5 Ways to Use Twitter to Find a Job - by Anne McGraw

 

 

If you’re one of the millions of people actively searching for a new job, Twitter can be a useful resource to build and maintain connections to get your foot in the door.  The resources for job hunters are growing by the minute, but job seekers should be on their best tweeting behavior during this time of evaluation and analysis by potential employers.

1.       Tell people you’re actively job hunting.
If you’ve heard it once, you should hear it again – job hunting is all about networking these days.  Blindly sending off resumes gets you very little traction, but telling everyone you know that you’re actively searching will open doors and connect you with the right people.  Make sure your bio makes mention of your goals as well and positions yourself in the best light possible with the available 160 characters.

2.       Follow relevant job-posting feeds.

They’re out there – twitter profiles that exist solely to share job postings for those interested in that particular genre.  For example,  @FreelanceSw is always posting new freelance jobs. Find a similar feed for your line of work with some diligent searching through a site such as TweepSearch or by posting a question for those who might be in the know.  This is often like following a breadcrumb trail….they’re sure to be out there, but it might take a few clicks through lists of Followers to find them.

3.       Mind your tweets.
It is not uncommon, to say the least, for potential employers to review Twitter profiles for candidates.  If you have something controversial out there, you may want to consider deleting it so it’s not easily located when scrolling through your history.  While actively job searching, it’s best to tweet knowing anyone and everyone could be watching and evaluating you.  Even if it’s not relevant to the position for which you’ve applied, your public online presence is now a part of your portfolio.

4.       Follow industry leaders
Book authors, public speakers, experts in the field, or anyone who people seem to go to for advice or knowledge on the “it” topics…these are the people you can learn from and who have the potential to shape your attitude and knowledge base while looking for your next gig.  Now is a great time to go ahead and ask that semi-famous person who’s at the top of their game what they would do if in your shoes – you never know, you might get a little nugget of feedback that sets you in the right direction.

5.       Engage in topics and conversations in your field.
Becoming part of the dialogue is sure to gather you some new well-connected followers.  It’s incredibly easy to watch the conversations flow as an observer, but jumping in to ask questions or provide your own insights is what makes Twitter such a unique channel for instant communication. It will show you have initiative and expertise, or are willing to learn and accept mentoring.  If nothing else, this will keep you in the know and able to have relevant discussions when it’s time for your next interview.