Are you one of the thousands of individuals who are on a job hunt? With bad economy and tough competition, finding your desired job is getting harder and harder. However, the social media networking websites like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter have made the situation quite easy for those job candidates who know how to make use of them cleverly. These days, employers have also changed the way they look for candidates. Instead of posting jobs and selecting the best resume from the huge pile, they have started looking for skilled workers on social media. Twitter is one of the most popular social media sites that the employers and recruiters use to look for the perfect candidate for any job.
Do you have a Twitter account? If no, you should make one without any delay. If you do have a Twitter account, you must know how to use it efficiently and look for recruiters and employers and land your dream job.
Given below are few tips that could help you in using Twitter to land your next job:
Update your Bio with Clear Info and Relevant Keywords
Have a close look at your bio and picture. These are the first things that anyone notices when they visit your profile. Make sure your profile picture is professional. Your biography should clearly define your goals and it should contain the keywords relevant to your industry and your profession. Whether you are a baker, a PR agent or a programmer, you should tell your audience who you are within 160 characters. Use as many relevant terms and keywords as you can in your bio.
Use the Hashtag Feature
If you are a Twitter user, you should know about the hashtag feature that makes it easy for you to search for your required info regarding new job openings, general advice or anything else. Go to Twitter search page and use the hash sign before your search like #jobs, #jobsearch, #ITjobs and you will be able to use Twitter like a regular search engine. Using hashtag, you can look for the specific job openings in your field that you wish to pursue plus connecting with the person who is involved in the hiring process.
Tweet to Build your Presence
While on Twitter, you should use your tweets efficiently to pursue your goals. Tweets are the most important tool on Twitter to build your presence. You can use them to reflect who you are and what your professional goals are. You can add your key skills, unique strengths or expertise in your tweets. (Be sure to add the hashtag before any key strength in your tweet e.g. #MicrosoftCertified, #SQLAdministrator, and it would be easier for people to find you.)
It is not necessary that you remain strictly professional in your tweets. You can include updates about your personal life happenings too. However it is a good idea to be careful as the recruiters or potential employer might check your past tweets. There is no undo function in Twitter like facebook.
Build a Professional Network
Twitter is all about building connections and networking. As soon as you build a professional network, you are one step closer to your required job. Your network should also include professionals who can give you professional advice and tips to keep up your motivation level while being on a job search. By sharing their own experiences, they can also provide you useful industry insights. Getting a good job these days is more about how many contacts you have and how they can recommend you for a specific job opening. So, build your network and keep interacting with your contacts.
Follow the Industry Leaders and Recruiters
Search for the most prominent industry leaders in your field. When you read tweets for any hashtag, notice the most active people. Once you have found them, follow them. You can also retweet their tweets and mention their names frequently to build a relationship with them. Don’t expect people to follow you immediately. It takes time to build a relationship.
By using the platform of Twitter, you can also follow top recruiters in your industry. They will see that you are following them and once you have got their attention, they might follow you back.
When someone is following you, send a direct message to them. For example, if any recruiter is following you, send them an email telling him that you are curious about new job openings in your field. It is highly likely that they will reply you with the relevant jobs.
If you know how to use Twitter efficiently, it can really prove to help you in your job search. Once you have explored and used all the functions it offer, you will enjoy using it and the flexibility it offers. You can also use a wide variety of third party applications to effectively manage your feeds and the people you are interacting with.
The more you give time to Twitter, the more it will pay you back. So start exploring your Twitter and you will love the results!