Tweet Talking How to Use Twitter in Your Job Search

Tweet Talkin’: Using Twitter

in Your Job Search

Six Things You May Not Know About Twitter

1. Twitter is the 10th Most Visited Site Online.

http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/twitter.com

2. Fastest Growing Social Platform.

Twitter has beaten Facebook and LinkedIn for fastest growth.

It grew 714% since July 2009 and 40% from the first half of 2012 to the last half.

http://mashable.com/2013/01/29/twitter-fastest-growing-social-platform/

3. It’s Not Just for the Young.

Over 70% of Twitter users are between 25-54. The average age is 39.

http://mediabistro.com/alltwitter/twitter-demographics_b26352

4. It’s Surprisingly Versatile.

For example, do you know there are Twitter fiction contests? They’re called “flash fiction”.

5. Word of the Year. On November 29, 2009 Twitter was named the Word of the Year by the Global Language Monitor, declaring it “a new form of social interaction”.

http://www.languagemonitor.com/top-words-2/top-words-of-2009/

6. Most Importantly…

According to Daemon, if you added up all the jobs that were advertised on Twitter, that would make it the fifth largest job posting board in the world.

http://www.slideshare.net/DaemonDigital/hr-and-social-media-2506600

And It’s Not Just for the Frivolous.

You can use Twitter in a wide range of ways starting as a passive reader, moving on to using it as a research tool, then to follow twitterati of interest, and, finally, as a branding iron for your product—you.

Job Searching with Twitter

Today we will focus on how you can use this

remarkably flexible tool in your job searching

process.

What We’ll Cover

Overview

8 Reasons Why You Should Use Twitter

Differences Between Twitter and LinkedIn

11 Strategies to Create an Effective Twitter Account

5 Ways to Target Who You Should Follow

Re-Tweeting Strategies

About Hashtags

Twitter Chats

Overview

What Is It? A mini-blog using only

140 characters to give and get information.

Done in “real time”.

And does it surprisingly well.

How Do You Use 140 Characters to Deliver a Message?

Acronyms

Links and url shortening apps

Tight writing

Acronyms and Jargon # Hash tag - used to tag tweets on certain topics

@ (at) - sends a message to a user

DM Direct Message

HT Heard Through

ICYMI In Case You Missed It

MRT Modified ReTweet

NP Now Playing

NTS Note To Self

OH Overheard

RT Retweet

SM Social Media

Tweeps followers (Twitter + peeps)

Tweetup A real life meetup announced on Twitter

Twitterati Tweet elite with many followers (Urban Dictionary)

http://www.noslang.com/twitterslang.php

http://www.webopedia.com/

quick_ref/Twitter_Dictionary

_Guide.asp

Links and URL-Shortening Apps

Link to websites with short, meaningful hyperlinks by using

such shorteners as TinyURL, Goo.gl or

Ow.ly.

http://www.appappeal.com/apps/url-shortener/

Side Note—Direct Messaging or DMs

1. Click on the gear icon in the top right corner of your Twitter page.

2. Select Direct messages from the drop down menu. Click the New message button and type in the Twitter address you want to send to. (Note, you can only DM your followers, not those you follow.)

3. Enter your message and click Send message.

http://support.twitter.com/articles/14606-what-is-a-direct-message-dm#

Anne Zelenka’s 8 Reasons Why You Should Use Twitter*

*http://gigaom.com/2007/03/15/eight-ways-twitter-is-useful-professionally/

1. Make existing professional relationships stronger and more intimate.

Knowing personal details about your Twitter contacts can lead to other opportunities or give you information that may prove useful.

2. Get questions answered.

Don’t know who might be able to answer your question? Ask your followers and either they or someone they know may be able to help.

3. Expand your professional network.

Find out who works with whom on what. You may find someone you want to follow and possibly work with in future.

4. Promote Your Blog, Website or Projects.

If you’ve got something you’re proud of, why not tweet it? Tweeting is one more way you can bring people into your website, blog or other online media.

5. See What People are Interested In.

People will often tweet the latest thing they’re into, whether it’s a new software program, events, or people they’ve met. If they’re at the forefront, you have just found someone you can call for information about that topic when you need it.

6. Find out when your colleagues are available for a chat.

Find out when they’re busy and when they’re open to a tweet. It’s just common sense advice—talk to people when they’re most receptive.

7. Create an ad hoc back channel at conferences.

- Great way for those who want to focus on a particular topic to come together.

- Bring conference attendees and those who could not attend the conference together using hashtags.

- Conference hashtags are also one of the best ways for jobseekers to find and follow participants who might be helpful in their job search.*

*http://mashable.com/2010/10/16/twitter-hashtags-job-search/

8. Learn important news.

Real time messaging means you’ll hear about anything you’re interested in on Twitter before you hear it from anywhere else.

Differences Between Twitter and LinkedIn

Twitter

Most of Twitter’s functionality relies

on third parties. (e.g. # and @)

Casual like a conversation.

Where you get the latest information.

Not permission-based.

Most features are built in.

Formal communication.

Where you get the most in-depth information.

Permission-based

11 Strategies to Create an Effective Twitter Account

1. Be Smart About Your Objective(s).

Remember the SMART acronym—make your objective(s) specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-sensitive.

What actions do you need to take to reach your objective(s)?

2. Have a Deep Understanding of Your Personal Brand.

What are your five key talents? What are employers looking for? What gaps can you fill?

http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/professional-networking/build-your-brand/article.aspx

Picture from: http://shrewdnessofapes.blogspot.ca/2009/03/this-space-for-rent.html

Some Ideas on Personal Branding. 1. Establish yourself as an expert in your field.

2. Decide the topics you will cover, your sources of information, who you will likely re-tweet.

3. Be interesting. Don’t just focus on facts, look at things from a different perspective, provide anecdotes, report on connections that others may have missed.

3. Learn from the Best.

Follow the leaders in your sector and other twitterati mavens and determine how their strategies will work for you.

Some Things to Look For.

1. What time and day do the decisionmakers—those who make job hiring decisions—post?

2. Where can you find the best sources and most popular topics for re-tweeting in your field?

3. What apps do the pros use? 4. How do they talk—do they use a lot of jargon,

are they casual, do they use acronyms? 5. What kinds of posts get re-tweeted most

frequently? 6. Who follows them?

4. Impose Deadlines and Schedules.

Think about Timing. Set up both a long term schedule and a daily

to do list.

Tweet when recruiters, employers and other target people are on Twitter. (Generally speaking, the best times of day to post are 4 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.*)

Decide how much time you’ll spend on it each day—15 minutes should do it--and stick to it.**

*http://www.johnpaulaguiar.com/how-i-got-253-twitter-retweets-on-5-posts/

** http://executivecareerbrand.com/twitter-turbocharges-executive-job-search-and-personal-brand-visibility/

5. If your objectives conflict, consider having more than one account.

Are you so focused on getting a job, you are prepared to use your Twitter account for that purpose only?

Or do you also want to follow and engage with people and interests outside of work?

If the second option is your choice, you may want to consider having two accounts.

6. Choose Your Name Carefully.

Use your real name for your account. If it’s already been taken, modify it to emphasize your skills or career direction, e.g. Bob the Plumber or Smart Tech Guy.

http://executivecareerbrand.com/twitter-turbocharges-executive-job-search-and-personal-brand-visibility/

7. Use Your Bio as Your Branding Statement.

You only have 160 characters for what you should consider as your “elevator or job pitch”.

8. Fill Your Bio with Key Words so Employers Can Find You.

Look up keywords in your profession—see if any are relevant to what you do and what employers are looking for.

Then Create List of Keywords for Future Tweets.

Think of the keywords a prospective employer will use to find someone with your skills. List them. Think about how you will use them in future tweets.

9. Don’t Forget the Visuals.

Upload a professional head shot of yourself.

You’re more real and people can associate an image with your name and credentials.

10. Add Links to Your Other Online Media.

Connect to your blog or website.

Have a link to your online resume (try VisualCV!).

Connect your twitter feed to other social sites.

Put your Twitter ID on your Outlook signature, website, blog, LinkedIn account, etc.

11. Consider What You’ll Tweet.

Tweets with URLs to relevant articles and blog posts.

Tweets that demonstrate your knowledge about best practices, trends and events, and position yourself as a subject matter expert.

Some tweets with relevant and/or inspirational quotes.

Retweets (more about this later)

For Example

Every so Often Re-Examine Your Strategy in Light of Factors Such As...

1. What was re-tweeted most frequently?

2. Who is following you? Who are you following that has the kind of followers you’re looking for? What do you need to tweak to make sure that happens?

3. Is your branding strategy on topic?

4. What seems to be trending most frequently?

5. Do you need to add more keywords to your list?

6. Re-examine your target list—who else should you follow?

6 Ways to Target Who You Should Follow

1. Listen to Twitter.

Depending on which account you’re on, see Twitter’s recommendations based on:

- Home page

- Another user’s home page

- Accounts you’re already following

- the “Discover” feature

http://support.twitter.com/articles/227220#

2. Find industry professionals to follow.*

Browse Twitter directories such as Twellow and JustTweetIt .

WeFollow is interesting in that you can find leaders in your area of interest listed according to a “prominence index”.

*http://jobmob.co.il/blog/beginners-guide-find-a-job-with-twitter/

3. Follow active recruiters that are usually hiring people.

Use Twitter Search to look for people who have twittered relevant job offers in the past.*

http://jobmob.co.il/blog/beginners-guide-find-a-job-with-twitter/*

4. Follow industry-specific job feeds.

Do a search for “job feeds” on Twitter like twitjobsearch or for feeds specifically for your industry’s job openings, in your country, region or city.*

http://jobmob.co.il/blog/beginners-guide-find-a-job-with-twitter/*

5. Follow target companies and their key people. Where do you want to

work? (It’s not just people who have accounts on Twitter, more and more are being created for companies.)

Who are their key people?

Melanie Benwell in presentation to December 5, 2012 JOIN Conference**

6. Follow the greatest influencers in your industry.

Look at people outside your target organization like writers, activists or key persons from other companies.

Keep Track of Everything With an App

There are a large number of apps that can help you keep track of tweets. One of the most popular is TweetDeck which allows you to classify tweets according to your own specified criteria in up to 10 columns.

Re-Tweeting Strategies

5 Great Reasons to Re-Tweet

http://www.ruhanirabin.com/the-art-of-re-tweeting-in-twitter/

1. Increases Your Visibility

2. Passive Marketing: By Helping Others, You Help Yourself

3. Reach More People Than You Can on Your Own

4. Build Your Brand

5. Get a High Quality Following

http://blog.brandyourself.com/brand-yourselfcom/twitter-personal-brand-strategy-get-the-most-out-of-re-tweets//

How to Re-Tweet: the Basics

Hover over a Tweet

Click the retweet link

The Tweet will then be forwarded to all of your followers

http://support.twitter.com/groups/31-twitter-basics/topics/109-tweets-messages/articles/20169873-how-to-retweet-a-tweet#

Zarella’s Most ReTweetable Words and Phrases You

Twitter

Please/please re-tweet (RT)

Social media

New Blog Post

http://danzarrella.com/the-20-words-and-phrases-that-will-get-you-the-most-retweets.html#

5 Strategies for Re-Tweeting

1. Have a ReTweet Plan.

Put together a list of your favourite Twitterati and check for interesting tweets.

Look in different fields and explain how it’s relevant to your field.

Put a different spin on the original tweet.

Re-tweet the best of your old tweets.

2. Ensure RTs are Consistent with Your Personal Brand.

http://executivecareerbrand.com/twitter-executive-branding-strategy-the-beauty-of-a-retweet/

3. Check to See if the Link Still Works.

4. Keep Your Tweets Short to Make RTs Easier.

5. Use abbreviations sparingly.

5 Pointers on Re-Tweet Manners

1. RT vs Via.

Use the acronym RT if you want to identify the original poster. Use the word “via” when you found it via someone else, e.g. RT @awebdesignblog and RT @awebdesignblog via @thirddesign.

http://www.ruhanirabin.com/the-art-of-re-tweeting-in-twitter//

2. Go the Extra Mile to Find the Originator.

If a good re-tweet doesn’t mention the original author, take the time to track them down and give them attribution with an @mention.

http://executivecareerbrand.com/twitter-executive-branding-strategy-the-beauty-of-a-retweet

3. Keep the Original Wording As Much As Possible.

4. Thank Those Who Re-Tweeted You.

5. Include a Supportive Comment with Your RT.

About Hashtags

Two Basic Suggestions

Use them only when they add value or you can annoy people and discourage them from following you.*

There are no spaces in a hashtag so consider using CamelCase if you’re creating one for greater readability.

*http://twitter.pbworks.com/w/page/1779812/Hashtags

Any Questions on Hashtags? Click…

Twubs , which provides a hashtags directory.

Hashtags.org, which lists the hashtags, along with the most prominent people tweeting on the topic.

http://mashable.com/2009/05/17/twitter-hashtags/

Hot Twitter Hashtags for Job Searching

Find a Job Directly. Use hashtags like

#hiring, #tweetmyjobs and #jobopening.*

To find a certain kind of job, click hashtags like #freelance, #homebusiness or #greenjobs*.

Follow twitterati like @jobhuntorg, @Ontario_jobs or @OntarioJobFeed.

*http://www.bachelorsdegreeonline.com/blog/2012/50-hottest-twitter-hashtags-for-job-seekers/

Get Job Advice.

Try such popular tags as #jobtips, #career and #interviews*.

Follow twitterati like @sharongraham, @alisondoyle or @jtodonnell

*http://www.bachelorsdegreeonline.com/blog/2012/50-hottest-twitter-hashtags-for-job-seekers/

Twitter Chats

Benwell’s 3 Reasons to Join Twitter Chat

1. Speed Learning Opportunity.

They offer advice for everything from the “simple” stuff to strategic innovations.

2. They’re Great Relationship-Builders.

The conversations you start here can continue online, on the phone, or in person afterwards.

3. Help to Find and Be Found.

Chats can help you find new people to follow and help new followers find you.

Here’s How to Chat in 3 Easy Steps

1. Log on to Your Twitter Account.

2. Go to TweetChat and Enter # + Chat of Interest.

3. Read, Learn, and, If You Feel Comfortable, Participate.

Melanie’s Top Chats for Job Seekers … #JobHuntChat on Monday evenings at 10:00

p.m. EST. This chat is facilitated by @CornOnTheJob, and @Blogging4Jobs.

#CareerChat on Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. EST. This chat is facilitated by @MyPath_MP.

#TChat, Wednesday 7:00 p.m. EST facilitated by @MeghanMBiro and @KevinWGrossman

#HFChat on Fridays at noon EST. This chat is facilitated by @TomBolt and @HRMargo

For More Information…

Check Twitter’s Support Forum at http://support.twitter.com/.

Check out the links that are referred to throughout the presentation.

Ask the twitterati and your tweeps.

Thank you.

Tweet Talking How to Use Twitter in Your Job Search

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