities more effective by taking the time to find the right job site for your job search goals.

But how to know which is the right job site?

Use these criteria to judge which are the right job sites for you

1. Look at the site’s popularity.

If the site is popular, it’s probably because many companies regularly post their jobs there and more companies will get to see your resume.

2. See how their notifications process works.

Many sites notify their candidates via email and keep them up-to-date for free about the site’s various features, new companies or new jobs in your area, etc.

3. Confirm that the job site allows you to modify your resume after posting.

As you look for a permanent job, you might be working on smaller projects or temp jobs during summer which should be added to your resume on an ongoing basis. Any job site that doesn’t let you modify your resume after posting it is no good for your purposes.

4. Make sure the site lets you register for FREE.

If they want you to use your credit card or pay them to just register and search for jobs, move on to the next job search site.

5. Check out their search process.

Does the site let you search based on location, industry, years of experience, education, etc.? Once you get the search results, make sure they meet your search criteria.

6. Use job listing aggregators.

Save a lot of time by using job search sites that aggregate postings from multiple search engines and companies for your location or your industry.

7. Job portals are more useful than simple job boards.

Many sites have company reviews and demographic information, which are always helpful. Sites that incorporate job search articles, advice and assistance are better than the ones that just spit out the search results.

8. Make sure they let you build your profile in addition to just posting a resume.

Companies sometimes don’t just search for the resumes, their recruiting agent might want to view a virtual profile.

9. Pay attention to the date of posting of the job in your search results.

You might get a good batch of jobs within your industry and your location, but what if those jobs are from last year? If that’s the case, this job site is probably not getting new jobs posted or isn’t removing old listings.

10. Most importantly: read the job search site’s Privacy Policy.

Especially before posting any of your personal information such as address and phone numbers you must read it first.

Now that you know how to recognize good job sites, here are some recommendations.

21 top job sites

With hundreds of jobs listed on these sites, there is sure to be a match with your current skills.

Once you’ve found matching listings, learn about the hiring companies so you can approach them in the most appropriate way.

Where to do company research

To educate yourself further for an American job search, use the Open Business Directory which lists companies by state. The site has also business directories for:

Also, use LinkedIn which has 160,000 profiles of different companies as well.

About the Author

Pearl has a Bachelor of Science and Education, Post Grad in Computer Information Science. She has many years of experience as a Human Resources Specialist with one of the Civil Service Commissions in United States. She blogs over at Interesting Observations.

This article is part of the 3rd Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest. If you want Pearl to win, share this article with your friends.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas on how to manage your job search.

-- Jacob Share, Job Search Expert and Professional Blogging Consultant

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