Twitter isn’t often heralded as a job search tool, but, as more and more hiring companies and recruiters join the social network, it’s becoming increasingly useful as another medium through which to further your career, connect with the right people, and build your brand. My post on the people2people blog offers six suggestions for how you can employ Twitter in your job hunt. How are you utilizing Twitter? Find the post below or archived here.
Today’s job market is rapidly evolving, particularly as new technology is introduced, changing the ways job seekers find and apply for jobs, as well as how employers look for talent. You may have heard the frequent jokes that Twitter is simply a platform to share what you ate for lunch. However, it’s also a powerful business tool, including when it comes to your job hunt. Here are six tips for utilising Twitter to find your dream job.
1. Develop your personal brand
Twitter is a perfect medium on which to showcase your expertise and talents, establishing yourself to your community and potential employers as a leader in your field. Use Twitter to share information, provide insightful commentary, link to interesting articles and encourage discussions. This can enhance your reputation and impress employers while also keeping you informed about the latest news and ideas in your industry.
2. Build your community
If a tweeter builds a personal brand and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Grow your followers and connect with others in your industry by following colleagues, influencers, important organisations and relevant publications. By consistently tweeting and interacting with these followers, you will build a valuable community that may even lead to your next job offer.
3. Connect with recruiters, recruitment companies and employers
Use Twitter to attract the attention of recruiters or employers looking to hire, or enhance your relationship and keep top of mind with those with whom you’ve already worked. Find recruitment companies’ and businesses’ Twitter handles on their websites, and ask recruiters and employers you meet if they’re interested in connecting on Twitter. Start conversations by replying to tweets they share that interest you. You may even consider directly (and tactfully) asking them if they have any job openings for people with your qualifications.
4. Utilise search
Take advantage of Twitter’s search function to find people in your area that tweet job openings. For example, try a search for ‘accounting jobs Sydney’ or the hashtags #job or #hiring. (At people2people, we tag all of our job listings on our job feed, @p2pjobs.)
5. Do pre-interview research
To prepare yourself for an interview, in addition to exploring a company’s website, scan their Twitter feed for recent company news or topics they cover. Showing you are knowledgeable about a company will impress interviewers and make a great impression.
6. Follow job seeking resources for tips
There are a plethora of job seeking and career development blogs on the web (like ours!) that share useful tips for your job search. Follow these blogs on Twitter and keep up with their latest posts to give yourself an advantage over other applicants.
Although Twitter has been around since 2006, with 271 million monthly active users, and is used increasingly by hiring managers and recruiters, a large percentage of job seekers have yet to adopt the platform as a tool in their job hunt. By utilising Twitter in your job search, you’ll be one step closer to securing the job you want.
