As a communicator, Twitter absolutely fascinates me. You are given only 140 characters to get your message across to those reading. Lucky for you, Twitter fascinates a lot of people and is now being used as a platform for uncovering internship and entry-level job opportunities.
But, I don’t recommend just signing up for an account and then accosting key decision-makers at your dream organizations. A seemingly “unscripted” tool, Twitter definitely has rules of order you should follow.
1. Do your homework (and then some). “One of the biggest pet peeves from an employer’s point of view is receiving an inquiry from a potential hire who clearly has not done their homework,” said Laura Kowalcyk, senior account executive at CJP Communications. “Using an unconventional method to pine for job openings means that you must do more homework and respect social media etiquette to not look out of context when finally reaching out.”
2. Pay attention. “When an industry pro says something noteworthy, reply back with something interesting and you start to garner their attention and perhaps elicit a follow in return,” said Austin Baker, a graphic designer for Sitwire who found his current job through Twitter.
3. Tweet often, and be relevant. “Read blogs about your industry and tweet interesting posts that you find, show the work that you are doing or make comments about work that others are doing. If you can establish yourself as a person who is familiar with and knowledgeable about your industry, then getting a job can be really easy,” said Baker.
4. Don’t forget your profile. “Fill out your profile to clearly state what you’re looking for. You only have 160 characters in the bio field, so get to the point,” said Dave Saunders, creator of YourSocialBrand.com.
Amybeth Hale, a sourcing strategist with Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, adds, “Provide a link to your blog, LinkedIn or other professional profile on your Twitter bio. This way, when potential employers look at you, they have a place to find more information on your background.”
5. Stay on brand. “Don’t mix your tweets with talk about how drunk you got over the weekend or by trash-talking political candidates. What you say leaves a trail and it paints a picture of who you are,” said Saunders.
6. Vary the conversation. “Don’t just talk about your job search. Ask questions, comment on your followers’ tweets, share links and add value to the community,” said Lindsay Olson, a partner and recruiter with Paradigm Staffing.
7. When appropriate, send a direct message. “After ‘following’ select individuals, I begin by sending them a direct message introducing myself. This method has lead to at least two face-to-face encounters, which I credit to obtaining one job offer from a start-up interactive agency and a tentative internship offer. These are commonly called ‘Tweetups,’” said Paul Matson, president of the Public Relations Student Society of America.
8. Call out specific companies. “Mention company names in your tweets – especially those that are of interest to you. It will connect you to others interested in those companies – some of whom may be employers!” said Robbie Kellman Baxter of Peninsula Strategies.
9. Ask your network to tweet on your behalf. “One of my former professors at the University of Oregon, Kelli Matthews, has an extensive network on Twitter and posted a message stating, ‘A couple of my superstar grads are moving to Seattle and looking for that first PR gig…If you hear of anything, let me know!’ That message was extremely beneficial and had I not tapped out to my primary sources, I would not have been streamed into a network of Seattle professionals,” said Jessica Lomelin, a recent college graduate.
10. Don’t be afraid to take risks. “Why not start a conversation with a CEO of a major company? Just make sure it is about something that will deeply interest them. Challenge yourself to take risks – you never know where it may lead you,” said Erika Stanczak, a marketing communication consultant.
Tweeted job opportunities:
www.twithire.com
www.twithire.com
Twitter keyword monitoring:
www.tweetbeep.com
www.tweetscan.com
search.twitter.com
Find tweeters:
www.twellow.com
www.summize.com
www.justtweetit.com
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