Finding a job can be a rough. There are at least 45,000 job posts a day on Craigslist.com and a near endless amount similar sites to browse through. Networking events are usually awkward and ineffective, and, to top off your frustration, when you ask your friends where they work, they’ll usually respond with a simple “we’re not hiring right now.”
Finding a job can be rough.
But there’s hope. The following are a few tips on using one of social media’s newest channels—Twitter—to discover the hidden opportunities that were once thought of as lost. Through this four part series, you’ll learn how to optimize your profile for potential employers, how to attract employers to your profile, how to find the “right” recruiters, and how to interact with the employers once you’ve found them.
I sincerely hope this helps you in your search. If you have any other tips, please add them to the comments section. And, lastly, please share this post! It’s a great resource for all searchers, both young and old.
Part 1—Optimizing your Profile.
Before you’re ready to receive the onslaught of ruthless recruiters, companies, and high-level executives who all will be chopping at the bit to hire you—you’ll need to make sure your house is in order. And the Twitter profile can be the perfect house for your job search efforts. Unlike most business cards, it can hold links to your work and external references; and, unlike a resume, it can hold pictures—giving prospective employers are more complete picture of who you are.
The sad part, however, is that job seekers rarely take full advantage of all their Twitter profile has to offer. That’s why I’m writing this post.
Tip # 1 Make your Bio “employer-friendly”.
Put your job pitch right in your Twitter bio (which is only 160 characters). And in your bio, use words and key phrases that befit your industry. For instance, if I were looking for jobs within “Online Marketing”, I would be sure to use the word “Online Marketing” in my profile. When searching for potential job candidates, many recruiters or head hunters use tools that dig through Twitter profiles to find matches.
Also, use a professional looking picture as your avatar. If you’re looking for jobs in Finance, use a picture of yourself in a suit and tie. If you’re applying for jobs in the Fashion industry, use a model pic or possibly a pic of a recent shirt you designed. Most job searchers on Twitter use the default “egg” picture. If you want to get noticed—and taken seriously—make your bio an extension of who you are.
And for those in the creative fields, here is a post by Mashable that lists a few other considerations for creating the perfect, creative profile pic.
Tip # 2 Create a Custom Twitter Background
When promoting yourself on Twitter, understand that you’re not only limited to the 160 characters that your Bio offers—your Twitter background gives an near endless amount of space to play with. In a custom Twitter background, you can upload additional photos of your work, put up highlights of your resume, list additional contact information, or just show off your technical skills through the page’s design. Yes, the page shouldn’t be haphazard looking or completely run a mock, but you have much more leeway in your profile background than you do a resume.
And for those who lack skill with Photoshop, there are plenty of free templates that will give you the same freedom and functionality. So stand out from the crowd by creating a sleek, custom Twitter background. And if you’re really slick—and in the online marketing industry—you’ll have a QR code attached to your background, like @socialmouths.
Tip # 3 Link to an Online Resume, Website, or Facebook Profile
Although your custom Twitter background can’t hold a link, but your Bio can. So be sure to include a link to it, because doing so will make you more memorable.
Of course, make sure that each profile you include meets the same standards as your Twitter profile. If you feel this is too much work, stick to just one profile. If you’re looking for tools to help you build this online resume, check out this online tool.
Tip # 4 Retweet the experts in your industry
Your Bio and Customer profile won’t be the only things that recruiters see when they come to your Twitter profile: your recent Tweets will be on display as well. That’s why it’s important that your tweets reflect your brand or your job pitch. Retweeting the industry experts shows that you are at least familiar with the latest news and theories regarding your industry. And it shows a level of commitment for recruiters.
Also, when you retweet the industry experts, make sure to add the experts Twitter handle (for example, if you’re in the search engine marketing industry, the leading expert’s Twitter handle is @SEOMoz). A number of head hunters search the mentions of industry experts to find qualified candidates. But we’ll get in to more of these “Inbound Marketing” strategies in the next post.
Tip # 5 Add Recent Images
This is perhaps the most underutilized feature on Twitter—partly, however, because it’s so new. Adding images to your Twitter profile is the best way to get noticed and stay remembered. And, like adding images to your background, adding images to the “Recent images” tab can give you other opportunities to show your work, product, or brand yourself. The difference, however, is that these images are unobstructed. And with the recent increase of the size of the Twitter interface, adding pictures to the recent images tab has become almost necessary.
Hope these tips help. And are there any other profile optimization tips out there that I missed? Please add to the comments section, and above all, please share! In the next post, I’ll cover how to Attract Recruiters to your Profile by using Inbound Marketing Strategies on Twitter.
Great article, thanks for posting it Sheila.