Twittering Your Way to a Job

Twittering Your Way to a Job

There's no doubt Twitter is the hottest social media tool right now. But for those of you that are job searching, how do you use it to find a job?

First, you need to understand what Twitter is: a microblog. Rather than long blog posts, you share your updates, wisdom and info in 140 characters or less. Sort of like Facebook updates on steroids.

Then you need to learn how to use Twitter. I like CNET's newbie guide and a few others I recommended in my post when I debuted my own Twitter account.

Finally, you need to know that you can use Twitter online, but there are also a ton of other tools developed to make "tweeting" easier. Here's a good list of options.

Now that you're ready to use Twitter , here's how to use it best for your job search:

1) Use a tool like TweetDeck to search terms on Twitter. You can use "hashtags" like #job or search for terms. A search of "sales jobs" brought up dozens of jobs. the best part? People connect immediately on Twitter so you get a direct response instead of your resume going into a black hole computer system.

2) Find companies that are Twittering and learn more about them. Hundreds of companies are Twittering and following them will help you better learn about jobs and company strategy. Mashable posted a great list of the top 40 brands that are on Twitter and Sodexo has a Twitter account specifically for careers.

3) Learn from career experts on Twitter. I tweet @DailyCareerTips and @susandstrayer. Follow me! Allison Doyle has also compiled a great list of career experts on Twitter that you should follow.

4) Treat your job search contacts on Twitter like you would in email or in person. Be professional.

5) If you're job searching, make your posts appropriate too. You can share personal information, but tell me about a movie you're going to see not how sick you are or that you're too fat for bathing suit season. It goes without saying that you don't want to use profanity or trash companies or people. Don't tweet that you just interviewed with company A and they suck.

6) Look for twitterers like Twithire that actually post jobs live on Twitter. Since it's a tech tool, jobs may be tech heavy, but be patient. You'll be surprised at what you find.

7) See what other experts say about finding jobs on Twitter. Heather Huhman has a good post with some additional ideas.

Article by Career Coach and HR Executive, Susan D. Strayer, and courtesy of KaleidoBlog, career advice for a new generation.