Monday, October 12, 2009
With the unemployment rate continuing to rise in many cities around the country, and the ranks of the unemployed continuing to swell, savvy job seekers are getting creative. As reported by the Silicon Valley Mercury News, some job hunters have turned to Twitter to search for jobs and even attract employers.
It's obvious from interviews with job-seekers, employers, coaches and entrepreneurs that the Twitter phenomenon is fundamentally changing the way people search for jobs - and job candidates - in this brutal recession.
Other popular social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Doostang are primarily focused on connecting users with people they already know, but Twitter can be a very effective way to network with those that one doesn't know well. Since companies are increasingly looking to Twitter to spot job candidates and save on their recruitment budgets, Twitter could lead to a job. If, for instance, you tweet about something that you follow closely, are passionate about, and wish to pursue, it's possible that someone in that field will take notice. The article sites the following example of this phenomenon:
Twitter gives managers faster, more efficient ways to get through the clutter, and that saves them money. Paul Mabray knows that firsthand. As chief strategy officer for Napa-based VinTank, a wine industry think tank, he used Twitter to spot 23-year-old job candidate and gifted Twitterer Ashley Bellview.
We got to learn about her persona, her work ethic and her thought process by the information she'd link to in her tweets and by how she communicated with other people on Twitter," Mabray says. "The gestalt of the whole thing was her ability to engage with the audience, and to create meaningful content within a short construct of 140 characters.
If you decide to integrate Twitter into your job search, here are a couple of my tips:
· Be Careful. You never know who's going to be reading your Twitter page so assume everyone is. I've heard of a number of potential employees getting their offers rescinded because of an ill-advised tweet. As always, your Twitter page is a reflection of you, and it's best to watch your language and content and keep everything as professional as possible.
· Take a multi-faceted approach to your job search. The likelihood of a hiring manager stumbling upon your Twitter page is still quite small. By no means does this mean it's not worthwhile, but it does mean that you can't simply drop all other aspects of your job search and expect to find a job by tweeting alone. It's important to stay active in all arenas.
As long as you're mindful of your online image, Twitter and other social media sites can be very useful for making meaningful professional connections.
Posted by Brad Karsh on October 12, 2009 at 08:58 AM
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