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Using Social Media In Your Job Search – Twitter

In recent years social media has revolutionised the way we go about our daily lives, and one major task it has impacted on is the task of finding a job. Each social network brings its own benefits to the job search, as each platform has it’s own unique features that combined can help you find the job you want in no time!

The following series will focus on helping you to make the most of social media in your job search, and this article will focus on the professional social media platform, Twitter.

Your Job Search and Twitter

Although Twitter isn’t always the first social media platform anyone thinks of in connection with the job search, it is a uniquely useful one because it allows you to connect with companies, CEOs and important influencers within your chosen industry or specialism without the usual barriers of other social networks.

In the same way that Twitter appeals to the general public as they feel close to a celebrity or public figure because they reveal their every day thoughts in tweets and anyone can directly contact them, Twitter should also appeal to job seekers looking to get to know the company they want to work for and the influencers within it.

Here are some of the main ways you can make the most out of Twitter in your job search:

 Follow Job Related Accounts and Hashtags

There are many recruiters with accounts on Twitter who share jobs regularly, as well as hashtags designed especially for the job search to help people quickly locate job listings. The following are the top hashtags for job hunters:

• #JobListing or #JobOpening or #Jobs or #Hiring – These are used mostly by companies and recruiters posting an actual job, so are a great starting point for searching current positions. To narrow it down to your area, type Near: followed by your location into the search box before the hashtag. E.g. Near:Swords #JobListing will show up posts for jobs posted only by people in the Swords area.
• #JobTips or #JobHunt – These are great for learning more ways to use Twitter in your job search as well as getting general advice on CVs, interviews, etc.
• #Secretary or #Administration – Those are just a couple of examples. The point is, when searching for a job in a specific profession, searching the hashtag for a job title or job type combined with the search function mentioned in the first point will quickly narrow your search and help you locate the job for you much quicker.

Join In Industry Conversations

Following people who are influential within your industry, such as CEOs and senior staff in the companies you are interested in, is a great way to get a feel for what each company’s culture is, as well as the industry itself.

Once you have followed them, as well as observing their opinions and learning about the company through their tweets, you should also actively join in discussions with them. If they post an interesting article, reply with your thoughts on it to get noticed and re-tweet it to show your appreciation. Think about your reply before you send it though, as although 140 characters is very limiting, just sending ‘Great article’ is not enough to make you stand out as a potential employee.

Be Yourself

Many companies like to recruit from Twitter as it allows them to see a candidate’s personality and character. When you talk to professionals on Twitter, always be polite but don’t be overly professional as it takes away from the personal element of social media. Share your opinion on industry topics, be chatty with CEOs and recruiters, and let your personality shine through.

In our next article in this series, we will be looking at how to use Google Plus in  your job search.

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