6 Ways Twitter can Help you Find your next Job

We talk a lot on this blog about using Twitter… more and more people are around the world are hopping on the Twitter scene.  I think Twitter has become a MUST for jobseekers in all industries – companies advertise their open positions through Twitter and hope job seeking Twitter-ers (I don’t guarantee that’s the proper lingo) will respond.

But at first glance, Twitter can be overwhelming and very confusing.  So is using Twitter to get a job easier said than done? Probably.  But here are a few tips from Erica Swallow for how to use Twitter to find a job:

1. Pretend you’re an industry expert. Post, or retweet articles relevant to your industry; keep up with news in your field, and post articles (or comments on articles) that show your followers valuable content.
2. Search for potential employers.  It’s okay to search that company you want to work for, find out who currently works there, who works in recruiting, and follow those people to get your name noticed by the organization.
3. Build your network with “relevant” people.  Follow people with similar interests to yourself, or experts in the industries you want to enter.  By following people in different industries, you can learn from their expertise and RT their articles to build your own content (giving credit to them, of course).  And, if you do hear about a position somewhere interesting, you can use your contacts to apply on a more personal level.

Job Hunting? You Better Start Using Twitter

If you are a knowledge worker and you are serious about finding a new job … you better start using Twitter.    For most knowledge workers, Twitter is the new trade magazine.  It is where you can read the latest reports, studies and thinking in your field … and where you get first crack at the jobs.  (Many jobs you see on Twitter never get posted on job boards).

If you want to land a high profile job, where you interact with experts and thought leaders in your field … you better start using Twitter.  Hands down, the easiest way to connect with thought leaders is on Twitter.  It still acts a lot like a small town.   If you play your cards right, you’ll find it much easier to strike up a conversation with people who would never return your calls or emails.  You can easily find (and converse with) people who share your interests.  You will find yourself becoming ”friends” even before you even have your first telephone conversation with them.  You can see how they think, and what they think about – a huge advantage in starting a conversation, and in knowing what to talk about. 

John Sumser (not coincidentally, someone I met through Twitter) inspired this post, with an Eric Hoffer quote he shared (on Twitter):  “In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”  Twitter is one of the many places I go to learn.   Where do you go?

Harsh truth ahead  >>  When I meet job seekers who are not learning, I often wonder if they are only prepared to work in a world that no longer exists.

So this post is not about how to get started using Twitter, many people have already written that post.  This post is not even about the 6 ways to get a job through Twitter, although you should read that soon.

No, this post is to say jump in now … before you find that all your current expertise has only prepared you for a world that no longer exists.

 

25 Recruiters on Twitter

Lots of people are on Twitter now, so how do you know which are worth following? Maybe you should check out wefollow’s “25 most influential Recruiters”. Do you follow any of them on Twitter? Leave us a comment. We’d love to know why they’re so influential.

How to Get on More Twitter Lists

Brent Peterson wrote a great post proposing the idea that hiring managers should hire the candidate on the most twitter lists. Brent says that the number of followers you have on twitter often means nothing, but the number of “lists” those followers list you on means a lot. So how do you get “listed” by other people? Here are 4 of his 7 ways:

• Create Insightful content for your industry
• Share articles written by other professionals in your field
• Start a discussion thread
• Publicly thank people for re-tweeting your posts

The Twitter Guide Book

Are you just getting started with Twitter? Created a profile, filled out your name but not sure what to do next? Maybe you should check out Mashable’s “The twitter Guide Book” – it’s filled with all sorts of tips about how to use twitter (the basics, building your community, twittering for business). If I were you, I’d bookmark this page because it looks like a great resource to refer back to next time we have a question.

Don’t Post your Birthday or Hometown on Facebook

Social Media is supposed to be personal: a way for former, current and future friends to find, greet and meet you. But Shirley George Frazier warns that we may be giving away too much information. She says that posting your hometown and birth date on your social media sites is dangerous! It gives outside sources a way to access your social security number and easily steal your identity! So delete it.

I’m going right this second to check my sites and delete my info….

Who is Recruiting on Twitter?

Question: Ever wonder who is recruiting on Twitter? Answer: Practically everyone.

The fact is: Twitter is skyrocketing in popularity. It feels like everyone has a Twitter now; anytime I listen to the radio, I hear “Follow us on Twitter” for celebrities, companies, the radio station itself, everyone. So why wouldn’t companies be using Twitter for hiring? It makes perfect sense. Susan Strayer posted a great list with TONS of companies using Twitter to recruit. The variety of companies is fascinating – they range from Burger King, AOL, Disney Channel, and Hallmark to Farmers Insurance, Hyatt, IBM and Southwest Airlines. Not on Twitter yet? Now is the perfect time to start.