Twitter for Job Seekers Kelli Staley Digital Librarian Lansing Public Library

70-80% of jobs are not published about-networking

Introduction Presentation available at: Contact: –

Introduction Presentation assumes participants have basic working knowledge of Twitter. Need an introduction to Twitter? Try these books: 1.The Twitter Book by Tim O’Reilly and Sarah MilsteinThe Twitter Book 2.Twitter: Tips, tricks and tweets by Paul McFedriesTwitter: Tips, tricks and tweets

Introduction Why Twitter? –Thousands of jobs posted there daily –Job seekers don’t have to register or post a resume first –Good venue for casual, informal networking –Offers immediate access to important people in your field

Introduction Presentation split in two parts: Active vs. passive approach Active approach – you have an account on Twitter, which you use to network and talk to people Passive approach – you might have an account, but you don’t use it to talk. Instead you follow people and look for job postings. The two approaches are not mutually exclusive! You can do both.

The Passive Approach

Searching for Jobs

Popular hashtags for job-related tweets: –#job –#jobs –#career –#careers

Searching for Jobs

Search by field of interest: –#clerical –#construction –#healthcare –#insurance –#IT –#librarian –#marketing –#sales –See link for more:

Searching for Jobs Tip: Double up on hashtags to narrow down search results: –#job #healthcare –#jobs #clerical –#career #engineering –#careers #IT

Searching for Jobs Potential problem: –Job postings are from every geographic location. What if job seeker doesn’t want to move?

Searching for Jobs Solution: –Use Twitter’s advanced search engine –Searches can be narrowed by zip code (and nearby range)

Third-Party Websites

Third-party Websites TweetMyJobs

Third-party Websites JobTweet.me

Third-party Websites TwitJobSearch

Third-party Websites TweetBeep

Smartphone Apps for Job Seekers

Smartphone Apps Smartphone apps that aggregate jobs posted on Twitter: –Jobtweet.de’s Jobsearch (iPhone only) –Twittcareers (iPhone only) –TwitterJobSearch (iPhone or Android) –RealTweets Job Networking (Android only)

Smartphone Apps TwitterJobSearch

Smartphone Apps TwitterJobSearch –Can search by job or location

Smartphone Apps TwitterJobSearch’s truncated job description

Smartphone Apps TwitterJobSearch –Features available via truncated description: “QuickPitch” the job View the full job description

Smartphone Apps Jobtweet.de’s Jobsearch

Smartphone Apps Jobtweet.de’s Jobsearch –Search in English, German, French or Russian –Job seekers can search for jobs –Employers can search for candidates

Smartphone Apps Jobtweet.de’s Jobsearch –What results look like for job search Ex: “librarian”

Smartphone Apps Jobtweet.de’s Jobsearch –Saves your search history

Smartphone Apps TwittCareers

Smartphone Apps TwittCareers –Upon launch, displays jobs most recently posted to Twitter

Smartphone Apps TwittCareers –Can search in English, French and Spanish

Smartphone Apps TwittCareers –Example search: “Librarian”

Smartphone Apps TwittCareers –Can jobs to self (have to click link in tweet)

The Active Approach

Tip #1: Plan Ahead

Twitter is very public. It’s also archived by the Library of Congress Come up with a game plan: –How do you want to portray yourself? –What do you want to tweet about? –What professional topics do you want to have public conversations about?

Tip #2: Account Management

New to Twitter? –You get to start from scratch! However, before you follow anyone else on Twitter: 1.Fill out your profile! 2.Send a tweet or two about: –who you are –what you plan to tweet about Most people who are new to Twitter look like this…

Compare them with this guy…

Tip #2: Account Management Already on Twitter? Option #1: –Keep your current account Overhaul account (bio and picture) to make it professional Link to your resume Delete unprofessional tweets Let your friends know OR…

Tip #2: Account Management Already on Twitter? Option #2: –Make your current account private –“Hide” your current account by removing your name from it –Set up a second account that is just for professional networking

Tip #3: Create a Professional Profile

What can you do to create a professional looking profile? –Use your real name

Tip #3: Create a Professional Profile What can you do to create a professional looking profile? –Use your real name –Screenname that reflects you or your professional persona

Tip #3: Create a Professional Profile What can you do to create a professional looking profile? –Create a professional bio

Tip #3: Create a Professional Profile What can you do to create a professional looking profile? –Create a professional bio –Use a professional photo

Tip #3: Create a Professional Profile What can you do to create a professional looking profile? –Add a background with links to resume or other social sites

Tip #4: Build Your Network

Build a relevant network by following: –Current and former co-workers –Friends in your field –Professors –Industry leaders and experts –Professional organizations –Recruiters –Companies that you’d like to work for

Tip #5: Strategic Tweeting

Reminder: Think strategically about how you want to portray yourself online. 1.Tweet “like an expert” –Share links and info that is relevant to your profession –Tweet current articles and issues, add your thoughts –RT other people, add your thoughts –Converse with people in your field

Tip #5: Strategic Tweeting 2. Post regularly (once a day) 3. Criticism of things is okay, so long as it’s constructive 4.Beware of the viral RT…

Tip #5: Strategic Tweeting 5. Use screennames when referencing someone else

Tip #5: Strategic Tweeting 6. Don’t over abbreviate, use correct grammar and spelling 7. Find and use #hashtags relevant to your profession –Conferences –Professional chats 8. Participate in #HireFriday

Tip #6: Use Your Network

Engage with your network: –Strike up conversations –If someone asks you for advice, respond. –Offer help to those requesting it –Ask others for help with your job search …any of these things could result in a job lead!

Tip #6: Use Your Network An example of someone who asked for help with a job search: -He got multiple responses and RTs -Twitter marked it as a “Top Tweet”

Tip #7: Don’t Neglect the Real World

Don’t make Twitter your only source for finding a job Take it offline, go get coffee with people Keep balance of online/offline

That’s it! Questions?

Credits and References Image from Third-Party Website intro slide (Twitter on laptop): – Image from Smartphone Apps for Job Seekers intro slide (dual iPhones with headphones): – Image of Twitter Job Search Guide: – Special thanks to Brenda Roegge for content