Many thanks to recruiter Lindsay Olsen of the search firm Paradigm Staffing for her tips in U.S. News & World Report on how to harness Twitter for job search. We have been talking to NETSHARE members about Twitter use for some time, and a number of our career coaches have become avid tweeters. The rules of Twitter are much the same as the rules for LinkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo or any networking site. It’s a place where you need to be found, engage in a conversation, and start building connections that can lead to other conversations. Hiring managers and recruiters are posting new jobs and searches on Twitter daily, and the advantage of Twitter is you can tweet back directly to get more details.
Lindsay’s tips are not only valuable for job search, but should be applied by anyone using Twitter:
- Create a user-friendly profile. The whole concept of social media is to be real and be found, so use your real name or a professional equivalent and make sure your bio includes details about you that will be of interest to a potential hiring manager.
- Link to your online sales materials. You have a web link in your profile – use it to link to your online resume or other background about who you are and what your personal brand represents.
- Keep your tweets out in the open. There is an option to keep your tweets public or private. If your goal is to be found, keep your comments out there for all to see, especially recruiters.
- Search for relevant hashtags. Twitter, Tweetdeck, and other third-party Twitter dashboard applications let you search keywords to follow, such as #job, so you can look for relevant conversations to follow.
- Follow others in your industry. Track companies you are targeting and professionals working at those companies. Those connections could reveal hidden career possibilities.
- Twitter lists help you find new people to follow. You can make your own lists to manage your feeds, or better yet, find similar lists that others are compiling and follow them to find new contacts.
- Tweet consistently. Post regularly, at least once or twice a day, and try to interact with other Twitterers.
- Help others first. Blatant self-promotion doesn’t work well in Twitter or any social media site. Listen and engage first, then offer information that is of interest and value. This will make you part of the community and promote conversation.