How to Bag Yourself a Job Using Twitter

Reviewed by Melina Theodorou

Illustration of a laptop displaying the twitter homepage and two miniature - one holding a magnifying lens and the other sitting at the top of the laptop screenpeople

Using social media to boost your online presence and build a personal brand is vital in today’s job hunt as companies are posting adverts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn more than ever.

While Twitter would not normally be your first choice for job-seeking, the micro-blogging service has quickly evolved into a platform for finding available jobs and industry professionals online.

So, if you want to fully utilise Twitter and land your dream job, go ahead and use the following tips.

Basics

1. Design your profile

Your profile needs to be engaging and needs to clearly represent you as a person and the industry that you are in. For example, if you are a make-up artist, you should showcase pictures of your work and make your contact details visible.

2. Pick your photo

When it comes to your photo; make sure it’s a professional one that represents your personal brand. A good idea is getting a photo taken in formal attire (make sure you’re smiling!) and attach this to your professional online networks. That way, when people are searching for you, they will find the same image across the board.

3. Create your bio

Don’t underestimate the 160-character bio under your profile; It’s usually the first thing people see. If you’re searching for a job, write what you do and that you’re looking for employment. E.g. with over 10 years’ experience in retail I’m now looking for a managerial position.

4. Use proper English

I know the characters are limited but leave the text-talk offline; make sure you use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation in every post. Recruiters are looking at how you write, as well as what you’re writing.

5. Create lists

Using the lists feature on Twitter is a great way to target companies, HR experts and other industry professionals. The best part? You can keep this list private if you don’t want to make your job search known.

That said, lists can be used to connect with HR professionals and recruiters; as they will be notified when they are added to your list, it can be a great attention-grabbing gesture, which may result in them following you back.

5. Find job vacancies

Follow popular hashtags like #nowhiring, #jobsearch or #graduatejobs to discover the latest job openings. If you’re looking for more industry-specific jobs, you can try #ITjobs or #engineeringjobs, for example. In addition, most large organisation will have their own Twitter accounts like @BBCCareers, so be sure to check out their profiles and add them to your watch-list.

What to share

6. Your most recent work

Share links to your most recent projects which showcase your work and talents. This will allow recruiters to understand your work so they can judge whether you would be a good match before you have even had an interview.

7. Content from other users

Retweeting other people’s content will add credibility to your page. Share posts that are clever, funny, and informative and tie into your industry. Don’t start wandering off into other aspects of life. You could get noticed if you are retweeting information from the company you would like to work at.

8. Inject a little personality

When tweeting, use the 75-25 rule. When in job-search mode, approximately 75% of your tweets should be professional, while 25% can be more of a personal nature (e.g., ‘Looking forward to my 20-mile ride through the Stratford this weekend.’)

 

Settings

9. Pick the best tools for your tweets

There are a number of tools you can use to organise your tweets; TweetDeck is one of the most popular, allowing you to categorise the people you follow for easy organisation.

10. Use a URL-shortening service

A link can take up most of the characters in a post; however, you can use a service like Bitly, which allows you to shorten a link and track how many people click on it.

11. Set up Google alerts for tweet content

By setting up Google alerts for industry trends and news on your target companies, you can be the first to tweet about it, which in turn will boost your online presence as you are sharing current information.

Boosting your presence

12. Match your online profiles

Make sure your CV matches the information that you post on your LinkedInFacebook and Twitter accounts. There should never be any contradicting information on any of your accounts. Inconsistencies could cost you the job.

13. Tweet, tweet, tweet

Tweet relevant information to engage with your followers and spend at least 15-30 minutes on Twitter daily to gradually build your network. Tweet about tips, news and resources relevant to your profession and answer questions others may have, too.

Networking

14. Follow people who will likely follow you back

If you find similar influencers, follow them as they can often follow you back. Following Facebook friends that are on Twitter will also increase your numbers.

15. Browse Twitter directories

Once you list your profile in Twitter directories, other users can find and follow you based on keywords or interest. You can also browse the Twitter Lists of the industry influencers you admire the most on Twitter.

16. Follow people who could offer you a job

Utilise Twitter Search and look for people who have shared relevant job offers before and follow them as they may post something similar in the future. You can also use the Twitter job board to find opportunities and see who posted them.

17. Find the best time of day for to have Twitter conversations

Twitter is best when people can discuss in real-time, but due to different time zones, not everyone connects at the same time. Use tools like Tweriod to determine the best time to be on Twitter based on when the people you follow are also online.

18. Tweet about your job search every now and then

Your Twitter friends should be aware that you’re looking for a job; an occasional reminder is vital to cut through a sea of other tweets. Ask career advisors for guidance on how to crack a particular industry or ways that you can enhance your profile.

19. Follow members of staff

Following existing members of staff is much more effective than following a specific company. An individual that is in the same department that you want to enter is more likely to reply to you over a generic company page.

20. Utilise private messaging

Use private messaging to your advantage by reaching out to prospective employers. That said, don’t start bombarding their inbox with thousands of messages – keep it casual and respectful to see if they are willing to engage with you, too.

By following certain steps, you could land your dream job using Twitter. So, polish up your profile and get tweeting! With some active effort, a great opportunity could come your way!

Have you been successful at finding a job or making vital connections through Twitter? If so, let us know by dropping us a comment in the comments section below!

This article is an updated version of an earlier article originally published on 7 September 2017.