Twitter can be great for tweeting about what you’re doing, but even better for following what others are doing—if you’re following the right people. Following the ones who can be the most useful and relevant to your career success right now is a tremendous opportunity you should not let slip by. Ultimately, Twitter is about communicating and connecting. The more you do, the more you'll learn things that will be useful to you in your career.

If you’re in marketing, you must use Twitter—it’s cutting edge. Both for your own tweets and for seeing what’s up with your competition.

If you’re in sales, it becomes a little less “must do,” but still pretty good. Are your customers out there? How about your competitors? Better keep up.

If you’re in the job search, you’re back to making Twitter participation a top priority on your to-do list. You can follow recruiters, hiring managers, career coaches, and others who can lead you to job prospects and give you the edge over other candidates. You can also follow companies to keep up with the latest. Twitter is a great job search tool.

So how do you find the people you need to follow? Twitter can be difficult to use for searches, but you can find ancillary software/models like Twellow and Twitter Search, and learn how to search. Here’s a place to start: a list of the top 25 Recruiters on Twitter.

As always, be a good participant and interact with professionalism. Tweet about things that are useful to others, help other people find jobs if you can, and take care to avoid negativity that can haunt you later.

Twitter relies on "tweets," which are posts of 140 characters or less. They're short, but frequent. Life moves fast on Twitter. But then, the world moves fast and this is a way to keep up. And yes, while some tweets are huge time-wasters (some of us don't want to know what someone else had for breakfast), there's quite a bit of useful information you can gain from following the right people. It's both a way to research and a way to network.

You can follow companies, customers, suppliers, vendors, industry experts, and recruiters who post jobs (there's even a Top 25 Recruiters on Twitter list--anyone who's going to be useful for you. You'll be able to keep up-to-the minute current. And then you can be useful yourself--pass along job leads, industry info, or the great book you just read. Any help or advice you can provide your contacts is a nice way to contribute.

You can ask questions, find people, and make contacts. Look for people to follow on www.twellow.com. You can search industry-specific keywords, or any other keywords that matter to you at search.twitter.com.

There are all kinds of ways to use Twitter for your job search. More and more companies are getting involved, and 75 million people means you ought to be able to find a job lead or two. You can put your elevator pitch in your bio, and provide links to your resume, LinkedIn page, or anything else that's cool about you. Check out my Top 10 Twitter Tips for more tips on how to use Twitter for your job search.

The point is: Twitter is a fantastic networking tool. And networking is critical to the success of your job search and your long-term career.

Set up your bio on Twitter today. Need more help? Check out Mashable.com's Twitter Guide Book.

what will employers find when they search your name online?

utilize in different ways for your job search. But while you're working these sites to land the perfect job, employers and recruiters are looking for you, too. And if you get their attention in the early stages of the job interview process, they're going to be actively searching for more details about you. According to one survey, 70% of hiring managers and recruiters have rejected an applicant based on what they found online. Have you Googled your name lately to see what they'll find out about you?

You can manage your online identity to control your reputation and your image in the job market in these 5 ways:

• LinkedIn: Take the time to set up a professional LinkedIn profile, join some groups, and get active. LinkedIn is the primary business networking site for professionals. It's a tremendously powerful resource for you to research companies, keep tabs on the hidden job market, and contact hiring managers about jobs. A well-crafted LinkedIn profile will showcase your job history, your skills, and your recommendations.

• Facebook: Although this can be a great, casual place to network socially, it's important that you don't get too comfortable. No trashy pictures, bad language, or any controversial religious/political comments. It's still a public forum, and you really don't know who might end up seeing something you've said, even if you're trying to be careful of your privacy.

• Twitter: Twitter is a terrific place to be in the conversation on just about anything. Again, watch what you say. Keep it professional. Ask questions, and try to help others. An employer will be impressed with someone who's engaged and relevant.

• Show up in unexpected places: In addition to interacting on the social sites, think about writing a guest post for a relevant blog, or start your own. Comment on other writers' articles with something of value.

• Be consistent: Get a professional photo (it doesn't have to be professionally done; it should just be a formal, businesslike pose) and use that photo every time a photo is called for. Make sure your name is consistently written so that it shows up in a search.

Ultimately, you decide how people will see you. Since you know they'll be looking, be proactive. Make sure they see the confident, competent professional they want to hire.