How to use Twitter to find your next job

According to Steve Raquel, president and owner of IOV Media, a social media marketing consultancy based in Naperville, Twitter is useful for three reasons. “First, it is good for instant news,” he said. “When Bin Laden was killed, people found out about it almost instantaneously because of Twitter.

“Second, it is good for deals; you can find out about great sales on the site. Third, Twitter is good for customer service; companies are able to respond to complaints, etc.”

Unlike Facebook, where it’s commonplace to share status updates about personal topics, many people use Twitter in a more professional capacity. They may share links to articles of interest or share something helpful that another person has shared (known as “re-tweeting”). It also can be used to help in your job search.

Here are a few tips on finding a job through Twitter:
Develop a nice profile
Not on Twitter yet? Fear not.
First, open an account (it’s free) and link it to other social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn). Therefore, everything you tweet will show up on other sites at the same time, Raquel said.
Once you’ve opened your account, it’s time to write your profile.
“Twitter only allows you to write a 160-character profile — which is maybe about two sentences — so make sure it’s good,” said Barbara Rozgonyi, principal of CoryWest Media, a social media marketing company based in Wheaton. “Describe who you are and what you do. Then, include a link to your website, your Facebook site, or your LinkedIn site at the bottom of the profile.”
Join the conversation
There are messages floating around Twitter on every imaginable subject. Focus on your desired job industry and start chatting.
“If you want a job in engineering, use the search bar on Twitter to find conversations on that topic,” Raquel said. “But before typing it in, make sure to use the hash tag (number sign), before the name of the industry. It will filter out responses appropriately.”
Search for jobs
Searching for jobs is incredibly easy with the use of hash tags.

“Type #hiringjobs into an advanced search, and you will be impressed with what comes up,” Rozgonyi said. “Make sure to follow companies you are interested in and then type in their Twitter handle (for example, @apple) and then #jobs, or if you are looking for an internship, search #intern.”

Raquel said specificity is important when searching.

“If you are looking for a job in corporate social responsibility in Chicago, make sure to include that in your search,” he said. “You could put вЂ˜#job #Chicago #csr.’ The more specific you can get, the better.”

As you search, pay attention to companies that pop up, and follow those companies.

Zero in on hiring managers

Of Twitter’s users many, many are hiring managers — some share job openings before they are posted to traditional outlets. Just as you pay attention to companies that pop up in searches, it is also important to look for HR professionals.

“Start following them and re-tweeting them; it will open up the conversation,” Raquel advised. “If you build a relationship with them, they may be more apt to look at you once a job opens up.”

Create a chat

If you’ve never mustered the guts to join an in-person networking group (or even if you have), consider starting a Twitter chat, Rozgonyi suggested.

“A Twitter chat is where one person designates a time to have a conversation over the site about a specific topic,” she said. “If you are a job seeker, you can start a job seeker support group or industry resource group. Just choose a date and time you want to have the chat and send people tweets to invite them.”

Be aggressive

Extroverted job seekers also can use Twitter to advertise their search.