Are you a job seeker who would rather be Tweeting, Instagramming, and SnapChatting than searching for a job? While job searching doesn’t top anyone’s list of “fun activities,” there is a creative way to incorporate your love of social media into your job search. No, we don’t mean LinkedIn: it’s Twitter!
With 93 percent of recruiters using, or planning to use social media for recruiting purposes, and 58 percent of job seekers having used Twitter in their job search, Twitter may just be the job board of the future/present. It makes sense, we live in a social world, and Twitter by nature is a platform that quickly and effectively facilitates connections.
Today, Twitter has more posts about job openings than any other social media site and more and more job seekers taking advantage. So, how can you get in on the action? Open that app and fire up your fingers, we’re breaking down how to use your social media savvy to your advantage.
- If you already have a personal Twitter account dedicated to your hobbies, friends, and puppy memes, invest in creating a second account that you’ll use solely for your job search. While your personal account may have a fun name like @sirjoetweetsalot, this handle should have a simple, memorable, and direct handle name, something like @JoeSmithMarketing. Keep in mind that this second Twitter account should be treated like a business card complete with a professional looking photo and an interesting description about you, your professional goals, and interests.
- Next, build up your network. Twitter makes it easy! Check out some helpful sites like wefollow.com and twiangulate.com to find influencers and recruiters in your desired field. Have a few companies in mind that you’d love to work for? Follow them and be sure to do some digging to see if they have a separate recruiting-specific handle as well (Thirty-five percent of Fortune 500 companies have a recruiting-specific Twitter handle). Once you’ve got a solid base, use the handy “who to follow” section of Twitter to expand upon your base.
- You’ve followed/built your dream network, now it’s time to show them you’re someone worth following! There are a few ways you can do this to establish yourself as an industry thought leader. You can create original content, Tweet tips, and share industry news or resource links. Make your expert opinions heard, have a little fun with it, but be sure to always keep it professional. You also can, and should, tweet about your professional goals and the goals of your job search. Make it known that you’re on the hunt for a great new opportunity.
- Next, dive into the world of hashtags, they’ll quickly become your best friend because they’re a great way to quickly find the information you want and the job openings you’re looking for (Seventy-eight percent of Fortune 500 recruiting tweets contain hashtags—most commonly with branded terms related to job opportunities). For example, #JobOpenings, #JobSearch, #Marketing (or whatever your desired industry is), #JobTips, #JobHunt, #Resume, you get the idea. Make a list and search within Twitter or create search feeds within a service like Hootsuite.
- Now it’s time to connect. Once again, Twitter makes this easy. Diligently check out your peers’ Tweets each day and take the extra step to interact, answer their questions, start a dialogue, Tweet @ them with information they might find interesting, re-Tweet their content that you most enjoy, and finally, show you’re willing to take initiative and direct message them. The more you interact, the more connections you’ll make!
Throughout this process, always be sure to keep an updated version of your resume on hand, you never know when one of your new Twitter connections might come knocking- you’ve got to be prepared! Additionally, don’t hesitate to have a shortened URL of your LinkedIn profile or online version of your resume ready. Now what are you waiting for? You’ve got some Twittering to do!
About the author: Jenna Mantis is the Manager of Content Marketing for Talent Inc. With a background in social media and marketing, Jenna is passionate about helping brands create and bring to life their unique social identities.
