ShareThisTwitter started off as one of those platforms that no one understood. Why would it be necessary to send a message to a group of followers about what I’m doing? Can’t I already do that via my Facebook status? Well despite it’s initial awkwardness being rolled out to the public, it can be quite a useful tool when looking for a job.
One of the most productive methods is to “follow” the right people, associations and resources.
Follow your favourite companies – Many organisations are now active in the twitterverse, not only tweeting about new products and services, but also about the latest career opportunities. In fact, they’ll dedicate a separate account specifically to disseminate relevant information about job opportunities. For example check out http://twitter.com/ShellCareers. This twitter stream is solely allocated to notifying all its followers of the latest career opportunities for Shell from all over the world. They’ll even post links to photos captured at campus events.
Follow Influencers – Who is an influencer you ask? It’s typically someone or a group that holds a fair amount of clout in a particular field. You’ll usually be able to spot them by the number of followers they have. An influencer to you might be somebody that is considered an authority in your field of expertise or passions. They’ll often tweet interesting facts about their industry, keeping you informed as well as career opportunities. You can even communicate with them using the @ symbol followed by their Twitter ID. Occasionally they may respond, and alert their audience of your correspondence.
Follow Careers Resources – There are a plethora of careers websites that help young people enhance their career prospects. They can help you tailor your CV, sharpen your interviewing technique and hone your job search skills. If you’re unsure where to look then Twellow is a useful directly that allows you to search for resources according to different categories. Gradkin also has its own Twitter account that links to the most recent blog articles as well as other careers resources from around the world.
Need a Job? Tweet it – This tactic will be more effective when you’ve accrued a large follower base. One of the biggest mistakes that people can make in their job hunt is that they neglect to inform people or keep it a secret – almost embarrassed by the shame that comes with unemployment. If you’re looking for a job, then send a tweet out that accurately depicts your qualifications and requirements. “Hey Everyone I need a Job” is not the right way to go about things, but “Hi I’m an HR Pro with 4 years of experience in MNCs, looking for a smaller org’n where I can contribute to the growth of HR Best Practices” is a much more effective alternative…oh and it’s less than 140 characters!
Quantity and Quality – Unfortunately with Twitter, you can’t better either of these at the expense of the other. In order to amass a huge following, not only must you ensure that your tweets are quality content that others are interested in consuming, but you must also tweet very often. The only people with huge followings that don’t tweet often are celebrities. So unless you have your name in shining lights somewhere, you’ll need to invest some time into implementing a consistent tweet strategy.
Complete your profile – Your profile on Twitter is so basic, that no one really has the excuse that it takes too long. Not attempting to do this indicates you’re very lazy. Also, when you decide to follow someone, your profile will be featured to that person; therefore if you’re missing these details, people will be less likely to follow you back.
If you have your own website or blog, then link to this via the website field. If not, then link potential employers to your Linkedin, Facebook or Gradkin profile.
For the Bio, you only have 140 characters so make it keyword rich regarding your area of expertise or passions. Mine says “Entrepreneur, Founder of @gradkin, Blogger, Speaker, Mixed Martial Arts, Fitness Freak and Backpacker”. It’s not how I’d introduce myself at a formal gathering, or even a party, but it works for twitter. Your aim is to make an impression in as few words as possible.
Link Twitter to email and other profiles – Twitter isn’t going to work for you if people don’t follow you, it’s that simple! A passive way to be found is to link your Twitter ID to your email signatures and other social media profiles. This way, whenever your communicating using other mediums, your Twitter profile is inadvertently promoted, enticing others to follow you. I’ve even seen some business people include it on their business card, right after their other contact channels…true!
Does anyone else know of other strategies to utilise Twitter for job-hunting? Please share for the interest of our audience.
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