You can find a job on Twitter. Recently someone in my network shared the story of how he found a job using Twitter. He started following recruiters. After contacting one of the recruiters he got an internship. This was followed with some interaction with others using Twitter, which resulted in a great job offer!

To be effective, part of your job search strategy should be to use a toolbox, consisting of various search initiatives and actions.

Whilst you may be aware of Twitter, and perhaps use it as a social media tool, it can also be a valuable tool in your job search campaign. What has changed with social media is that it is not just important whom you know, but more importantly who knows you.

You can use Twitter very effectively to build your personal brand and to increase your profile. Twitter is one of the fastest growing internet tools available to you.

According to a recent survey by an international job board, up to 80% of employers are using or are planning to use social networking tools to find and attract candidates. Recruiters and recruiting managers are now using, or are planning to use Twitter, as it is a free tool.

Frequently asked questions

Job seekers have many questions about Twitter, including:

(a) Why is Twitter useful? As it is one of the fastest growing social media tool, it is an effective way to use social networking.

(b) Why should I use Twitter? It is integral part of building your personal brand and to demonstrate your expertise and up-to-date knowledge.

(c) How will it benefit my job search? You can use Twitter as a job site by searching for roles, or to follow selected companies or recruiters.

(d) How do I find expert job search advice on Twitter? You can search for topics and follow those users that you find useful.

(e) How should I use Twitter? Use your real name if you can as it strengthens your personal brand. (My twitter name is HRCharles as my surname was too long).

(f) Who should I follow? Follow your target companies or relevant recruiters. As you follow more people you should also increase your group of followers.

(g) What should I Tweet about? A good place to start is to share good articles and to retweet relevant content. You want to highlight your expertise and demonstrate your knowledge of best practices. 

Develop a Twitter Strategy

A tool such as Twitter is part of building your online presence, making it easier for others to notice you and to find you, which can be the start of an opportunity.

Using a platform such as TweetDeck makes it easier to connect and update your tweets. You can track updates from your friends (those who you are following and those following you); any mentions; direct messages and lists.

Develop a consistent approach, starting with one tweet per day. Keep at least 80% of your tweets business orientated. As you become more familiar you should increase your tweets progressively to up to a maximum of five tweets per day.

With movies like Avatar and social media tools like Twitter, the boundaries are moving to a different and more innovative approach. To make useful networking connections, Twitter is an effective way of expanding your job search strategy.