John Fowler needed to find a job. With graduation looming, he turned to social networking sites like LinkedIn and Twitter in search of a career consulting position that would put his master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology to good use.

@johnrayfowler (M.A. '09)

When a simple keyword search for a company on LinkedIn revealed a shared connection with Julie Bechtold, The Chicago School’s director of career services, Fowler contacted her to set up an informational interview. After their conversation veered from how she got into career coaching to his interest in LinkedIn as a powerful networking tool, she offered him the opportunity to create a workshop for students.

He developed a webinar and an in-person workshop to educate students about how to use the site, which allows anyone to post a résumé and to search for and connect with professional contacts. He soon realized that the product could both further his own job development and be useful for businesses and individuals who wanted to use social media to build their brands. “I use the quote, ‘Facebook is like my home, LinkedIn is like my office, and Twitter is like a cocktail party,’” he says.

Facebook is like my home, LinkedIn is like my office, and Twitter is like a cocktail party.

Fowler launched JR Consulting and has since conducted social networking trainings at other schools such as Argosy University, Harrison College, and DePaul University. With nearly four out of five Internet users visiting a social networking site at least once a month, it’s no surprise that the need for such training is on the rise.

He specializes in LinkedIn and Twitter. “LinkedIn is more trusted. You have to have a commonality with a contact before you can share messages,” he explains. “Twitter is more open and global, so you can fire when you want. It’s easier to have access with knowledge leaders in a particular industry.”

@johnrayfowler's Top 5 Tips for Building Your Online Professional Brand

Fowler advises clients on how to approach both sites—users should determine their goals, develop a strategy, and spend time wisely—as well as pitfalls to avoid. “If you don’t develop a strategy and know what you’re doing, you’re wasting time and putting your reputation at risk,” he says. Fowler also recommends not relying solely on social networking for a job search. “I view social media tools as platforms for initiating and establishing relationships. It’s not a replacement for the face-to-face, but it’s a way to find the right people.”

He took his own advice and kept up with his contacts, including a classmate who helped him land a contract job as an organizational consultant with the management consulting firm Vincent Associates. He continues to provide social media training on the side.

Fowler’s interest in psychology developed while working as a manager at Enterprise Rent-a-Car, where he was learning how to run a business, but also becoming intrigued by the recruiting process. This led him to enroll in an industrial and organizational psychology class at a nearby community college. “I realized that I could marry my business expertise with my love for psychology,” he says.

Fowler moved from St. Louis to Chicago to enroll at The Chicago School. “I went into it with the mindset of becoming an organizational consultant,” he says. “The skills I gained were related to talent management—how to attract, retain, and develop talent.”

While he now works in his chosen field, Fowler continues to reap the professional benefits of social networking. A few months ago, he was reading a book called Networlding, found the author on Twitter, and tweeted his interest. “The next thing I know, she contacted me to collaborate on her next book,” he says. “Twitter allowed me to have access, to interact with her, and by including a link to my LinkedIn profile on my Twitter page, she assessed my skills and background and determined that I would make a good partner.”

The book’s title? Graduate to LinkedIn: Jumpstart Your Career Support Network Now.

Follow him on Twitter @johnrayfowler.

* A hashtag (#) is a mark that Twitter users place before a word or phrase that indicates a topic of interest, for example: The New Path to Career Success is #SocialMedia. This allows other Twitter users to search easily for the same topic.