What are you doing?

That’s the Twitter question and you have 140 characters to answer it.

When the Twitter microblogging launched, I was incredulous.  Who really needed to know what I was doing at any given moment?  Why would I want to know what others were doing?  140 characters?  Give me a break.  I didn’t see a big future for Twitter.  It seemed like a fun new toy for the blogging-addicted, but little more.

Obviously, my social media prognostication missed the mark by several million users.  Twitter has gone from being “the next big thing” to “the current big thing”.  People are using those 140 characters per entry to network and to communicate on a variety of topics.  I initially gave up on Twitter after a few days worth of experimentation soon after its introduction.  Now, I can’t imagine not spending a little time there on an every day basis.

Twitter is a true multi-purpose platform.  Some users are there to gripe about life.  Others write haiku.  You have the politicals, the sports nuts and the kids just looking for another way to stay in touch.  You also have professionals who are using Twitter to share insights and to network with one another.

And that leads us right to the story of Alexa Scordata.  She was looking for a job.  She made connections on Twitter.  She asked if anyone was hiring.  They were.  Alexa will undoubtedly be at the office tomorrow.  She turned microblogging into employment.

As layoffs increase, firings mount and hiring remains all but frozen, those in need of gainful employment need to use every tool they can to find opportunities.  The massive reach of Twitter has created a new way to network, gather job leads and (as in Alexa’s case) find a job opening.

So, what’s the trick to finding a job via Twitter?  There really isn’t a single trick.  It’s actually more a matter of using the site in the right way while keeping your mind on your end objective (employment) throughout the process.

That means you’ll want to go with a good handle (your name and/or profession can work) instead of busting out something along the lines of MrFantasticPants007.

It also means following leaders in your field and providing your audience of followers with top-notch information and material.  Lindsay Olson, a professional recruiter who uses Twitter to find potential hires explains, “”I would rather see someone who posts good-quality information than what they had for lunch”

Finding work via Twitter isn’t simply a matter of straightforward self-promotion.  In fact, that mindset can actually lead a person in the wrong direction.  This online social space is best used as a means of establishing “brand”, making real connections and providing others with something they can use.

That’s what Alexa apparently did.  Obviously, it worked.

If you’re interested in pursuing employment options via Twitter, you might find these resources valuable:

Leverage Twitter for Your Job Search. ProBlogger Darren Rowse cranked out a winner that covers the stories of three different individuals who found jobs via Twitter and that offers a list of strategies you can use to get the most out of your Twitter-based job search.

The Beginner’s Guide to Finding a Job with Twitter. This post provides a great 20-point plan for using Twitter as  job search tool.  Jason Share covers the use of Twitter from cradle to grave.  His recommendations can make even the greenest Twitter novice look like a suave pro.