4 Ways To Use Twitter In Your Job Search
Posted by Crystal on Wednesday Jun 30, 2010 Under Boulder Digital Works, Job Search, Social Media, TwitterLike millions of people around the country, I am looking for a job. After 16 months of freelance and contract work, I realize how great it is to be paid on schedule and by direct deposit. I am grateful for the work I do get, but there have been many sleepless nights worrying about what if it stops coming in.
Unless you’re a masochist, no one enjoys the process of looking for a job. The tireless emailing, agonizing waiting and constant rejection is enough to make the most confident person want curl up into the fetal position. But unless you resolve yourself to living hand-to-mouth while hopping your dream job with big pay falls into your lap, you have to get out there and search.
Something that has help make my job search easier and more focused is Twitter. When I first started on Twitter, I thought it was a great way let people know which bad reality TV show I was currently watching. But after attending Boulder Digital Works, I learned that it was better used as a way to present my personal brand to the world. I still let people know when I am watching Hell’s Kitchen, but I do it between sharing more important content. And Now Twitter has become a great tool to help me land a job.
I know I am probably not be the first one to think or use these tricks, but they have been working for me. So I want to share with others to make their search that much easier.
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Following the Leader
A few months ago, I started following a co-founder of a company where I really wanted to work. After reading their tweets for a few weeks, I gradually learned their mind and passion was really wasn’t in their work or their company. Also in several tweets they mentioned possibly moving the company to a city that I had no intentions of ever living in. This information was fresh in my mind when a position came up in that company. Ultimately, I decided not to apply though I felt I would have enjoyed the job.
Having worked for a newspaper that closed its doors for good in the matter of weeks when I had worked there less than a year, I know any advance knowledge of major company decisions is good to have.
A Preview of Company/Agency Culture
An important aspect of any job for me, other than loving the work I do, is the company’s culture. Being out of sync with the environment that you’re in most of your waking hours can make even the best position a nightmare. Crying like a baby in a cubical because I didn’t like where I worked wasn’t one of the highlights in my career. So following not only the leaders but other employees of a company (in the department you want to work if you can) will give you a good view of how it runs on a daily basis.
Some companies have policies that restricts what their employees can twitter, but I have found if someone loves or hates their job enough they will break that rule. Things might not end up well for that employee, especially if what they are posting is negative, but you will know before hand if that dream position comes with a price.
Learn of Job Openings Before They Are Listed
Sometimes employees will give a heads up to their twitter followers about open positions at their company before they get posted to the various job sites. When some jobs can get over 200+ applicants in the first few hours after being listed, it’s important to get your resume in as early as possible if want to get it viewed.
Getting the Company to Follow You
This is as easy as @, but it can be a double edge sword. If most of your tweets are about how much you hate your ex or spend most of your time getting drunk, then you probably won’t ever have a chance to land that job. So first make sure your Twitter account is one you would want even your grandmother to read. After that, you need to start up a dialogue. That means replying to their tweets and even hash tagging them on content you post that you find interesting. Don’t be stalkerish about it. Only do this with tweets/content you find interesting and actually have something good to say.
Having a company know who you are and having a relationship with them before you apply for a position will give you that needed edge.
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I haven’t landed that dream, full-time job just yet. I have made some really good contacts and gotten great leads in the short amount of time that I’ve been actively looking, and I am confident that it’s just a matter of time before I do land that position. I hope these tips help and like me you get to jump out the craziness that job search can be as soon as possible.



