by Shawna Simcik, OI Partners - Innovative Career Consulting, Denver
Introducing Twitter to a job seeker in career transition is sometimes similar to saying the word "walk" to a golden retriever in a high-pitched voice. The response I often get is that the person’s head tilts to the side quizzically, and they ask, "Really? Are you joking? I thought Twitter is for Chris Brown and Kim Kardashian."
Actually, no. Twitter is a fabulous, free resource to support a person in career transition. Here are three ways you should use this innovative micro-blogging tool to accelerate your job search:
1. Start Tweeting!
Similar to LinkedIn status updates, job seekers can use this as a tool to demonstrate expertise, thought leadership and stay connected to companies, influencers and recruiters. Use 140 characters to talk to your “followers” about your field of expertise. Link to great articles you have read, back to your LinkedIn profile or personal branded website. This also subconsciously screams, "Wow! He/she is on Twitter. He/she must be 'with-it' and ‘up-to-date on technology.’"
2. Follow Companies.
Even if you don't grasp tweeting, set up a profile and follow companies. Follow companies where you want to work (target companies), companies where you have applied for a position or have an interview. Watch what the company posts and use this information to your advantage. Retweet (RT) what the company is saying, or strategically squeeze into your interview how you read via Twitter about a recent press release from that company.
3. Follow Recruiters & Influencers.
Similar to following a company, you can also follow recruiters or influencers who tweet jobs listings. People such as @oipartnersinc and @tweetmyjobs tweet jobs regularly. Recruiters—54% of them—are now using this free resource to accelerate the message of open positions, rather than paying fees to post on job boards. Also, utilizing an aggregate tool such as HootSuite, Seesmic or Tweetdeck allows you to search for keywords. For example, search for the terms "vice president," "Denver" and "jobs" and it will locate any tweet within Twitter that has these three keywords in the text! You'll be amazed - guaranteed. Give it a try!
Happy Tweeting!