Using Twitter for business networking and even finding a job

Filed Under Career, Networking, Social Media

In case you weren’t aware, social sites such as Twitter are not just being used for killing time. I’m sure you have heard over and over by now that networking is the best way to come across new career opportunities. Well, Twitter is another way to grow your business network. I believe it can be used effectively to find anything from entry-level internships to high-level executive positions. This is primarily because of the fact that many of Twitter’s users are HR reps, regular employees, and even CEO’s. They may have signed up just for fun, but now they have begun using Twitter (along with other online tools) to recruit and even to make hiring decisions. With unemployment rates the highest they have been in several years in this highly competitive job market, going above and beyond and keeping up with the social networking as part of your job search is more important than ever.

I personally have found Twitter to be more effective than LinkedIn in growing my professional network. This is mainly because on LinkedIn, I generally only add colleagues and friends I have already worked with in the past or know personally. You are free to follow anyone on Twitter you want to connect with that may have similar or common interests. Therefore, Twitter will help you find and network with new people worldwide.

Here are a few steps to help you build your professional network followed by some tips on using Twitter to find a job:

If you haven’t already, obviously create an account on Twitter here.
Search for people and even brands in the same industry as the one you are currently working in or the industry you would like to get into. To do this, use the search field in the upper right hand corner or search.twitter.com to search for keywords that relate to your industry. For example, I wanted to find other people already working in or just interested in the mobile space in NYC, so I searched for terms like ‘mobile marketing’ and ‘mobile NYC’. The search will return results with these keywords in each user profiles and from there you can click on the account to find out more about the person. (Note: If you are searching for a job in the social media/pr/marketing industry, check lists that highlight Twitter’s top users because many of them are people well known in this industry. A few I have used are here and here. A great list of brands on Twitter that is constantly updated can be found here.)
Build your network of people you are following and followers. Step 2 is only one way. There is no need to rush this, as it will happen with time and as you come across Twitter links on the blogs you visit and on other social networking sites. Make sure to fill out your Twitter Bio completely and if you make it clear you have the same interests, the people you decide to follow will most likely check out your Bio and follow you back.
Build your presence by not only using Twitter to update your friends and followers on what you are up to, but also to post interesting links and info you come across. This can be from around the web and wherever else you are spending your time. I personally prefer to follow people that share information but I also don’t mind reading about their life to get a better idea of what they are doing and their personal interests. Twitter can be very serious or very fun, so make sure you use it for both.
Start participating by replying to questions, giving feedback about blog posts/mentioned articles, or even introducing yourself with a personalized direct message. Thoughtful replies will get noticed. Some people like to reply to all messages directed to them which often starts short conversations. If someone that you thought would follow you doesn’t, don’t worry about it. They may add you at a later point after a few responses. I try to only reply to other tweets when I have something valuable to add or when my input is wanted for a question that was asked. Lastly, Twitter is also a great way to find out about local networking events and meetups (aka tweetups). Attend some of these tweetups and you will meet new people who will then follow you to keep in touch.
Use the search at search.twitter.com to find specific tweets about companies and recruiters hiring. Search for specific titles you are interested in like ‘community manager‘ or more generic terms like ‘now hiring‘. Also, check out TwitHire which is a free service that has begun aggregating all job related tweets. Take a look at this article which explains TwitHire in more detail.
Get creative with the ways you network on Twitter (or any other social networking site). Plain and simple, more followers will equal more opportunities. The people with the most followers on Twitter gained those followers from doing something very creative or because they are very knowledgeable in what they do and love to share that knowledge. That’s why they have thousand’s of people listening and why you should be to. They way I think about it, using Twitter effectively to follow an industry expert is similar to reading a book written by them. There is a huge potential to learn more from the person both ways.
Sharing your knowledge related to your career interests will create a different type of online resume that may be the deciding factor between you and 30 other qualified candidates. I know if I was a hiring manager and found a Twitter account of a potential candidate, I would browse it.

The fact that you are on Twitter alone should be a great selling point in an interview or if your potential employer Google’s your name and sees you are active in online communities. (Again, especially if you are looking to get into a social media or PR role.) Furthermore, expanding your network on Twitter will probably lead to more connections on other social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook. Community and Social Media expert Chris Brogan has recently been writing several great articles which are very valuable to anyone serious about expanding their network.

Of course, you must use your own judgment when posting anything to your account that may ultimately have a negative effect on your image. Just use common sense and you should be fine. The same goes for not only Twitter; but Facebook, LinkedIn, FriendFeed, and even the stories you digg on Digg. Personally, I occasionally tweet about fun nights in the city and funny videos online because it is part of who I am and my personality. I am not worried about an employer seeing this because I am not interested in working for them anyway if their hiring decisions are based on personal hobbies that are in no way harmful to their business and brand.

I came across one digital agency that even created a dedicated Twitter account for recruiting, which I believe will be a new trend to keep an eye on. Below are screenshots of some of the job related entries on Twitter I recently came across:

Even if you are not looking for a job, you never know if one day you might decide to start your own business or become a free agent and start consulting. In that case, (you guessed it) your Twitter network can also be a very strong starting point in establishing your company, finding business partners, and reaching out to potential clients:

I’d love to hear success stories about how Twitter has helped you find a new job or hire a qualified candidate. Also, please let me know what you think of my outlined steps and what changes (if any) you would make to improve the list. I am personally not looking for a new job at the moment because I am happy where I am. But if I were, I think Twitter would be a very effective job search tool for me, and more so than some of the other popular job search websites and social networks. I only regret not singing up and using Twitter earlier than I did. Connect with me on Twitter @jsmakr.

Comments

13 Responses to “Using Twitter for business networking and even finding a job”

Warren Sukernek on August 13th, 2008 8:00 pm

For great insight into using social media to hire people, Aaron Strout of Mzinga has a great case study: http://twittermaven.blogspot.com/2008/08/more-on-brands-that-get-it.html

There is also a cool video: http://tinyurl.com/5m8mnm
Zena Weist on August 13th, 2008 9:43 pm

I have a presentation coming up on online business networking. The organizers want me to focus on LinkedIn, however I’m leaning toward Twitter. Your post is so timely and relevant. Thanks!
RecruiterGuy on August 13th, 2008 10:05 pm

Thanks for the mention in item #6. Your blog is well written and a pleasure to read. Definitely content solid enough to warrant a bookmark with most.
April on August 13th, 2008 11:20 pm

Excellent article. And I have used Twitter for networking for my Virtual Assistant business as well as for general socializing. I’ve landed a couple of freelance projects as well as some referrals.

A couple of things I would add:

Scratch a few backs. I’ve posted links to articles or posts on someone else’s website because I honestly thought they were interesting and worth sharing, not because that person was soliciting Diggs or Stumbles. People tend to appreciate it and will reciprocate.

Make referrals. If you see someone needing help and you know someone who could help them, make the introduction.

Please don’t spam. I was following someone who I actually knew from a forum. All they have ever posted on Twitter was links to their latest project, begging for retweets and bookmarking. It’ll turn people off if its all “me, me, me”.

Honestly, its all pretty much common sense and common courtesy. And, of course, finding great articles like this one. I have to go check a few of those out now.

P.S. Naturally, I found your post via Twitter.
DaveMurr on August 14th, 2008 1:48 am

Thank you for the indirect plug on my job hunt

Twitter has been an incredible job hunting tool. It has provided direct access for job leads and industry professionals that otherwise wouldn’t be so readily available.

As soon as I was informed my position was terminated, I immediately announced my unemployment status on Twitter. The response was overwhelming as I received a lot of encouragement and suggestions for resources and job leads to follow.

Though I have not landed a job yet, I know my chances of sucess have increased since utilizing not only Twitter - but social media to enhance my job hunt. I’ll never give up - no fail whale here!
Cawlin on August 14th, 2008 2:40 am

I got my job through twitter
Shannon Paul on August 22nd, 2008 1:52 pm

While I haven’t used Twitter to job search, I have been able to grow my network exponentially by using it to build relationships with others who have similar professional and personal interests. Other social networking sites work great for staying in touch with people you already know through other associations, but Twitter offers a way to actually meet new people in a much more organic way — through chatting publicly and exchanging information.

Many of the contacts I’ve met on Twitter are now people that I’ve met in real life. The funny part is that there’s always a kind of instant recognition that comes as a result and not so much of a need to break the ice.

I think recruiters are smart to check out the conversations on Twitter, and social media in general, since it’s a very fast way to put the word out about job postings and find web-savvy new recruits.

This post provides a great resource for those looking to make the dive into Twitter for professional networking. Thanks!
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Kiere on October 23rd, 2008 7:19 pm

What a great article. I am new to twittering and your information along with the comments above has been very helpful. Thanks!
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Saphira Serrato on December 9th, 2008 11:08 pm

This is my first visit to Tweeter although it has been recommended many times. My offer to the public are twofold: one is my expertise in “fixing” the foreclosure problem (been in the biz 22 yrs) and have authored book complete w/CA code and how to use it; the other, is “Find, Meet and Marry in 1 year” a systematic method for dating leading to friendship or marriage. Believe both would benefit society and have many people begging me to hurry and “do it” but so far, I do not have the nec. tools. Perhaps someone can help me or tell me where to find help in launching these projects–or, is this the place for this type of activity? Dr. Soph
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