5 Ways To Use Twitter For Your Job Search

There are many ways that using Twitter can help job seekers with their job search strategy and online branding. I will cover five in today’s blog post.

It’s Not Just A LinkedIn World

I recently surveyed job seekers in the Massachusetts area about their online presence and found that while most job seekers had set up a LinkedIn profile, very few were using Twitter.

As you probably know, Twitter is one of the most popular, social networking websites on the internet and more than 20 million people visit Twitter every month.

These visitors include hiring managers, human resources staffers and recruiters that work for the companies that you want to work for. So,  I recommend that every Job Seeker uses Twitter. Here are some specifics..

1) Using Twitter can expand and reinforce your online brand

By writing a compelling, keyword rich profile AND publishing high quality, targeted Tweets you will promote and demonstrate your skills, abilities, knowledge… and differentiate yourself from the competition. (FYI- Here’s more info on a Tweet Content Strategy for your job search.)

2)  Your profile and your tweets can help with search engine optimization

Similar to how Google indexes your LinkedIn profile and Blogs, Google also indexes your Twitter profile and your Tweets.

If someone searches for you via Google or other search engines, your Twitter activity will be displayed in search results.  This helps recruiters and hiring managers find out more about you.

3) You can find Real Time job postings on Twitter

Twitter now serves as a mini job board and recruiters and hiring managers across the globe are posting jobs there.  (Similar to postings on Monster, Careerbuilder or Dice.) For example, if you go to the Twitter search box and type in VP Sales Boston, you will find Tweets specific to VP Sales jobs in Boston.

• Search for the roles you are interested in
• Find the relevant Tweets
• Then follow the links provided to learn more about the open positions
• Check out a new Twitter App: http://www.twitterjobsearch.com/

You can also find and follow recruiters in your geographic area and industry, to automatically get their Tweets- real time.

4) You can find great job search advice on Twitter

There are hundreds of Career Experts who continually provide advice and links to job search resources on Twitter.

The quickest way to find these experts is to use the Twitter Search function and enter the hashtag #jobsearch, #career or #jobseeker. You will see page after page of posts from career gurus that you may find very helpful… and users that you may want to follow on a regular basis.  (You may want to read “The top 100 job search hashtags list“, compiled by Career Rocketeer.)

Here are a few of J2B’s favorites: @alisondoyle, @megguiseppi , @kevinkermes and @jobhuntorg.

5) You can directly connect with companies and people that you may want to work for, through your Twitter follower strategy

• Use the Find People, Twitter Search or tools like Tweepsearch to find them
• Follow them
• Read their Tweets, Read their blogs and learn more about them.
• Knowledge is power

If you eventually get an interview with one of the companies that you are following, you will be much more prepared for the discussions.

And.. they may start following you and perhaps it will be the start of an online relationship- that could lead to more.

Bonus Tip Added October 19, 2009

To make your Twitter experience even easier, J2B Marketing has created some Job Search Follow lists on the website TweepML.com.  We’ve compiled groups of Industry Experts, Career Coaches, Recruiters and more, specific to roles. For example, we have one list specifically for Sales job seekers and one for Marketing job seekers. View the lists here.

I hope you found these 5 Twitter job search tips helpful. (There is also a video version on YouTube, linked here. ) Good luck with your search and have a Twonderful day.

For more helpful tips on using Twitter as a job search tool, download the free “Tweet Sheet”: A one page, desktop reference guide for job seekers with tips and tricks on how to find a new job using Twitter. Leave the nest, fly around and start to tweet, with help from the Tweet Sheet! Click here to download yours!

Copyright September 2009, Marci Reynolds, All Rights Reserved

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