The Advantages of Twitter for Job Seekers

Brittany Richter
Careerminds Consultant

This is the second post in our Social Media Series which will cover the do's and don'ts and in's and out's of various social media platforms. As a job seeker we hope this will help you optimize your search. For career coaches, we hope that these resources are helpful as you work with your clients.

A few weeks ago we talked about the use of Facebook during the career transition process. This week we’re focusing on Facebook’s younger counterpart: Twitter. Unlike Facebook, a user’s Twitter profile is much less personal. While it is important to monitor your tweets, being sure not to bad-mouth previous employers, public figures or anyone else for that matter, there are less risks associated with Twitter than there are with Facebook. Therefore rather than focus on ways to enhance your profile, we have chosen to focus on informing you of the best ways to use Twitter when going through the career transition process. If you’re concerned about your Twitter profile, click here to read about our tips for Facebook, much of the same rules apply.

The Advantages of Twitter for Job Seekers:

Keeping up with the times:  Twitter has proclaimed themselves “without a doubt the best way to share and discover what is happening right now.” The career transition process can be hectic and overwhelming. Twitter can help you keep up with current events as well as trends and advancements occurring within your specialty area or industry without taking up too much of your time. Search for key players in the industry, television shows, networks and publications to follow. This will help you keep up with what is going on even while you aren’t currently working in the field, as well as be able to answer interview questions that may refer back to current events and advancements.

Find jobs:  We don’t recommend relying solely on Twitter for your job search, but rather to utilize it as a supplementary source. Try entering the word “jobs” and another keyword related to the specific job or industry you are interested in to the search function. This is likely to provide a list of Twitter accounts to follow in order to stay abreast of recent job openings or posts on other job boards. We also suggest following “Careerbuilder”  “Tweetmyjobs” and us,  “Careerminds” as we often tweet resources for job seekers. Once you have identified several sources you wish to follow in relation to your job search, you can create a list for these sources so that you can keep up with them more efficiently. If you need help using Twitter lists, click here.

Tips: Again using the search function, you can type in keywords related to something you are having trouble or need help with in relation to your career transition. A few suggested search terms: “resume” “interview” “portfolio” and “references”. By entering in these keywords (we would suggest entering one at a time) you will be presented with a list of tweets that contain those words and a list of individuals whose user names contain those words. The list of tweets that you see will be a mix of individuals like you who are asking for help and other individuals who are asking if anyone needs help. Again, we don’t suggest relying solely on Twitter for help with these issues – it is best that you stick with your Outplacement Services plan if you have one, or consult with a career coach. However, Twitter is a great way to get quick answers to less complex questions and help you move forward more efficiently.

Showcase yourself: Twitter gives you a chance to show off your knowledge, know-how, interests and personality. You only have 140 characters per tweet, but they can be a very powerful 140 characters if you execute properly. Here are some suggestions: re-tweet interesting current events, technological advancements or statistics related to world news, local news or your industry of interest. Spend time engaging with other individuals in the industry, asking  questions if you have them, or answering others’ if you can. If you are witty and creative – show that in your tweets. If you know the jargon of the industry – use it in your tweets. If you accomplish something – tweet it! This is your chance to show the world what you know, who you are and what you care about.

Similar to our advice about using Facebook: Be yourself, and be honest – but remain professional. Twitter has become a huge vehicle in the business world for businesses, consumers and job seekers alike. Don’t miss out; you will appear to be behind in the times. Create a Twitter account if you haven’t already, and start using it in the ways we described above in order to maximize your career transition experience.

We would love to hear to what you think -

Job Seekers: Was this helpful? Do you have any other tips? What are some other questions we have?

HR Professionals/Recruiters/Career Coaches: Anything you think we missed or any additional advice?

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Careerminds provides scalable, strategic solutions to organizations seeking affordable, web-based outplacement services. Using a Web 2.0 e-learning platform that delivers affordable, online career transition services, Careerminds provides a high-tech and high-touch blend of on-demand career transition education supported by senior-level career consultants to help displaced workers reenter the workforce quickly.