In Forbes’ latest article, Job-hunting? Facebook, LinkedIn and You –Six Social Media Tips, tips #3 and #4 especially ring true: Sign up for a Twitter account, and participate in online job real time chats.

bath.ac.uk

Why? Because Twitter–and Twitter chats–really do help.

A successful Twitter chat not only gives you the information you’re seeking, but a lot more insight you may not have known you needed. A Twitter chat can challenge you to think of things in a different way or try something new for greater success.

Stuck on how to get the salary you want? You’ll get not one tip but twenty. Have no clue about networking? You’ll leave armed with a laundry list of icebreakers.

It may seem a bit overwhelming when you first join a chat, but just watch the way the online conversation spirals out and builds and gets infused with enthusiasm and information and camaraderie. All of this adds up to a successful chat–and more people for you to connect with.

So that’s why this tip just made me proud: “Check out Twitter chats like #jobhuntchat, one of the largest regular chat groups on Twitter dedicated to job search, and #careerchat.”

I am so glad to have been part of #careerchat from its inception back in the MyPath.com days. Even as a co-moderator, I never came away from a chat without learning something new from the participants.

Tune in to #careerchat every Tuesday at 12 PM Central Time. The chat runs for an hour and the topic changes weekly. Use tweetchat.com for an easy way to keep track of the conversation and tune out all the other Twitter noise.

Want to find a Twitter chat that suits you? Check out the Twitter Chat Schedule on Google Docs.

You can find past #careerchat topics, recaps & transcripts here.