by: Joanne Meehl

Whether you are in a job and looking for another, or between jobs, using alerts will help you.

How they are helpful: In discovering new target companies, positions, and info in your industry.

What kind of alerts? Google Alerts are a good start. There are others, such as Twilerts, which alert you to your topic when found in Tweets on Twitter.

Google Alerts are found on the Google home page under "More". You list the topic, tell it when to send you the alerts, tell it if you want all alerts or only "the best", and give your email address. It's very easy.

Set up alerts based on:

• Target company name (for up-to-the-minute news about the company)
• Your target job title (to be alerted to discussions including this title, or actual positions themselves)
• Topics vital to your work (for the latest in news, thought, issues, etc. -- keeping you open to problems YOU can solve)

With the overwhelming flood of information that comes your way each day, there are now ways of sorting it out so that it's useful to you. Embrace this new technology: it's your new friend.

__________________

Are you using new media to get the word out about what YOU bring to a new employer? Work with Joanne to get new-media-savvy: call her at 612-807-0258.