The Undercover Recruiter

How Disney and 5 other Top Employers Use Twitter to Recruit

Facebook, with over 900+ million users, is the go-to place for recruitment advertising and employer brand-building, but you can’t deny the benefits of being on Twitter.

If you aren’t looking at Twitter as a recruiting tool, here are some quick stats to show you why you darn well should be:

39% of all jobseekers are on Twitter
23% of all job seekers (71% of those with a profile) have leveraged Twitter in their job hunt
8% have updated Twitter with their professional information
6% have received a job referral through Twitter
8 million Americans credit Twitter as a source that led to their current job

View the full survey report here.

So it’s vital for companies to create an employer presence on Twitter, and also understand that Twitter is about conversations, relationships and community. Twitter can be an extremely powerful recruiting tool if used right.

Let’s see how these 6 employers are using Twitter for recruiting:

UPS Jobs

@UPSJobs

UPSjobs’ Twitter background highlights other UPS Twitter accounts, empowering visitors to connect with the brand in a number of ways based on what they are looking for. UPS has a Twitter Bio with a clear call to action, and also provides the link to a landing page designed for Twitter followers.

UPS doesn’t only share tweets about PR or open Jobs. They also engage their followers and respond to questions candidates might have. This makes them less of “just a faceless entity,” and allows them to be seen as having real, live, breathing human beings behind the scenes. This goes far in helping their followers see them as more of a “partner” than a mere presence on the Web.

Life at Google

@googlejobs

Google, as their Twitter account name “Life at Google” suggests, shares what it’s like to work with Google and their culture, through pics, videos upcoming events and open jobs at different Google offices worldwide.

Google uses a picture of its employees as the profile picture, and have a clear, crisp bio with a link to the Google jobsite. Note how inviting the profile photo alone makes their company seem.

EY US Careers

@EY_CareersUS

Ernst & Young has a custom background informing people about its employer presence on other social networks. In the bio, they encourage candidates to ask questions and interact. Ernst & Young is driving its Twitter followers and visitors to its career presence Facebook.

Join The Flock

@JoinTheFlock

Twitter is leveraging itself for recruitment purposes as well, from their employer account. You can find tweets on such things as what’s happening at Twitter, their latest job openings, and a more “inside look” at the company.

Twitter is promoting their funny video, “At Twitter, The Future is You!” by providing the link to watch the video. (It is actually pretty funny too)

Disney Corp Jobs

@TWDCjobs

One of the oldest employers, Walt Disney, are also engaging prospective employees through Twitter. Disney retweets relevant news and content from other Disney Twitter accounts. Walt Disney uses Twitter hashtags quite well, in order to increase their reach.

PepsiCo Jobs

@PepsiCoJOBS

PepsiCo has given a very human face to their Twitter presence by showcasing their talent acquisition team in the Twitter background. PepsiCo openly invites its followers to participate in the conversations, and explore global career opportunities with PepsiCo. PepsiCo shares videos, pictures, new product releases/offers, job openings, and always promptly responds to candidate queries.

Key Takeaways

Create a stellar employer presence with a customized Twitter background and profile pictures
Provide a crisp, clear bio and a clear call to action, to encourage candidates to join the conversation
Link your Twitter account to your social presence elsewhere, your career website, or a custom page based on your objective and social recruiting strategy
Be responsive, consistent, and engage with the candidates
Don’t spam followers with PR and job feeds
Tweet about company culture, informative articles, exciting inside stories at your company and jobs, evenly throughout the day

Are you using Twitter to tap prospective talent? What are the Twitter employer accounts you like? Share it all in the comments below.

Prafull Sharma is the Co-Founder of HireRabbit, an easy way to build employer presence and recruit on social networks. I share tips about making more out of social recruiting on HireRabbit blog. Do connect with us on twitter @hirerabbit.

Filed Under: Employer, Social Recruiting, Twitter Tagged With: social recruiting, Twitter

How To Use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to Find a Job

Social media has is playing a vital role in boosting job search. Are you too benefiting from the popular social networking tools that have become a rage these days? Well, not only jobseekers but employers as well are garnering the benefits of social media for finding suitable candidates. Among other social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are the three most popular social networking websites that you can use to boost your job searching process. To make the most of these social networking tools, you need to be informed of the strategic ways for networking your way into a job or career of your interest.

Given below are some important tips on how to use social media for maximum benefit in your job search. Have a look.

Let People Know You Are Searching for a Job

It is a good idea to keep people in your network informed that you are looking for a job. It’s even better to let them know what type of job you are looking for. Whether you are using Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, tell people that you in search of a job position. If you keep them informed, they will keep you in mind and tell you as soon as a new position opens up. The job information that you get from your contacts can really boost your job search.

Don’t Be Afraid of Networking with Friends on Facebook

As compared to social media websites like Twitter and LinkedIn, Facebook happens to be more powerful when it comes to connecting with friends, co-workers and colleagues. Friends that know you on Facebook will be more helpful in finding you a job you are looking for or providing you with some valuable job related information. Spend some good networking with friends on Facebook.
See more at 5 Ways to use Facebook for Your Job Search

Make Your Facebook Profile Private

The profile information that you fill out on Facebook is visible to everyone by default. If you don’t want employers to see your personal updates, you can set your profile to private. All you need to do is go to ‘Account’, click Privacy Settings and choose ‘Friends Only’. In this way, only those with who you are friends on Facebook will be able to see your personal updates and profile information.
Also check out 10 Useful Tips to Branding Yourself on Facebook

Search for Information about Hiring Managers

These days almost every large employer is on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. To boost your job hunting, you can first find information about the employers you have targeted. Smart employers will certainly keep their Facebook profile private. However, you can search for the information on other social networking websites and be informed about the new job openings coming up. In addition, you can dig out more valuable details about your targeted employers.

Hyperlink Your Resume

Also remember to add the link to your personal profile on Twitter and LinkedIn. This helps employers to find your contact information if they are willing to get in touch with you. Don’t add a link to your Facebook profile, as it is private available only to your friends. Keeping profile information on Facebook private also shows employers that you are internet savvy. Many employers appreciate this skill.
More CV tips at How To Make a Resume that Gets You the Job

Create Facebook Lists

Facebook allows users to create multiple lists, according to individual requirements. So you can create separate lists for friends and professional contacts. In this way, your professional contacts will have access to only that information that you want them to see. To create a new list on Facebook, you can go to Account, then Friends and then click Create a New List. Facebook allows you to set your privacy settings according to your requirements. This is a good strategy to be adopted by jobseekers in search of jobs.

Get Found on Google

If you want employers to find relevant information when they Google your name, you need to be active on all the above mentioned social media websites including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Fill out your profile information on all these sites carefully including the industry-related keywords as well. If you have a completely filled out job profile on these sites, employers will find your profile information in the top Google rankings.

So, if you haven’t yet created your profiles on popular social media sites, go and create the same now. At the same time be active on the networks and spend some good time connecting with your network of friends for maximum job search benefits.
James Tomerson writes regularly on career, education and latest job trends. To read more from him, you can visit Jobdiagnosis.com, which also offers jobseekers a free career aptitude test to choose a career which is in tune with their career, aptitude and skills.

Filed Under: Facebook, Job Search, LinkedIn, Twitter Tagged With: Facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media, Twitter

What is All This Twitter Twitter Really About? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Is Twitter a mystery to you as well? Do you pretend to ‘get it’?. Well join the club!

Thanks to Cheryl Lawson (@PartyAficianado) we now know what Twitter is all about and how to actually use it.

Enjoy this infographic and be sure to check out 5 Ways to Boost Your Twitter Bio as well.

If you are looking for a new job, you might want to check out 10 Hot Twitter Tips to Find a New Job as well.

Image credit Party Aficionado.

Filed Under: Infographic, Twitter Tagged With: Twitter

10 Hot Twitter Tips to Find Your New Job

We’ve given you Twitter, perhaps the most talked about social media site of the moment. Although Twitter is arguably perceived as being more about socialising than professional networking, it is still a hugely valuable tool for businesses, professionals-and 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”. See How to Write a Twitter Bio for more on this topic.

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. As hilarious as putting up a photo of a cat in a bow tie or Simon Cowell is, it doesn’t look very professional in the eyes of potential employers looking at 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 useful to follow tweeters associated with your target areas. There are a number of Twitter applications and directories that can help you find people in particular fields. The most established, popular and recommended one is Twellow.

4. Connect with people

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 comments, and also tweeting them any thoughts or links that they might find interesting.

5. Tweet smartly

Once you’re interacting with people on Twitter and have some followers that are really listening to you, it becomes increasingly important that you 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 grammar.

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

If people are asking for help, that of course means that you can also ask for help, 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 writes about your particular industry if they know of any organisations that are hiring soon.

8. Don’t spam

Unfortunately, as Twitter is such a popular platform, it does get its fair share of spammers. Even if you’re not intentionally spamming, other tweeters can be so sensitive to spam as to label you as a spammer and block/report you. 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 the particular person or to the whole of Twitter, you may become a spam suspect.

9. Be cautious

Speaking of spam, if you do get a tweet or DM (Direct Message) from someone you haven’t been interacting with, or have never been told about, 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 these can often be the main tool of phishing scams. Just as there can be non-existent, questionable, or even illegal jobs disguised as legit positions on listings websites, they can also appear on Twitter and other similar forms of social media.

10. Preserve your Twitter reputation

Spamming is just one way of ruining your reputation. As your online reputation as a job seeker is very important, be sure to also avoid swearing, lying, posting inappropriate photos, being rude, pestering famous (or any) tweeters and tweeting drunk.

Now that you have taken these steps you’re ready to check out the list of 140 companies tweeting fresh jobs.

Nisa Chitakasem is the founder of Position Ignition – a careers company dedicated to taking you to the next step in your career. Nisa is passionate about helping individuals find the right career path for them whether it involves finding a more rewarding career, making a career change, figuring out the right career plan or being creative about career directions.

Filed Under: Job Search, Twitter Tagged With: Twitter

Top 7 Ways to Kick Off Your Twitter Job Search

I love Twitter and not because I’m an exhibitionist with a short attention span. I love Twitter because it’s an amazing social search engine. I follow people in HR, employers, recruitment consultants, my clients, people who follow me, and lots of other people who just keep me amused. People are always tweeting interesting information, with links back to blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn and the like. They tell me and the rest of the universe what they like, who they talk to and what they’re up to. Well, the bits they’d like me to know at least. So I use Twitter a lot for ideas and contacts. But there are lots of other uses for Twitter as well, including finding a job on it.

If you are struggling to find a job, or even just randomly looking, you’d be mad if you overlook Twitter, even if you can’t stand the thought of exposing yourself on social media. You don’t actually have to expose yourself, to get interesting information out of it, or even a job. You can just use it as a research tool. Here are a few basic tips and things to think about to get you started.

Top Twitter Job Hunting Tip # 1

Sign on.

You can use your own name if you are open about your job search and happy for people to know. If not use something else.

If you want to use your own name but it’s taken, you could also use a name that represents what you do, your industry or what you’d like to do.

If you don’t want people to know that you are looking for a job, use another name, and set up and use an email address that doesn’t have your name in it.

Top Twitter Job Hunting Tip # 2

Fill in your professional bio. You are only given 160 characters so you’ll need to be precise. Have a look at what I’ve done with mine. I use a mixture of the professional and the personal. You don’t need to write your bio this way, but for me it’s a nice point of connection for anyone who chooses to talk to me.

Bio: Careers journalist, job search and interview coach, resume writer, author, random tweeter and SEO online profile tweaker. Prefers salt to chlorine on hot days.

Top Twitter Job Hunting Tip # 3

Link your URL back to your LinkedIn profile, website or blog if you have one. Make it easy for people to find out more about the information you’d like to present publicly about yourself.

Top Twitter Job Hunting Tip # 4

Learn how it works. Unlike LinkedIn, linking up on Twitter is not so personal. You can choose to follow whomever you like. Sometimes people follow you back. Sometimes they don’t. Don’t take it personally they don’t. It’s easy to be swamped by too many people.

Top Twitter Job Hunting Tip # 5

Don’t panic.

With “@”, “#”, “RT” and “FF” just to name a few, a Twitter conversation can seem like a jargon convention for the hyperactive, where you’re left on the sidelines. Here are a few quick translations.

- @ is a message you can post on your profile in acknowldgement to someone else, or when you are having a public conversation.

- # helps tweeters organise their tweets so other people can find them. Sometimes groups of people use this to have a conversation. I plan to join #blogchat at some time, for tips on blogging.

- “RT” allows you to tweet out someone else’s tweet, that you may think is useful

- “FF” is a random twitter code – Follow Friday. It’s a way of acknowledging people who you like, or who have helped you.

There are hundreds more than what I have just mentioned. That’s the thing with Twitter, cracking the code can get you hooked into it.

Top Twitter Job Hunting Tip # 6

What to tweet?

If you want people to follow you as well, you’ll need to say something. Otherwise you’ll look like a spammer. If you tweet about work, be careful though about whether your employer has any privacy policies. Some are explicit about who can be public spokes people for companies and Twitter can be in the public domain. Even if your employer doesn’t have privacy policies, you saying something about your work may simply not be acceptable. Plus it could be sackable.

There are also dumb things people have done on Twitter, to get them dismissed.

Have a read of this post by resume bear. It includes things such as:

Bragging about fooling your boss into thinking you worked late the night before.

Bragging about using twitter in work time when it’s not allowed.

Talking about when they will resign

I’ll be adding on to this list on this blog as time goes on.

If you post links you can use URL shortening services like bit.ly

When you tweet, do remember that Twitter is public and becomes part of the public record. Recruiters look at what in the public domain about you. Digital screening is becoming more and more popular. So a good rule of thumb is to remember everything on the internet can be archived. At some point it may come back to bite you.

Top Twitter Job Hunting Tip # 7

You don’t have to use Twitter publicly to use it to job search. You can set up a profile, protect your tweets, or not even tweet, and follow anyone you like for information.

I’ve found Twitter works for me when I engage in a conversation with another tweeter, but anything that I want to discuss privately, that I think could be confidential for the other person or myself, I say offline. It’s a good rule of thumb.

Who should you follow on Twitter to help you get a job?

You’ll be surprised who you find here. Many job boards, recruitment consultants, major employers and HR managers are on Twitter. You may sign up to a job board and receive an email once a day or once a week, however job boards will often blast out jobs on Twitter as they have them listed. This means you get first jump on jobs before other people do.

Use Twitter to network to find a job

Like LinkedIn you can follow colleagues, friends and people in your broader network. It’s a way of keeping what they’re up to in the present for you. Again remember if you follow them, they can click on your profile and see your tweets. So do be mindful of what you are sharing. If you want to make contact, Twitter makes it easy to pick up a thread of a conversation and have a point in common.

I’ve also known people who’ve needed staff really quickly to tweet out the job to their network. Those jobs have never landed on a job board.

Final thoughts

The bottom line with Twitter is that it’s only one job searching tool of many. More and more recruiters and employers are using these to track you down, or check you out, so it’s worthwhile at least understanding these, even if you choose not to use them.

There are more advanced Twitter tools job search tools that you can use. However if you’re like most people I know, you’ve barely thought about LinkedIn, let alone Twitter at this stage. So I’ll introduce these gently.

Filed Under: Job Search, Twitter Tagged With: Job Hunting, Twitter

5 Ways to Boost Your Twitter Profile

How important is Twitter to you? Chances are you have more followers on Twitter than any other social media network, mainly because it’s less personal and acceptable to follow complete strangers. I would venture to say Twitter is as important to you as your LinkedIn and Facebook accounts. Some tech recruiters even say they won’t deal with candidates with little or no Twitter presence.

Yet for some reason we tend to neglect what our profile looks like, perhaps because we think nobody really cares or don’ t have the time. I believe that’s a mistake for a number of reasons.

Why you need to do it

First off, if you are tweeting in your own name, your Twitter will come up very high in your Google results. Anyone (that’s including employers, recruiters and headhunters) will be able to find your Twitter profile and it should be consistent with your personal brand across other platforms. Second, some tweeters are really particular about who they follow back. Unless you have a credible profile, they might take you for a spammer and you stand to lose followers.

Third, you will want to be searchable for what you do and how you can help others. Imagine a customer searching the net for your type of services, your Twitter account is one channel that you must make the most of.

Here are five simple steps to boost your Twitter profile today:

1. Add a decent photo

The obvious one! Either dig out a nice nice mugshot or see a headshot photographer that can take a few snaps for you. As the photo space is tiny, you will want to get as much of your face in there as possible, the closer up you are the more trustworthy you will come across. Whatever picture you upload, try to keep it the same on your other social media profiles, website and or blog – personal branding is all about consistency. Not having a photo will definitely deter any potential followers, as will your favorite cartoon character.

2. An informative bio please

Right, you only have 160 characters so let’s keep it short and to the point. I would list the main value I am able to add to people starting with the highest value activity. So put your job title, what services you provide and try to inject a little bit of personality at the end. Or if you have it, put your personal brand statement here.

3. Fill in the location field

This field is becoming increasingly important with local Twitter directories such as Twellow listing fellow tweeters in your area. If you are an offline networker, you need to put your correct location on your profile so that you attract the right followers. A final note on location; think what anyone searching for you would enter. If you live in Hoboken, you might want to put Greater New York City – Twitter is a global tool that used correctly will connect you to people from around the globe.

4. Link to your site or blog

This is your free backlink from the good folks at Twitter Inc, don’t waste it by leaving it blank or entering your LinkedIn addresses. Always use your own real estate in this field as you will be able to track how many clicks you get from your Twitter profile with the help of analytics software.

4. Set up some lists

By starting to categorize the people you follow in list, you will look like a serious Tweeter. You can have lists broken down to geography, interests, friends or whatever you choose. You will also find that people love getting on to these lists as it adds to their Twitter credibility.

Bottom line

There you have it, five simple steps to pimp your Twitter profile today. Twitter doesn’t give you much space to play with so you have to get it right. Tinker a bit and see what others think of your changes. If you don’t like it, change again. I know from personal experience that whenever I feel like changing my bio I will test it on Twitter first as it’s fast and the updates aren’t sent to any of my friends’ feeds like on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Tell me what you think, would your Twitter profile impress an employer?

Furhter reading at Top 7 Ways to Kick Off Your Twitter Job Search.

Filed Under: Bio, Twitter Tagged With: Twitter

Twitter Bio: How to Write one to Attract Recruiters

Signed up on Twitter? Struggling to get interest from recruiters, headhunters, HR and hiring managers? I’ve got the answer for you, fact is that your bio on Twitter will be critical to attracting new followers, it’s even been said that you will get up to eight times more followers with a good bio. Get it wrong and people will run to the hills, get it right and you will build up a loyal fan base. It’s worth investing some time in a good bio as it could potentially attract your dream job.

Staying congruent

One of the most sacred laws of personal branding is consistency. In an ideal world, you’d have the exact same bio across your website, blog, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and so forth. Due to space constraints this isn’t really possible on Twitter and you have to be more concise. What you can do is taking inspiration from your LinkedIn or blog bio when you construct your Twitter bio.

Twitter bio guidelines

Any great bio should be based around your personal branding statement. This consists of one or two sentences describing who you are and what your unique promise of value is (what you offer that is unique in other words). Have a think about what problem you solve for others, what solution you provide to your customers for instance.

What content should go in

As you only have a tiny space for your Twitter bio, you have to get to the point straight away. Be specific and start with something like “I provide banks with insurance solutions” or “I help people achieve fitness through Pilates”. Make sure you get your relevant keywords in there so that you will appear in search results. List any product or service names that you can expect potential customers to enter in search boxes.

Second, list a few specialties that sets your personal brand apart from the pack, such as “first certified scuba instructor in Greenland” or “passionate about your customer experience”. You can also drop any notable achievements or people you are associated with, such as “author of the best selling book Twitterati”, “previous owner of the Springfield Isotopes” or “special advisor to Henry Kissinger”.

End it with a call to action, statement or question. You can go with “contact me today for further information” or “satisfaction guaranteed” or simply ask “how may I be of service to you?”. It’s optional to list further ways to contact you, some Tweeters will add a URL at the end, you can do this but be aware it won’t turn into a hyperlink.

What to avoid

If you are looking to attract business from your Twitter bio, please omit any references to your political, religious or any other potentially emotive bits. Stay within the realms of political correctness and you’ll be fine. If you want to express your non-PC side, consider setting up another account for that purpose (and keep this away from your customers!).

Conclusion

Your bio is short, it’s likely to be scanned in a matter of seconds by any recruiter or HR person. Make sure you have stuffed it with the correct and relevant information about who you are and what you do. Failure to do this will result in an uphill struggle to gain followers and you won’t do your personal brand any favors. Set some time aside to really give your Twitter bio the makeover it deserves today.

Filed Under: Bio, Twitter Tagged With: Twitter

UK Employers Posting Jobs on Twitter

Britain is definitely lagging on the Twitter job posting front so I will do best to stimulate some employer tweeting in the realm. Here is a list of the major British companies doing it already (no recruiters).

By following these Twitter accounts you will get jobs straight from the source and possibly quicker than anyone else. Click on the employer’s name and you will be taken to their Twitter page.
Accenture

Royal Bank of Scotland

Siemens

Skanska

Surrey County Council

Yell
Follow all the British employers tweeting jobs here.

The list is short but growing so please let me know if you find any other tweeting UK employers!

Filed Under: Employer, Social Recruiting, Twitter, UK Tagged With: Job Hunting, Resources, Social Media, Twitter, UK

List of 140 Employers Posting Jobs on Twitter

Whether Twitter is useful or not has been hotly debated. One thing Twitter is very good at is shooting out snippets of information to a lot of people very quickly. In today’s job market, speed is of the essence and announcing new openings on Twitter is a fast growing phenomenon among employers and recruiters.

As a clever job seeker, you can now get new openings sent to you even before most recruiters get them simply by following the right tweeters. Here is the list of major employers that tweet their new job openings, it’s sorted by industries and the companies are hyper linked to their Twitter career page.

This list is a live document meaning more employers will be added as and when they start tweeting their job openings. I have carefully left out a few employers which are very local and/or small and thus not relevant for most readers. Do let me know if you want any additions to the list, as I am sure more and more companies will be catching on to using Twitter for recruiting staff.

If you want to follow all of the companies in one go, click here.

And be sure to follow The Undercover Recruiter on Twitter here.

Do you know of more great employers tweeting jobs? Let us know!

photo by: shawncampbell

Filed Under: Employer, Social Recruiting, Twitter Tagged With: Job Hunting, Resources, Social Media, Twitter

How to Search and Find Jobs with Twitter

The free social media and micro blogging service that we know as Twitter has quickly become a fantastic channel for your personal branding. It complements your online presence on other platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. Some argue that Twitter has become a pivotal tool for connecting job seekers with recruiters, as it is very direct, quick and the reach out is huge. If you are looking for a job in the current economy, you cannot afford not to use Twitter as a complement to your other search activities. Let’s crack on:

Sign up

Go to Twitter.com and sign up for an account. Pick a username that is professional and that an employer would want to tweet with. If your name is taken, consider any combination of your name and your industry or what you do. As with LinkedIn, you will want to get a nice photo up on your profile and you might want to customize the background image as well. The next step is to fill in the micro biography. You don’t have that many words so be precise, tell the world what you do, how much experience you have and what your major achievements are. The URL link should direct to your personal site, blog or professional profile on LinkedIn or similar.

Learn how it works

Just like when you first signed up for Facebook or LinkedIn, you will have to play around with it a bit and familiarize yourself with the functionalities. The big difference between these services is that Twitter is not as personalized, you can choose to follow anybody and anybody can follow you. You will find that Twitter is much simpler than most social media, so you should be able to grasp the basics within an hour or so. Twitter is all about tweeting short messages and reading others’ short messages.

Who to follow?

Before you follow anyone, double check that you have done up your profile enough. The last thing you want to do is follow people and leave a poor first impression with your profile. When that is all checked, start looking for people that might have a job for you. Recruitment companies, HR departments, line managers are all on Twitter and will from time to time be tweeting new job offers. If you follow them, they are likely to follow you and pick up on your tweets. You can actually search Twitter for tweets containing words such as vacancy, new job, requirement etc. This way you will be able to home in on the Twitter folks that have jobs going. Just make sure you make it relevant to where you live by checking people’s locations before you follow. TwitterJobSearch.com is a site that compiles all jobs on Twitter, it is global so just type in what job and location you are looking for.

Tweeting

Tweet about interesting stuff. Share the ups and downs of your career, life, friends and family. Retweet interesting tweets from others. Embed these tweets with your job search about once a day, just give your followers an update so that they get constant reminders that you are looking for a new opportunity. If you post links, always use URL shorterning services like tiny. Don’t ever spam out any tweets, one bad tweet from you and you could be un-followed by scores of Twitterers.

Tricks of the Tweet

Now that you are up and running, you might want to look at applications to help you tweet. There are myriads of third party applications that will help you to auto-follow (Seeismic). Run a Google search on applications and you will have enough to go through.

Bottom Line

Remember that Twitter is obviously not the be all and end all of your quest for new employment. Twitter complements your other activities and consider it another string to your bow.

Please share your experience of Twitter and whether it’s helped you?

photo by: eldh

Filed Under: Job Search, Twitter Tagged With: Job Hunting, Social Media, Twitter