Five tips for finding a job through Twitter

Having been tweeting for the majority of 2009, I've gotten the hang of how to use Twitter in my job search. In fact, I've gotten multiple leads through Twitter and even a couple of interviews. So, as someone who's using Twitter as part of my job search, here are five tips I have.

1. Let people know you're looking
If no one knows you're looking for a job, nobody will be able to come to you with potential opportunities. In my Twitter bio, I let everyone know that I'm a young PR pro looking for an agency position. That way, everyone who checks out my Twitter stream knows I'm looking without my having to send out annoying tweets saying "I want a job."

Also, I use the URL on my Twitter page to link people to my blog, which as you know, talks plenty about my hunt for a job. Another good idea is to use your URL to connect to your LinkedIn profile or some other professional site such as VisualCV.

2. Follow recruiters and those who work at places you're interested in
In my time on Twitter, I've both searched out and randomly come across multiple HR recruiters for companies I'd like to work with. They tweet about available jobs and internships as well as application information and deadlines. It's nice to be able to connect with an actual person when applying for a position rather than sending your resume off to jobs@xyzcompany.com.

I've also started following people who work at places I'd like to work. Please don't mistake this tip for encouragement to become a stalker. I don't just follow any and everyone employed by these places; I follow those who I have things in common with or who have interesting tweets. Sometimes I ask them how they like working at company XYZ or for a contact person's name (I did this just yesterday, so I was happy to have been following an interesting tweeter at the company whom I could reach out to), but most of the time I just enjoy following for the interesting, everyday content they share. I'd also like to think I share interesting stuff with them.

Another tidbit about people to follow: there are also Twitter people who aren't affiliated with a specific company who share job-hunting advice and job postings. Two of my favorite follows for recent grads searching for entry-level positions or internships are @heatherhuhman and @sweetcareers.


3. Connect with local professionals and other job hunters
People who live in your area may know someone who could help you with your search, possibly even someone who's looking to hire. Other job hunters may hear about an opportunity in your area and think to tweet you about it. I know I try to pass along relevant job postings to people I follow if I know they're looking (relating back to tip #1).

4. Search hashtags
In my world of PR job hunting, these are some of the hashtags I check out: #JobAdvice, #PRintern, #PRJobs and #EntryPR. Try finding some good ones for your industry.

Some companies also use their own hashtags when tweeting jobs, such as #XYZjobs, which is something you'll notice when employing tip #2. Even using the Twitter search tool to search for a company's name can help you find job postings.


5. Use common sense
If you're using Twitter as part of your job search, you have to remember that everything you post is public (unless your tweets are protected). Also remember that your postings aren't "off the record" just because you don't use it in your job search. Try Googling yourself; Twitter stuff seems to rank highly.

On that note, I don't think there's anything wrong with posting "Watching True Blood and having a glass of wine," which most likely has been my exact tweet at some point. You just have to know where to draw the line when it comes to appropriate personal tweets.