I posted 17 days ago that I was let go from my job of six years at Mega 106.3 / Journal Broadcast Group on October 5. That started the Unemployment Tour 2011. I will admit that I did enjoy the little vacation (if unemployment can be called a vacation) but its about to come to an end.
I'm proud to announce: The Unemployment Tour 2011 ends.... Wednesday October 26! I have a new job!
Everything in my life has some kind of story or unusual angle. The story of how I got my new job is no different.
I have worked very hard in recent years to make new friends and connect with people on Myspace, Facebook and Twitter. Social networking has given me lots of joy, given me a creative outlet that has gone beyond radio, gave me a place to share photos (which I love taking even though I'm nothing more than amateur photographer), and has been part of my effort to have more people recognize my name and work in media in Tucson and beyond.
The latest thing I can thank social networking for (Twitter specifically) is my new job.
I originally started my @kencarr Twitter account (http://twitter.com/kencarr) on 8/8/08. Almost two years ago I was offered a second Twitter account by a wonderful woman named Leesa who I didn't know except through Twitter. She had started @whatsuptucson (http://twitter.com/whatsuptucson) and was moving to Monterey, California. She thought someone from Tucson should maintain it.
@whatsuptucson had about 2000 followers when Leesa gave it to me. I had to figure out what to do with it and it ended up being a place I could post Twitter sized headlines and stuff I'd hear listening to the police scanner while continuing to use @kencarr for more comedy and behind the scenes Tweets about work and my life. Many times while working at Mega late at night the posts I put up on @whatsuptucson ended up being the only place on Twitter in Tucson that posted info about breaking news stories. I got a thrill out of being the first to post news on Twitter before Tucson's professional news organizations. It's a fun hobby and broke the monotony of many of the long late nights I had working as much as I did while I was at Mega.
@whatsuptucson has grown to more than 4600 followers. One follower in particular was how I got started on the path to a new job.
One week to the day after I was let go from Journal I got a Direct Message on Twitter from Bob, the managing editor of Fox 11 News here in Tucson. He asked me to call him. The phone call resulted in an invitation to go to Fox 11 for an interview. Why did I get the call? He had been reading what I Tweet and thought I'd make a good candidate for being a news producer based on my media background, that I know and love Tucson, and the Tweets I had posted over recent months and years.
Yesterday I was offered a news producer job at Fox 11 and I accepted!
I start my shiny new job this Wednesday October 26. Three weeks to the day I was let go from Mega.
Twitter.... is..... AWESOME!
