Finding for a job on twitter? Today we have a special guest post by @AutumnStJohn a freelance writer and editor in sunny London gives us 10 superb twitter tips of using twitter for job search
Since becoming involved with the careers guidance market, I’ve become increasingly fascinated by the relationship between job search/career change and social media. Probably because I’m someone who a) has had a lot of jobs and career changes and b) loves social media and regularly struggles to remember what she did before it was invented. Having written a blog post on using LinkedIn in a job search I started thinking about my chief social media love, Twitter. Although Twitter is less targeted towards professional networking than LinkedIn, it is still a hugely valuable tool to businesses and professionals-and to job seekers. Here are 10 tips for using Twitter to get a job.
1. Fill in your bio
You only have 160 characters for your bio, so make them count. Make it clear what you want and what value you can bring, i.e. “As a qualified social worker for x years, I’m currently looking for a position in a y type of organisation”.
2. Use a real photo of yourself
It’s important to upload a photo on your Twitter profile and it’s just as important that it’s a photo of yourself if you’re a job seeker. As hilarious as putting up a photo of Simon Cowell or a cat in a bow tie is, it doesn’t look very professional in the eyes of potential employers checking out your profile.
3. Follow the relevant people
Obviously if you’re using Twitter to tap into a certain job role, organisation, career or industry, it’s essential to follow tweeters associated with your target areas. There are a number of Twitter applications and directories that can help you find people in a particular field. The most established, popular and recommended one is Twellow.
4. Connect with people
Just following people who could be beneficial to your job search won’t be of any help if they don’t know you’re there! Connect with potentially useful contacts by replying to their tweets, following tweeted links to their blog posts and leaving relevant comments, and also tweeting them any thoughts or links that they might find interesting.
5. Tweet smarter
It’s great work if your first tweets are of value, but once you’re interacting with people and have some followers that are actually listening to you, it becomes even more important to tweet smartly. If you’re using Twitter as part of your job search this means giving off a professional vibe. You may only have 140 characters with which to tweet, but it’s still important to be interesting, avoid major controversy and to use correct spelling and punctuation.
6. Offer your help
This is an important part of connecting with people and being a smart tweeter: You can show both your authenticity and your ability to fellow users by offering your help to them, be it by answering a question, voting on a poll, or even sending them a book that they’re looking for and that you have. Giving assistance by using your career expertise in particular will of course demonstrate your viability as a job candidate.
7. Ask for help
You can ask for help just like anyone else on Twitter, especially if you’re looking for a job. Asking for help doesn’t necessarily mean coming across as desperate: it can be as simple and understated as asking a journalist who reports on your particular industry if they know of any openings within the ‘hidden job market’-openings that are there but aren’t being advertised.
8. Don’t spam
Unfortunately, as Twitter is such a popular platform, it does get its fair share of spammers. Therefore we’re all so super-aware as Twitter users that even if you’re not intentionally spamming, it can come across that way and you may end up reported and/or blocked. It’s one thing to ask for help from a variety of connections on a variety of job seeking issues, but if you repeatedly address exactly the same question/request to one particular person or the whole of Twitter, you may become a spam suspect.
9.Be cautious
Speaking of spam, if you do get a tweet or DM from someone you haven’t been interacting with, or don’t know, and they offer you a dream job opening, be wary. Ask yourself if what they’re saying is too good to be true and why the offer has come out of the blue: be careful not to click on any links you don’t trust, as phishing scams are built around trick links. If you’re not sure about a link, ask someone like @safety for help.
10. Preserve your Twitter reputation
Spamming is just one way of ruining your reputation. A job seeker’s online reputation can be crucial in landing a role so it goes without saying that you should avoid swearing, lying, posting photos you wouldn’t want your mother to see, being rude, cyber-stalking fellow tweeters, and drunk-tweeting.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get a job just by using Twitter, but used in the right way, it can be a great ensemble tool in your job hunting arsenal. Using Twitter in the ‘right’ way is basically about engaging your brain and thinking before you tweet. A lot of the above tips are applicable not just to the job seeker but to anyone who’s using Twitter on some sort of serious level. Yeah, you’re not going to stick to the ‘rules’ 100% of the time-if you were to check out my profile right now, you’d see that I goof around and squee over celebs more than I probably should. But the beauty of Twitter is that you can mix business with pleasure as
Autumn, 28, is a freelance writer and editor in sunny London. She spent a lot of time switching careers and going from one job to the next before she admitted to herself that the only career she wanted was one that involved writing. She’s currently really enjoying being involved with Position Ignition and its blog. Position Ignition helps people realise what they want from their career and make it happen. Both Autumn and Position Ignition are on Twitter..
Photo credit: 4yas, clairepoff
abc says
Why does anybody need twitter for this? Isn't LinkedIn sufficient?
Aaron Lee says
Why have one when you can have two? 🙂
Kbrigham says
This article reinforces strategies I was forced to learn on my own while job seeking over the past few months, & then some! The more resources I became familiarized with through time, the more exposure I ultimately achieved to my targeted audience. As the old saying goes, “If I had known then, what I know now…”
Autumn St John says
Yeah, I definitely know the “If I had known then, what I know now…” feeling! But in a way I think finding these things out for ourselves at least makes us remember them, whereas sometimes if we only read an article or how-to guide or whatever, it can go in one ear and out the other!
Autumn St John says
Yep, I guess it's about personal preference. Whether their objectives are social or professional, some poeple prefer to use one social media platform and some use several. I've even managed to get work through Facebook, which I never thought I'd say the first time someone told me about it and described it!
lmckeogh says
Why use Twitter vs. LinkedIn? With Twitter I have been able to follow, engage, and offer assistance to people on a daily basis that I do not have the connections to directly on LinkedIn. Twitter is great for breaking the ice at networking events, conferences, or just in general. Imagine learning that the hiring manager is having a tough time dealing with some problem before an interview. Just that little bit of information could enable you to present a solution during the interview and standout among the other candidates.
LinkedIn is not as current and real time as Twitter posts are. There is a great connection between the two, but each has their own place. Just like there is more than one golf club in the bag trying to get a job in today's economy you need to make the proper use of all the tools available to you.
Autumn St John says
I agree with this, especially regarding real-time. I've had useful and enjoyable real-time conversations with people on Twitter that are just not as possible on LinkedIn. Also, on Twitter, you can see real-time conversation threads between two people you're following, which can also be useful.
I also agree that LinkedIn has its own place. It's a great resource in its own way: as it's targeted towards professional networking, everyone knows that's what they're there for and where they stand.
VanessaElizebeth says
Thanks for sharing such great tips with us.I am going ti share this in my friends circle.
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Nathan G says
A very interesting post, it is important to make the most of every tool you have available when looking for a job. If you are unsure of anything when looking fora job recruitment consultants can always be on hand to give you advice, never be afraid to ask for help.
Leila Binesh says
I guess one needs all Linked-in,Twitter, even Facebook, you tube channel and Instag. The first holds a complete professional back ground, the second spreads your new news and keeps you on top of mind, the third allows you to share more excitement moments even with professional networks and the last are specifically focused on broadcasting your abilities. They are all helping tools 4 marketing you!
Scott Jobs says
Great tips! Twitter is such a touchy animal, I would agree the most important thing you can do is think before you Tweet! If anyone’s looking for a legit resource for staying on top of the latest jobs posted on Twitter, check out http://www.JobSnare.com