How to Effectively Use Twitter as a Job Search Resource

The link to the full story is here

In the age of social media, we have countless outlets for job searching. Platforms such as LinkedIn are the first to come to mind, but can candidates use Twitter to find jobs as well? This past Thursday the HR teams at Twitter and NPR collaborated in the first live #NPRTwitterChat aimed at helping job seekers use social media as a job search tool.

The chat was centered on six questions that received over 800 tweets from industry professionals all over the U.S., and even some from New Zealand and the UK. Below is a recap of the topics covered in the chat as well as tips you can use in your own job search.

To see a cool Storify roundup of the live chat, check out Amplify Talent, the blog run by NPR's Senior Director of Talent Acquisition and Innovation, Lars Schmidt.

How to Find a Job Using Twitter

The live chat started with a general inquiry into how to use the Twitter platform for job searching. Most responses touched on being an engaging member of the industry in which you want to work, and contributing content to build a social following. NPR's Schmidt talked about Twitter as a job search resource during an interview with Mashable: "Through Twitter you can learn from your peers in whatever discipline you're in, or use it as a platform to share content so you can build awareness of you as a professional, and ultimately position yourself as a thought leader in a particular expertise. Because it is an open network, it affords the opportunity to do that in a very public way."

The following are some of the other themes that came up during the live chat.

Follow the industry you are interested in, and participate in communities you care about.

Don’t just retweet what others are saying; create meaningful content that people care about. Be a thought leader.

Use Twitter as a jumping-off point to your more detailed online profiles — a personal blog or LinkedIn profile, for example.

Many companies have job-related Twitter handles. Following those is a great way to keep tabs on job openings, rather than searching the company's website.

Build your network before you need it; engage with people who do what you want to do.

Don’t be overly professional. Twitter is a great way to showcase your personality and talk to people about your interests.