Jessica Pierce

Twitter: The Hidden Job Market

Today I’ll be hosting a radio station on 90.7, the Goldmine (be sure to listen to the internet stream) and will be taking questions on the Power of Social Media.

One of the fastest growing social media tools is Twitter.  There are now 56 million active accounts and 200 million established accounts.  What are those 144 million inactive users thinking – get active people!  Of the users on Twitter, 58% of them make over $60K and 38% of them are over the age of 35!

How many of us have considered Twitter as a true resource for something other than getting neat quotes or maybe a link to a good blog?  It’s true, Twitter has a built-in job board…

Well okay, maybe not an official job board in the traditional sense.  Though, it does have thousands of positions posted every single day.  Oftentimes, these are positions that are not officially posted on any job board or any website.  It is a networking resource that hiring companies are using to find candidates that are truly interested in their company and their positions.  It’s a built-in filter for the company since only truly interested candidates (and technology savvy candidates) are following them – and not to mention – it is FREE!  Companies tend to love free resources, especially when it comes to sourcing quality candidates.

So how do you use it?  My suggestion is to sign-in and fill out your profile, which takes approximately 5-10 total minutes.  It is super simple, not lengthy like LinkedIn.  Then, you start following people.

The features in Twitter allow you to search for other people and then follow them.  By following other Twitter users, you can see what they are tweeting.  Many companies are on Twitter, and they are tweeting out the jobs and looking for candidates.  This is where it can get powerful for job seekers by having a direct connection with recruiters.

You should follow a range of people, companies and organizations on Twitter.  Below are some of the best targets to follow.

• Companies that are on your target list. These are the first accounts you need to follow.  Companies are regularly posting job leads and also information that is important to the company.  You can keep up on current company information by following these Twitter accounts.
• People in your industry and with similar titles. They will be tweeting information that is useful for your industry.  You also want to be following people, companies and organizations that they are following.
• Associations that match your interests. Most professional associations now have Twitter accounts.  They post important information as well as job leads within the industry.  Many college alumni associates now have Twitter accounts.  You will be able to follow and connect with people who are in that alumni group.  If there are nonprofit or volunteer organizations that interest you, follow these groups to ensure you get involved at the appropriate times.

To find the companies, you can use the standard search built into Twitter or you can use a slew of other resources: Tweetzi, Tweepz, Twellow, Tweefind, JustTweetIt, WeFollow and so many more.

Click on Twitter Resources to view direct Twitter addresses to many companies that are utilizing Twitter to recruit candidates.

Twitter can be a powerful additional tool during your career transition.  Hey, while you are at it, start tweeting to build your stronger brand.  Don’t be fearful of technology, embrace it!

Praying for your landing into the career of your dreams!