Social media is all over the place. And the latest one that the world is going euphoric over Twitter.
This is primarily a social networking site, which people use to update others about where they are and what they are doing. But the good news is that this multi-faceted website can even facilitate your job search. Yes, most of us may not even think of using it for job hunting, but Twitter works as a high-powered job search tool providing much more opportunities than the other networking sites.
For example, Charulata Mehta found her current dream job as Public Relations Officer simply by tweeting to around 250 ‘followers’, ‘Anyone looking for a marketing or public relations person?’ She explains, “Within hours I had several emails, IMs, phone calls and tweets about open jobs and one actually resulted in a perfect position!”
How to
www.twitter.com works as a microblog where users can post short updates of upto 140 characters via a variety of technologies like instant messaging, sms or the usual web interface. These messages or ‘tweets’ as they are better known, are displayed on your profile page as well as automatically broadcasted to the whole world (i.e. those who have signed up to receive them). The best part is that you can easily connect to people you don’t even know. You can freely choose whom to ‘listen’ to simply by clicking on the ‘follow’ button.
Twitter offers an open forum for connecting with people you would otherwise have no chance of reaching. This incredibly broadens the field for networking, thus amplifying your job search prospects too.
Networking on Twitter may seem like the perfect way to find your next job, but how does it really work?
Shouting out to the world – Your tweets do not have to be limited to your personal activities. You can proactively write about your job search like what you are looking for, the people you have met and also the interviews you have attended. This will keep your job search on people’s radar and someone or the other is bound to know/have such a vacancy.
Making valuable connections – Twitter offers a simple and informal way to reach out to people you would like to network with - like those involved in your interest areas - without appearing intrusive.
This can range from recruiters and hiring managers to even industry experts, top executives and CEOs.
Not only do you gain the opportunity to listen and learn about what they are working on and what they are interested in, but can also attract their precious attention.
Information on open positions – Many companies and job boards have a presence on Twitter and use it to tweet about their job openings.
Also, Twitter offers a range of search tools like Twitter Search, Twellow, etc. where you can search the site by company name or other keywords.
Tweeting to a job
This online job-hunting tool is simple, but it delivers amazing results only when used correctly. Here’s how to make the best use of it:
• Sign up with a professional handle, preferably your real name and an optional job description.
• Lots of people will check out who you are and what you do. So, provide a short professional profile with links to your online resume, blog, personal website or even Facebook/LinkedIn profile.
• It is important to take the time to target, research and follow the right people instead of following people blindly and ending up with a Tweet overload. Build a strong, quality network by checking out the bio and links of a person before ‘following’ him.
• Update your tweets regularly with a prime focus on what you write. Provide productive tweets talking about your work, ideas, insights and expertise so as to portray yourself as knowledgeable in your field. You can even spread information, clear doubts and share links of professional interest to establish your credibility and also impress the right people enough to follow you.
• Twitter is not only about self-promotion. You also have to be willing to help others to gain better results for yourself.
• Also, be careful as Twitter can be quite addictive, eating up too much of your time.
To sum up in the words of an expert, “Statistics show that job search networking is much more effective when you make ‘loose’ connections - touching base with people beyond your immediate circle whose networks and contacts are much different from your own. With over three million users, Twitter offers an unparalleled opportunity to create an extended network!”
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