This month’s Career Collective topic is trends, tools, and hiring practices for 2011. I love writing about career tools that help job seekers keep informed. Here are a few of my favorites.

TweetMyJOBS Imagine having job leads delivered directly to your computer or smart phone just seconds after they are posted by employers. TweetMyJOBS has leveraged  Twitter to create close to 10,000 Job Channels for job seekers to “tune into” (follow), which are location/job type specific. A job seeker simply has to register with tweetmyjobs.com, enter the location and type of job they are looking for, and then follow the appropriate job channel (or channels) that match their profile. After that, jobs that match this profile are tweeted directly to the job seeker via their preferred communication channel, and can even show up as text messages on their mobile phone the instant that the job gets posted. This gives the job seeker a leg up because they get the best chance to be the first to apply to these jobs. Employers also have the early-bird advantage of reaching targeted job seekers instantly as soon as they post a job.

Green Career Central is an online coaching and resource center dedicated to providing career guidance, coaching, and resources to clarify the ever-evolving world of green career possibilities for professionals. In addition to helping people identify the best way to leverage their skills, passions, and experience in the new economy, Green Career Central supports members by using proactive job search strategies to find the job that matches their goal. Career and work-force development professionals also rely on Green Career Central for updates about the emerging green/clean/sustainable economy and for resources they can share with their clients.

Brand-Yourself.com is a toolset that empowers you to promote yourself across the social web and diagnose, build, manage and monitor your entire online reputation from one central hub. Job applicants, professional service providers and small businesses use Brand-Yourself to create an online presence that wins them new jobs and clients. Brand-Yourself’s personal branding algorithm grades how effectively you are building your brand as you improve your visibility, credibility and involvement across the web.

Glassdoor is a career community that lets people find jobs and anonymously contribute information about positions at specific companies. This includes salary and other compensation details, ratings on key attributes of a job such as career advancement, work-life balance and opinion of senior management. In addition, visitors to Glassdoor can get an inside look into the hiring process through our interview questions and reviews, or virtually check out a company through office photos.

Quint Careers (officially Quintessential Careers) is a comprehensive career tools site designed to help people find their ideal careers and jobs — from students trying to discover their career passions to mature workers re-entering the work force… and everyone in between!

The Riley Guide is a free directory of online employment and career resources. The focus is on sites, resources, and services that are free for the job seeker, but some fee-based sites are also listed if they are truly unique in what they offer and justified in charging for their service (meaning they offer something that is worth buying). The guide is very broad in its coverage, listing resources and services for hourly workers through chief executives and linking to resources from around the world. The Riley Guide also offers advice on using the Internet in your job search and things like resume preparation, networking, and even how to turn down a job offer you just don’t like.

You can read my colleagues’ posts on trends, tools, and hiring practices for 2011 here:

Social Media Recruiting to Grow Further in 2011, @debrawheatman

Another Year, Another Job Search Begins, @GayleHoward

In 2011, Increase Your Prospects With Better Differentiation, @WalterAkana

4 Lessons Learned From Job Search in 2010, @Careersherpa

Your Career Action Plan for the New Year, @KatCareerGal

Trends Job Seekers Should Look For in 2011, @erinkennedycprw

Things Every Job Seeker Should be Thinking About in 2011, @expatcoachmegan

Let your presence be known or send out a red flag, @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes

How to find a job in 2011: Pay attention to emotional intelligence, @Keppie_Careers

2011 Employment Trends Supercharged with Twitter, @KCCareerCoach

3 Traits for Facing Weather, Employment and Chronic Illness, @WorkWithIllness

Everything old is new again @DawnBugni

Career Trend 2011: Accountability + Possibility = Sustainability, @ValueIntoWords

What Was in 2010, What To Expect in 2011, @chandlee

The Future of Job Search: 3 Predictions and 2 Wishes, @JobHuntOrg