Are you on the job hunt and want to separate yourself from the competition?
Want to learn how Twitter can help you do just that?
There are millions of people who are active on Twitter. Chances are some of them:
- Work for the company at which you want to work…
- Are experts in the field that you want to work…
- Have influence with the people that you want to meet…
- Are sharing the information that you need to know…
How many times has knowing someone that fit these descriptions helped you in your career? It could be a mentor who helped you make the right decisions, a person who put a good word in for you, or someone who introduced you to a key individual.
If you’re ready to make more of these people a part of YOUR network, then start your Twitter engines and follow these 5 steps.
1. Support Your Personal Brand Story
Where’s the proof? That’s the question recruiters are trying to answer when they type your name into Google. What will they find when they do? This isn’t news, but WHAT you say and HOW you say it affects what people think of you. That is even more true with Twitter because they only have your words to go by. So make each word count, have a plan. If your LinkedIn profile says you’re an expert in program management, then you can use Twitter to validate that by engaging the PM community, talking about PM topics, and sharing USEFUL information about program management. Have a plan. Stick to your plan. Share your story.
Find out more on How to Create a Twitter Plan.
2. Find the People Who Can Help You
Twitter Networking helps you find two types of people who can improve your chances of landing your next job.
- People who work at the company to which you are applying.
- People who are influential in your field.
Picture this. You just arrived at a networking event with a thousand people… by yourself. That alone could be intimidating, but even if you’re at home in that situation – you still have NO IDEA who these people are or what they do. The only way to find out is to go around one by one and strike up a conversation. Trouble is, there is no way to talk to every single person before the end of the night. Think of all those lost opportunities.
With Twitter Networking you won’t be missing out on those opportunities, and instead of a room with a thousand people, you’ll have access to MILLIONS.
Use Google to find people who work for your prospective companies:
site:twitter.com intitle:”on twitter” “bio* * company name”
Narrow your search down to people at a specific location:
site:twitter.com intitle:”on twitter” “bio* * company name” “location state”
Use Twitter searches to find people talking about your expertise:
Search for people asking questions about a particular topic:
topic AND “topic phrase” ? filter:links -wordsYouDon’tWant -RT –via
Search for people talking about your industry:
“industry” OR “industry companies” OR “industry news” -RT -via filter:links
Search for people talking about the company you want to work for including that company:
“company name” OR “company nicknames” OR to:companytwittername OR from:companytwittername -RT –via
You can continue to modify all these searches to weed out the garbage.
Find out more on How to Find People on Twitter Using Google.
3. Watch and Wait
You know that awkward moment when you walk up to a group of three people who are already in a conversation? That moment when you’re trying to figure out if you should interrupt and introduce yourself, or just hover around pretending not to listen until there’s a pause in the conversation? Ya that’s the one…
Use Twitter Networking to create lists of the people you found in step two, and hover…only without the awkwardness. Make the lists PRIVATE; there is no point in announcing to the world that you’re stalking people from company X.
Find out more on How to Create Twitter Lists.
You’ll need to sign up for a tool that will allow you to monitor the tweets from people in your lists. I use Hootsuite. It’s free and effective.
From there, you wait and watch… for an opportunity to make an impactful impression. How do you make an impactful impression? Glad you asked, see step 4.
4. Make an Impactful Impression
At a networking event, you should have a pitch that answers the question, “What do you do?” Imagine if you just walked around the room repeating that pitch verbatim over and over and over again… It wouldn’t take long before you were kicked out for being a babbling drunk. And that’s NOT the impact you’re going for.
There are three ways you can create an impactful impression. They work for Twitter Networking just as they would for traditional networking. Not all connections are created equal. I will score them on the strength of the impression they leave using a scale from 1 (being the most memorable, but hardest to achieve) to 3 (less memorable, but easier to pull off).
- Help them find a solution to one of their problems. This is what we call a home run. Impression Score: 1
- Find a topic you’re both interested in and discuss it. This could be about family, hometowns, sports, hobbies, etc… Impression Score: 2
- Provide them with information that they’re interested in. This shows your experience while creating a connection. Impression Score: 3
What makes Twitter Networking unique is that you now have the time to wait for the right moment minus the awkwardness, the insight into your audience over time, and the opportunity to connect with them in a way that doesn’t raise the hair on their necks like a cold call.
5. Persistence is Key
People are busy. They may not respond to your tweet right away or even at all. Twitter Networking isn’t a one-way street…
If you don’t get a response right away, try to incorporate other social media to reinforce the connection. Generally, you don’t become best friends with someone the instant you meet them. You say hi at work. Then you run into them again at happy hour. Then you join a company activity. Then you hang out after work… You get the idea. Here are a few tips to being persistent across the social network:
- Share an insightful comment on their blog post. It is hard for people not to respond on their blog. If they are not responding on Twitter, this is my first tactic.
- Share information about a mutual topic on LinkedIn. Find them on LinkedIn, see what groups they participate in, and join those discussions.
- Search their name on Google for other social networks they play in. Then “hangout” in the same sandbox.
With these tips, you can go from being a NOBODY to knowing that SOMEBODY who can open the door to that new opportunity you are seeking.
One of the most creative and pragmatic consultants for those who are chasing a dream or making a change – Schuyler Kaye has built a career on combining marketing and branding advice with the use of inspirational storytelling to create an everlasting impression. His ability to find insights and truths has been praised by clients and industry peers alike. Schuyler uses social media to help people own their brand and light the pathway to achieving their goals… and their dreams.
Get his FREE tips on how to Tell Your Story and Own Your Brand at T4Execs.com. Connect with him on Twitter @T4Execs.
