My name is Monica Karkhanis and I am currently a sophomore communication major with a focus in public relations at the University of Maryland, College Park. This is my first semester as an intern for Think Talk and I am really excited to blog about social media and how it can help your career. Find me on Twitter and be sure to continue following ThinkTalk!

Hey ThinkTalkers! I hope all is well in Internet land for all of you! This past week I spent my time at the Public Relations Student Society of America National Assembly in Austin, Texas. The field of public relations involves a great deal of social media and knowing how to implement these Internet tools to not only brand yourself, but to network with other students and professionals. At the assembly, students were required to attend three separate seminars. The one that stood out the most to me discussed how to affectively and appropriately use your social-networking tools to earn professional respect and to hopefully land a job. One of the presenters mentioned how Twitter can either make or break you—depending on WHO is following you and WHAT you are posting on your account.

It may not seem like a big deal to you to tweet about your night out on the town after a few drinks. It may not even seem like a big deal to insult your boss on Twitter. However, when you tweet about inappropriate things, it may actually ruin any prospects that are tracking your movements online or worse, get you fired. When using Twitter, it is beneficial to post tweets with some substance. I know, I know… How can a 140-character message have much value? At the seminar, I learned a great way to get your name out there in a productive and positive way is to post links to helpful or interesting blogs or sites you may have found while perusing the Internet. You should also follow professionals to see what types of tweets they are posting.

Ask yourself what you would find valuable in a tweet—and then tweet it! Be careful and make sure what you are saying is appropriate. No one wants to know when you’re “Tweet’n from the toilet” – a message like that can definitely ruin your chances of being hired. (That was the example the hiring manager who spoke with us used in deciding whether to hire one individual—you can guess what he decided).

What if one of your followers or someone you are following is the guilty of inappropriate tweets? Unfortunately, this can make you guilty by association. There is no escaping it—it’s like hanging out with the wrong kids at school. If you are following or being followed by an individual on Twitter that could potentially tarnish your personal brand or identity, I say UNFOLLOW!

For more ways to appreciate your following on Twitter and how to better use your Twitter as a personal marketing tool check out this article called, “How to Value Your Following on Twitter.” Here's a list of the best people to follow for more information on personal branding and using your Twitter! And if you too are trying to enter the world of public relations, feel free to follow me!

"Fun Twitter shirt seen at LIFT" courtesy Robert Scoble via Flickr Creative Commons