As you social media mavens probably know by now, Twitter is more than just a way of creeping on—sorry, following—celebs like Ashton Kutcher or keeping tabs on the cute guy in your bio lab—it’s a way to network and build a brand for yourself. You already know how to keep your tweets professional and how to maximize Twitter to your advantage, but are you following the right people? Sure, it’s fun to follow your friends and colleagues, but what about professionals? No, they may not be celebrities, but they’re considered to have celebrity status in their given industries and therefore should be on your radar—and what better way to learn more about an industry than by getting a pro’s point of view? Depending on what kind of career you’re looking into, here are some of the top pros you should be following on Twitter.

Techies

Pete Cashmore, founder-CEO of Mashable, the social media blog

@mashable

With more than 40 million monthly page views, Mashable is the ultimate source of social and digital media news. If you want the breaking news of what’s going on in the media world from technology to web trends, Mashable will keep you on your toes whether it’s letting you know which iPhone apps will keep you financially fit in 2011 or how to make a playlist via Twitter.

Marissa Mayer, vice president of consumer products at Google

@marissamayer

She was the first female engineer hired for Google and is one of their most popular faces. As someone who decides when the newest Google product gets to be released, Mayer is one of the leading ladies on the technology playing field. Whether she’s tweeting about the butterscotch pudding at her favorite restaurant in Park City or the latest Google gadget, Mayer will give you an insider’s glimpse at one of the world’s most recognized companies.

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Business

Jonathan Fields, entrepreneur and author

@jonathanfields

A self-described “Dad, husband, creation-obsessed author & entrepreneur” where “85% dark chocolate is my god,” Fields has done everything from teaching yoga to being a hedge-fund/securities lawyer. Having been around the block a few times, Fields wrote the book “Career Renegade: How To Earn A Great Living Doing What You Love” and is doing just that. In his book, Fields tells you how you can take whatever passion you have and turn it into a paycheck. Want to know how? Get started by following him on Twitter.

Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Group

@richardbranson

Perhaps one of the most famous entrepreneurs living today, Branson knew from a young age that the early bird catches the worm. At age 16 he started his own magazine called Student, opened a chain of record stores known as Virgin Records in 1972 and launched Virgin Atlantic Airways in the 1980s. Not surprisingly, according to Forbes’ 2010 list of billionaires, Branson is the 212^th wealthiest man in the world. If you want to get inside a true businessman’s brain, Branson is one to keep tabs on.

Journalism

Laurel Touby, founder of mediabistro.com

@laureltouby

If you’re a journalism major, chances are, you are aware of mediabistro.com—the online hub that posts job listings for journalists and other blogs related to the publishing industry. And if you’re a journalism major, you should probably be following the brains behind the website that has more than 1.4 million registered users. Not only is she a journalist (fun fact: she used to work for Glamour), but Touby is also an entrepreneur. Follow Touby on Twitter to get her musings on the industry.

Nicholas Kristof, New York Times columnist

@NickKristof

When you’re not reading his minute-by-minute tweets from Egypt, you can read his columns every Thursday and Sunday in the New York Times. But why wait to read his columns, when you can read his tweets too? Known for his advocacy of human rights and education, Kristof’s tweets are a daily reminder of the sometimes harsh realities going on in the world around us—and I don’t mean missing that Jersey Shore episode because you have a history final the next day (as harsh as that might sound). If you’re going to follow a leading journalist, Kristof is a must.

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Public Relations

Jessica Kleiman, VP-Public Relations for Hearst Magazines

@jessicakleiman

Kleiman helps to run the PR for one of the world’s largest publishers of magazine. That being said, she knows how to be her own best publicist—which is exactly why that’s the title of her book. Co-author of “Be Your Own Best Publicist,” Kleiman is an expert in the biz who you’ll definitely want on your radar. When you’re not following her tweets, check out her blog.

For all collegiettes™!

I Want Her Job

@iwantherjob

Known as “the website for independent-thinking women everywhere in search of the next best thing,” I Want Her Job was created to help young women find their dream job as well as highlight successful women who have already achieved their own. Spearheaded by University of Montana alum Brianne Burrowes, the digital specialist and editor-in-chief of CareerSparx.com believes that “the biggest part of bringing an idea to life (after you learn how to not lose it…) is to just sit down and make it happen. Buy a domain name. Go buy a book on the subject. Use Google to your advantage and find out everything you can on the topic.” If you spend a few minutes clicking around the I Want Her Job website, you’ll find career profiles on leading ladies who are fulfilling their dreams at companies anywhere from Google to Glamour—and they’ll tell you how they did it.

Lindsey Pollak

@lindseypollak

Remember that non-existent fancy college counselor we were talking about before? Good news: I found her. Collegiettes™, if you have not yet heard of Lindsey Pollak, you may or may not want to store her in your virtual Rolodex now. But first, run yourselves to the nearest Barnes & Noble and pick up a copy of her book, “Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World.” Not only is Pollak a best-selling author, but she is also continuously consulted for her career expertise as she delivers speeches and leads conferences all over the country. Check out her blog, “Lindsey Pollak Career,” and get a free crash course on the tools you need to make that transition from the classroom to the cubicle.

Which career pros do you follow? Tell us in the Comments section below!

Sources:

http://iwantherjob.com/

http://www.lindseypollak.com

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20080301/how-i-did-it-laurel-touby-mediabistro.html

http://www.biography.com/articles/Sir-Richard-Branson-9224520