Diane Gottsman | Leading Etiquette Expert | Modern Manners Authority

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Tweet Tweet: How to Use Twitter to Find a Job

25 Feb 2013 By: Diane Gottsman

If you’re looking for a job, chances are you’ve already spent more than your fair share of time searching online, reaching out to your network of friends and family, and requesting an introduction to someone they may know. While perusing CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed and LinkedIn, don’t overlook Facebook and especially Twitter. During a recent speaking engagement, a young professional shared with me her frustration that job postings are often closed before she has had a chance to submit her resume due to the sheer number of applicants for the position.  This is where Twitter can play a valuable role.  Keep reading for my favorite Twitter tips for job seekers…

  • Create a Twitter list especially for your job search. Start your list with the obvious, like@monstercareers, @careerbuilder and @tweetmyjobs but move on to more than just the major players.  For example, if you’re looking for a marketing job in New York, there’s an account for that: @nymarketingjobs! Same goes for Disneyworld (@TWDCjobs),  jobs at the U.S. Department of Education (@edgovjobs), and even Starbucks (@starbucksjobs).  Not sure how to create a Twitter list? Here’s their tutorial on the subject.
  • Hashtags are a job seeker’s best friend.  Create saved searches for job-related hashtags, customized for your area of expertise.  Of course #jobsearch is a popular hashtag (with good reason!) but also think along the lines of #hiring alongside the hashtagged name of your city (such as #hiring #Denver).  If you’re not familiar with how to save a search on Twitter, here is another quick tutorial.
  • Have your resume and cover letter ready for action.  Since one of the benefits to job searching on Twitter comes down to timing, you’ll want your resume and cover letter on-hand for customizing and submitting.  Move quickly but take care to avoid any typos or mistakes.
  • Engage with the company or brand.  Part of your pre-interview research of a company should involve following their Twitter feed(s) and Facebook page. This allows you to get to know the company culture much better than simply reading the “about” page of their website.  If you interact, it also allows the company to see how you respond to current and timely information. While the chances are extremely slim that the person interviewing you also manages the social media accounts for the company, you will still have a working knowledge of how the corporate culture engages, and where the company focuses their time and energy. A good example is Ally Bank, who clearly takes the perspective of timely subjects with a human connection. If you were interviewing with this company, it would be a plus to make reference to their commercials, mention one or two of your personal favorite, and site Randy Cohen’s financial etiquette segments. Add a few tweets that you have RT’d and hashtagged, and you are heads over your competition.
  • Keep a clean social media presence.  I sound like a broken record here, I know, but this etiquette tip is just too important to leave off my list.  Admittedly, I have beat this horse into the ground, but still some people just don’t get it. Let me be clear when I say, “You are what you post.” Please refresh your memory by reading a few of my past posts, A Fresh Look at Your Web Presence, Facebook Photo Tagging Etiquette and You Are What You Tweet: Twitter Etiquette and Job Seekers.

And finally, please tweet me @dianegottsman and let me know how you’ll be putting these tips to use.  I want to also hear what has worked for you and what has not. I personally found one of my favorite college interns on Twitter. She followed me and RT’d me on a regular basis and when it was time to hire a new intern, I was very familiar with her keen social media skills and she got the job – no formal interview necessary (but we did one anyways)!

Good Luck,

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Diane Gottsman

Diane Gottsman is a national etiquette expert and modern manners professional, sought out industry leader, television personality, accomplished speaker, Huffington Post blogger, author, and the owner of The Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in executive leadership and etiquette training. Diane is routinely quoted in national and international media including The New York Times, The BBC, CNN, Bloomberg Business Week, Kiplinger, Huffington Post Canada, U.S. News and World Report, and Forbes. She is the resident etiquette expert for two popular morning talk shows, SA Living and Good Day Austin. She has been seen on The TODAY Show, HLN Headline News, WGN Chicago, and CBS Sunday Morning. Her clients range from university students to Fortune 500 companies and her workshops cover topics ranging from tattoos in the workplace to technology at the dinner table and the proper use of social media.