5 Ways to Tweet Your Way to a New Job

Twitter can be a powerful and useful tool during your job search. With the recent social media recruiting trend showing that 45% of companies use Twitter to find talent in 2011, it shouldn’t be overlooked. Reaching 100 million active users this September, Twitter gives you a channel to make connections with people and companies that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.

Given the terse and casual nature of tweets, it’s social media channel that requires relatively low maintenance. But when using Twitter to get new connections for job search purposes, there are certain things you should keep in mind:

1. Keep your tweets and username professional. Make a positive impression with your Twitter profile. Have a concise pitch in your bio.  According to a recent study, 53% of the companies use Twitter to screen job candidates.  Avoid inappropriate tweet or Twitter handle (username); they can damage your professional image.
2. Twitter is a form of social media – use it to socialize. Interact with people, respond to tweets, and ask and answer questions. Also, sharing and giving insights into the latest news and articles will help other understand your professional interests and expertise.
3. Be active, but not too active. Make sure you are positing enough to get noticed, but not so much that you are constantly taking over your followers’ feed.
4. Follow companies and recruiters that you are interested in. Share and respond to tweets they put out. Your interaction and interest in their tweets will make you stand out.
5. Make the most out of your Twitter profile by including a link to your professional blog or website, your LinkedIn profile, resume, or portfolio, so that people can learn more about your work.

When used right, Twitter is an invaluable tool to your job search. Keep in mind that you are using this to network and find a job, so keep it professional. Also, keep in mind  that Twitter is a social media tool so be social–interact and build relationships with people.

You can find a detailed step-by-step Twitter guide for job seekers in our earlier blog – Twitter and Your Next Job.