The micro-blogging site, Twitter turned ten this year and as it continues to flourish, it's attracting more users to sign up than ever before. While Twitter can be a handy source for gathering information or connecting with friends; it can sometimes be overlooked as a job searching tool.
For multiple reasons, Twitter is ideal for job searching as it can lead you to new openings and it will help you to stay up-to-date with your chosen industry. If you are currently seeking an alternative method to find a job, Twitter might just be the answer…
Create Your Own Brand
Unlike Facebook; the majority of Twitter profiles are public which presents a great opportunity to develop your personal brand. The best place to start is to select a suitable profile and cover photo and write an informative and compelling bio. Also don’t forget to input where you’re based, as employers can search for candidates via a certain geographical location.
Follow Influential Companies
If you have just signed up to Twitter and are looking to get noticed; following key companies is a great place to start. Once you have followed some prime accounts; you can engage with other users by retweeting, liking and replying to tweets in a meaningful way. If you want to engage with an employer but want to keep your job search strictly private; don’t forget to use the direct message function.
Utilise The List Tool
Twitter can be such a fast moving network, making it difficult to keep up with all the latest information especially if you are following a lot of people. This is where ‘the list’ function can come in handy and it is often overlooked by many users. It will save you heaps of time from scrolling back through hundreds of tweets and will help you find the content which you most want.
Don’t Underestimate The Power Of The #
Ah the humble hashtag, who knew just how powerful it would be before Twitter was born. If you are job seeking, you can use popular job search hashtags such as ‘#hiring’ or #jobsearch’ to help you find new vacancies. As more and more recruiters are turning to Twitter to find key talent, hashtags within your own tweets can help you be located by recruitment professionals.
Include A Hyperlink
Underneath your bio, there is a section to input a link. If you are job seeking and want to be noticed; why not link this back to your LinkedIn profile or to an online CV which you might have. If you’re not keen on having your profile linked to your CV, why not link it to a blog which you may write to further demonstrate your employability and transferrable skills.
Show Some Personality
Unlike LinkedIn, Twitter is not just for business therefore it’s good to show a little bit of personality on your profile! But remember to stay clear from any controversial topics as this can turn off any potential employers.
Be Active
Last but no means least if you are looking to get noticed by an employer online, it’s important to remain active. On a daily basis, set some time aside to go down your timeline to like and retweet any relevant content or to get involved with any suitable trending topics. As the social network is so fast paced and continues to grow, it’s essential that you continue to get noticed.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest vacancies and recruitment news by following Baxer Personnel on Twitter