10 important Twitter career resources

Follow these people and improve your job search

Recently, a friend of mine returned from a two-year stint overseas, where his access to current technology was limited. He asked, "So, this Twitter thing -- is it a phenomenon?" After thinking about it, I realized that Twitter is beyond that stage. It's officially here to stay, or at least has outlived the possibility of simply being a passing trend.

Although Twitter began in 2006, it gained popularity in the 2008 presidential election and since continued to make news with its important role in political conflicts around the world. Somewhere along the way Twitter went from "What is it?" to "Are you on it?"

For those who don't know what Twitter is, or the stubborn who refuse to participate in peer pressure, Twitter is a microblog service. You write messages that are no more than 140 characters in length and let the world read them, all while you read theirs. If you're familiar with Facebook, it's basically like reading the Newsfeed: an endless series of pithy messages. Really, though, it can be so much more than that if you want it to be.

Why use Twitter during a job hunt?Twitter can be overwhelming when you log on because, if you're following many people, their messages roll down the screen quickly and you can't possibly read every single one. That's also what makes Twitter perfect for a job seeker. Playing online can feel like a waste of time when all you want to do is earn a paycheck, but it can augment your search rather than distract from it.

Think about some of the key elements of a successful job search:

·  Find the right company culture for you

·  Research the latest news and events for any company you apply to

·  Know what's happening in your industry and the job market as a whole

·  Understand current technology and trends (depending on your industry)

You can use Twitter to help you achieve each of these goals. With that in mind, we put together a list of people we believe you should follow on Twitter in order to improve your job search.

6 important accounts@AskAManager (Alison Green)

Green, a former manager, left the corporate world to do her own consulting and started the Ask a Manager blog along the way. On the blog, she answers job seekers and employee questions, dishing out secrets that few non-managers are privy to. With topics like "My friend is applying for my job and I don't want to recommend her," Green is a valuable Twitter friend to have.

@CareerBuilder (CareerBuilder)

Of course we include ourselves, but it's because we keep you up to date with articles and blog posts (written by us and other experts) discussing job search tips, workplace issues and employment trends.

@careerdiva (Eve Tahmincioglu)

Tahmincioglu writes a workplace column for MSNBC.com, maintains her own blog at CareerDiva.net, and even wrote a book . In other words, she's immersed in all things career, and her Twitter updates are proof. One way she also sets herself apart from other career Tweeters is by highlighting workplace issues unique to women in the workforce, which is often an issue largely ignored.

@heatherhuhman (Heather R. Huhman)

Huhman, founder and president of marketing organization Come Recommended, is an expert on hiring issues from an employer and job seeker standpoint. She links to new advice articles on her site and links to other helpful advice she comes across from other sources.

@SelenaDehne (Selena Dehne)

As a book publicist for Jist, a publisher devoted to career topics, Dehne closely follows work news and advice all over the Internet. When one of Jist's writers has an article published or she finds a helpful bit of advice from a blogger, she alerts her followers.

@usnews (U.S. News & World Report)

Longstanding newsmagazine U.S. News & World Report covers events of all sizes, but their Twitter feed does a great job of highlighting their job-related stories. Whether it's an article on salary trends or dishing out tough love on why you're not getting tired, the @usnews account is a job seeker's friend.

Other important people to follow

Companies you want to work atResearching the companies you're applying to is an essential way to show employers that you are interested in the organization, not just the job. Follow their Twitter accounts to see what information they're publicizing and to get a feel of their culture.

FriendsNetworking is essential to any job hunt because friends can often refer you to a position, and referrals are usually more valuable to a company than a résumé from a stranger. Twitter, like Facebook and LinkedIn, is an excellent way to keep in touch with friends and to let them know that you're looking for a job. Plus, it's nice to have some Twitter updates sprinkled into your newsfeed that aren't just about finding a job.

Industry expertsIn addition to the career-focused experts listed above, you should seek out experts in the industry you're looking to work in. The leading thinkers in your field will give you insight relevant to your specific job search, and people they follow are probably also worth looking at. Job search advice is good for everybody, but a graphic designer and lawyer can probably benefit most from following people in their respective fields.

News sites of your choice Job searching doesn't happen in a bubble. The economy is affected by more factors than can be counted, and you should know what's going on in order to understand the job market you're searching in. Plus, current events often weave their way into interviews, so you want to be well informed.

By Anthony Balderrama,

Police Officer Suspended for Gassing BBQ

By Lisa Johnson Mandell, Posted Mar 9th 2011

This guy gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "now you're cooking with gas!" An off-duty Houston police officer was recently suspended for allegedly throwing a canister of tear gas at opponents during a barbecue cook-off at the Houston rodeo.

Not only did the tear gas sicken several patrons, but it also reached a USO tent where military veterans, including some amputees in wheelchairs, were gathered. The annual "Bar-B-Que" cook-off, held in conjunction with a popular rodeo, is usually attended by around 117,000 people.

Although his motives are unclear, senior officer Mike Hamby, 51, was relieved of duty with pay while "criminal allegations" are investigated, said police spokeswoman Jodi Silva.

This is not the first time he's has been in trouble. Houston police department records show Hamby, who worked in the burglary and theft division, has been the subject of seven internal affairs investigations for allegations including misconduct and improper police procedure.

"I can't think that we could punish him any more than HPD can, but how stupid can an individual be?" Mike DeMarco, executive director for the rodeo, commented to the Houston Chronicle.

After the incident Hamby, a Houston police officer since December 1980, resigned his membership on the board of directors for the Houston Police Officer's Union.

Afghan Leader Calls Apology in Boys’ Deaths Insufficient

By ALISSA J. RUBIN ...Published: March 6, 2011

KABUL, Afghanistan — The US commander in Afghanistan apologize in person to the leadership of the Afghan Govt.on Sunday for the wrong killing of 9 Afghan kids in Kunar Province on Tuesday, but the Afghan leader/President discarded the regret, according to a report from the president’s spokesman.

Gen. David H. Petraeus attended the Afghan National Security Council meeting held Sunday. He explained that the shooting of the boys, who were 9 to 15 years old, was a mistake and apologized to the Afghan people.

In response, President Hamid Karzai said that the apology was insufficient. Civilian casualties worsen the relationship between Afghanistan and the United States, he said, according to the statement.

“The people of Afghanistan are tired of these incidents and excuses, and condemnations cannot relieve their pain,” Mr. Karzai said. “I am asking you on behalf of the people of Afghanistan that there be no repetition of this incident.”

The deaths are expected to come up in meetings Mr. Karzai is scheduled to have with the American defense secretary, Robert M. Gates, who arrived in Afghanistan Monday.

Civilian casualties caused by NATO troops are corrosive to the relationship between the West and the Afghans, and reinforce the Taliban’s propaganda that NATO troops do not care about the Afghan people. In fact, far more civilians are killed by the insurgents than by NATO, according to the most recent United Nations report, which said that more than three-quarters of civilian casualties are now caused by the insurgents. However, those that are caused by NATO troops appear to reverberate more deeply because of underlying animosity about foreigners in the country.

In Kabul on Sunday, a protest took place over the death of the nine boys. A larger protest was held last week in Nanglam, the capital of the district where the killing took place.

The shootings occurred in a poor, mountainous area. A couple of the boys who died were the only males in their families and were responsible for the care of their mothers and sisters. The loss of the only male means that the women will have to rely on relatives, who usually are already overburdened with their own families.

A boy who was wounded but survived described a helicopter gunship that hunted down the children as they gathered wood on the mountainside outside their village. The gunners apparently mistook the children for insurgents who fired on an American base hours earlier.

In contrast to some episodes in which those killed included both insurgents and civilians, this one involved only civilians, and NATO quickly took responsibility for it. Typically in these cases NATO pays compensation to families. General Petraeus has ordered an investigation and a review of the procedures used by helicopter crews.

A NATO spokesman said by e-mail: “We take all civilian casualties very seriously. In light of the recent event that tragically killed nine children, ISAF is investigating the incident to determine the cause and minimize the possibility of future civilian casualties.” ISAF refers to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

“General Petraeus has ordered all commanders and attack helicopter crews to thoroughly review procedures in the tactical directive, and to reinforce the need to protect innocent Afghan lives as we pursue a ruthless enemy,” the statement said.

On Sunday, 12 Afghans were killed when a roadside bomb exploded on their vehicle near the border between the Pakistani tribal areas and Paktika Province in southeastern Afghanistan.

Toyota recall 22,000 vehicles over tire monitors

DETROIT (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp on Saturday recall about 22,000 sport service vehicles and pickup trucks since of tire-deflation monitoring system that may fail, regulator said.

Toyota Sequoia, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Tacoma and Tundra vehicle from model years 2008-2011 may have tire deflation monitoring systems that stop working to warn drivers, raise the risk of a break down, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a report.

The vehicles exaggerated left their assembly plants with operational monitoring systems, but when ornament wheels were installed, the systems were not recalibrated and now lights to warn drivers of low tire pressure may fail, the report said.

The models affected will be repair at Toyota dealerships at no cost, Toyota Motor Sales, the automaker's U.S. sales local office, told the NHTSA.

Toyota has been plagued by a series of recalls since late 2009 that now total 19 million vehicles worldwide. 2 weeks ago, the automaker recalled 2.2 million vehicles for a desert that may cause gas wheel to stick, widening one of the recalls from late 2009.

The recalls have cut into Toyota sales, particularly in the United States, where most of the recalls have taken place.

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s southern coast Tuesday

TOKYO: A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s southern coast Tuesday, shaking a broad swath of the country and swaying buildings in downtown Tokyo.
No damage or injuries were immediately reported, and Japan’s meteorological agency said there was no danger of a tsunami.
The temblor hit at 12:25 p.m. local time (0325 GMT), with the epicenter near the Ogasawara Islands, about 500 miles (800 kilometers) south of the main Japanese island, the agency said. It struck at a depth of 300 miles (480 kilometers).
Japan’s meteorological agency reported a magnitude of 6.9, however, the US Geological Survey said the quake was 6.6. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear.
The Ogasawara are known as the Bonin Islands outside of Japan.
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. In 1995, a quake of magnitude 7.2 killed 6,400 people in the western port city of Kobe. — AP

6 Free Web Tools for Managing Time Differences

Conducting business with international clients can mean more than a language barrier - can be a barrier of time too.

With 24 standard time zones, it can be overwhelming to keep track of the hours of business of its customers, and task scheduling across time zones can be a challenge.

If your business depends on knowing what time it is everywhere, do not worry, because there are plenty of free online tools to help coordinate and make sure you never accidentally call a client at 4 am

---

1. World Time Zone

---

World Time Zone is a map in hand, to the naked eye, which presents each region. Divided and color coded, you can see what areas are divided into time zones. It also shows local time for each of the capitals of the world.

To focus on a specific region, the site is divided by continents, so you can see an easy to read table of all time differences.

Another useful feature is to highlight areas that are observing daylight saving time. Also, check out Sun Clock function, which (as its name implies) allows you to see which regions of the sun is shining.

---

2. Time Zone Converter

---

This website is pretty much as straightforward as it gets when it comes to calculating time differences. There are two clocks. The one on the left displays your local time. The one on the right will do the conversion for a number of major cities. If you simply need to know the time elsewhere in a hurry, this easy-to-use website has you covered.

---

3. Gmail Time Zone Tricks

---

If you don’t want to use an external web app, you can keep tabs on international time zones right in your Gmail inbox. Simply select the “Labs” icon (the little green beaker) at the top of Gmail and scroll down to enable the “Sender Time Zone” feature. This will allow you to see what the recipient’s current local time is when you send them messages, and allay those worries about why they haven’t answered you yet: They’re probably asleep.
If you need a quick way to keep track of multiple time zones right from your inbox, you can add a Google Gadget to your side bar that displays the relevant info. You’ll need to enable this feature in Gmail Labs, so click that green beaker and enable the “Add any gadget by URL” option.
In a new tab, head over to the Google Gadgets Directory and type “Time Zones” in the search bar. There are a variety of time zone gadgets (of various quality), but a good option is one called World Time Zones.
Back in Gmail, click “Settings,” and you’ll now see a tab marked “Gadgets” has appeared. From the “World Time Zones” Gadget page, you’ll need to grab the second URL (which starts after “&url=” in the address bar, and ends in .XML). Paste it into Gmail’s gadget dialog and hit “Add.” Now, if you scroll down the left side of you inbox, you’ll see the gadget has appeared, and you can flip through all the world’s time zones without ever leaving Gmail.

---

4. World Time Server

---

The World Time Server is another helpful resource for all your international planning needs. The site shows you the current time and date for any city, country or time zone, and has a self-maintained database that adjusts for Daylight Saving Time.
Here too is a time converter, but with twist that’s great for planning long distance interactions in real time. If you were planning a meeting with a client via Skype, or if you were to live stream a presentation that you wanted clients in different cities to be able to watch at the same time, then this time converter might be of use.
After you’ve set the time for your event, you’ll be sent a link that you can then e-mail to clients or post on your blog or Twitter profile so that people can figure out at what local time your event is starting.
There is also a meeting planner that allows you to choose up to five states, provinces or countries so you can organize the best time to have a conference call for all the parties involved. The site also offers local news and weather updates — because it never hurts to show a client that you know what’s happening in their neck of the woods.

---

5. Time and Date

---

Time and Date has the same features as the sites listed above, plus a few extras. Calendars and holiday observances are listed here and broken down by country. They are particularly helpful for scheduling important deals or conversations since each country has its own civic holidays or widely observed religious ones that differ from the North American schedule.
The site is updated regularly with news on any changes countries have made regarding their daylight saving time schedule. Another useful feature is a pull down menu of international dialing codes, since it’s not always as simple as dialing one and then the phone number to call out.

---

6. Every Time Zone

---

Every Time Zone is a simple, nicely designed site that is perfect for quickly accessing time zones and date changes. Your local time is generated from your IP address and is displayed as a fluorescent green bar. Other regions are listed above and below your local time, giving you an instant look at the time difference. You can drag your local time tab forward or backward to measure specific time differences as well.
With these tools, you should be more than able to manage your international meeting times. Let us know in the comments below what works best for you and how you manage working with companies in different time zones.