Twitter for job search in recession - part 1 of 3

  The hiring market is bleak. Last week over 1,000 lawyers were laid off. Companies are not hiring. Students are unable to get jobs. Recruiting is down. Competition for the few available jobs is up.

In a job market like this, you need to use every tool available, including social media.

Many old fashioned career counselors advise students and professionals against using blogs, facebook and other on-line social networking sites for fear that an employer will find out something about you that will take you out of the running. I have news for you; it is a good thing when you are viewed as a person. In fact, it will help you get a job if you stand out as someone they “know, like and trust”. It is a bad thing if there are pictures of yourself doing anything that you wouldn’t want to pass around the office (i.e. crazy partying pictures and the like). But you are a professional. If that is what you post on-line, this article isn’t going to help you get a job anyway.

My best advice in searching for a job in a recession is to get on Twitter. 

You approach a job search on twitter as you would any other. Research and networking are the key to success.

Sign up:
For starters, sign up. Seems obvious, but reading through these tips won’t make sense unless you get on and look around a little bit. So, what are you waiting for – sign up!

Go to www.twitter.com. Next, pick out a good name and use a photo. You don’t have much room, but your name is your first impression. It is the first step in branding yourself, so try something like MediaMark. If you aren’t sure, use your real name.

Next, get a photo. It is hard to make connections without a real photo, so upload one right away. Resist the temptation to use an avatar or a photo of something obscure. Twitter is all about building relationships and you don’t want there to be anything standing in your way of doing that.

Add your “Linked In” profile to the website section. This way, as people are “meeting” you on twitter, they will immediately be taken to your professional profile, which will help later in the job search process. (Make sure your linked in profile is completely up to date and includes recommendations.) Of course, if you have something better, like a blog, add that instead. Just make sure that it is professional and is something you would want prospective employers to immediately see about you and your accomplishments.

This article will be continued in part 2.

Jennifer Loud, a “Recovering Lawyer” herself, is the founder of Career Moves, a career strategy firm for attorneys. She is also the creator of "Unlock the Golden Handcuffs", a proven six-step system to help attorneys find the career of their dreams inside or outside the practice of law. With unparalleled experience as an attorney, career counselor, co-adjunct professor, headhunter and law school administrator, Jennifer helps her clients and audiences succeed.