Using Twitter to Network and Find a Job

follow us on twitter for job opportunities @scsresumes

article by Jason Buss

As unemployment continues to soar, job seekers and candidates are pulling out all the stops and doing everything possible to network and look for new opportunities.  This includes using social media and social networking sites as another tool during their search, and while these are not new methods, more and more candidates are getting creative to give themselves an edge.
Twitter, as an example, is getting more and more attention on the hiring scene.  In fact, at a recruiting conference a few months ago, the site was mentioned (in addition to the use of social media and social networking) in almost every session for Recruiters.
Here are 7 ways to use twitter to network your way to an interview or to land your next job.

• First things first! Be creative and selective with the 160 characters you use in your bio.  People find you this way, and Recruiters search using keywords.

• Follow @JobAngels. What started just 3 days ago is quickly gaining traction.  What is it? Job Angels is a grass-roots movement to help people find work.

• Connect with Recruiters. Look for those within your industry and with connections.  You can use sites like TweepSearch that searches twitter profiles - which currently lists over 350 HR Professionals and over 900 Recruiters.  Use other key words (talent acquisition, sourcing, executive search, etc.).    TweepSearch also shows when their last status update was in the search details so you can get a quick feel how active they are before making a decision to follow.  Another recommended tool to search profiles and locations is Twellow.

• Get listed in justtweetit.  After listing yourself, search for other tweeps that might be in the same industry or share the same interests.  Look for additional ways to broaden your network.

• Follow @jobshouts and @TwitHire. Visit their sites, and job listings that are published on twitter - or sign up for a RSS feed.

• Think like a detective. Use Summize to search terms / hashes like job, hiring, employment, haj (have a job), or naj (need a job).

• Tweet appropriately, and be yourself. When you start following Recruiters and others within your industry and get followed back, remember you are building your brand.  A tweet like “Looking for an opportunity in SEO and open to relocation” might go over better than “Being lactose intolerant just sucks”.

Whether or not you get an interview or land that next job via twitter depends on a variety of factors including how much time you invest in it, who you connect with, the content of your tweets, and more.  A multi-faceted networking and job search strategy that includes elements of social media and networking is key.