So, what are you doing?

I’ve just started using twitter, which bills itself as a “service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?”  Not heard of it? Well, according to Wikipedia, “Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send "updates" (or "tweets" …) to the Twitter website, via …cell phone… instant messaging, or a third-party application such as Twitterrific or Facebook.”

Since signing up, I’ve provided several updates, though nothing profound (after all, you only get 140 characters to work with). On twitter you can “follow” people, organizations, and media outlets. I’ve started following several people, and get to see their updates on my twitter home page. Mostly, I follow people I know, and they follow me. Yet,  I’ve discovered it’s easy to follow people you don’t know – and in some cases, they’ll follow you back!

In this first week, I’ve seen the power of twitter to break stories fast; for example, tweets from  Robert Scoble on the earthquake in China. I’ve also received tweets pointing to posts by some of my favorite bloggers and career and marketing experts. Mostly, I’ve thought this is a cool way to deepen our connections with others and know what’s going on in the world. Of course, I’ve also wondered – to borrow from an Andy Warhol quote – if twitter is just a way to become more “deeply superficial.”

On the whole, however, I’ve decided that twitter offers a few of career management beneifts. First, it’s a great way to share your thinking with people already in your network. Second, it’s a way to begin learning about people you’d like to know more about – especially thought leaders in your industry. Third, as you attract followers, it can increase your visibility with people who need to know about you.

Of course, I do have this recommendation (in less than 140 characters): if you're planning to raise your profile, you'll want to make sure to communicate in a way that is congruent with your personal brand.

Cross-posted at Threshold Consulting Blog