The last two posts discussed how to utilize Facebook and LinkedIn for your career advancement and job search. This post will examine how to use Twitter for these purposes as well. While there are plenty of social media tools currently available, Twitter is probably one of the least understood and fastest growing. When it first emerged, many believed that it was a waste of time, and simply a way to catalogue one's minute by minute daily activity (e.g. tweeting out breakfast choices). However, gradually Twitter has proven to become a real time source for breaking news and emerging trends. It is especially a vital source for individuals who are interested in marketing, journalism and other creative industries to showcase their skills and to develop their brand. However, Twitter is an essential job search tool for persons looking to break into any field. As it pertains to job search and career advancement, the following are ways for you to leverage Twitter to your benefit.
1) Follow experts in your field- rather than initially diving into Twitter with your own tweets, it is critical to follow individuals or organizations of note in your field of interest. Whether you are trying to break into marketing, accounting, or journalism, by following key companies or individuals, you will be up to date about current events in your industry of choice. This knowledge will definitely be useful when searching for job opportunities and when you go on interviews. Further companies are now announcing job openings through Twitter.
2) Respond with thoughtful tweets- once you begin following industry leaders, the next step is to respond to their comments with your own insightful responses to their tweets. Such comments can include more information about a particular topic, which demonstrates your grasp of the field.
3) Create innovative tweets- in the Twitter universe, trending topics are crucial. Therefore, once you learn about your field, it will be easier for you to recognize which issues are best to tweet. There are many stories of individuals being hired based solely on the creativity of their tweets, especially in marketing and public relations.
4) Manage your Twitter time- following individuals and tweeting can become addictive, time consuming, and overwhelming. Therefore, you should allot a certain amount of time during the day or the week to these activities.
While social media is a powerful method to add to your career search repertoire, it is only one strategy to utilize in your job search and career advancement process. Ultimately, the key is to use all networking options available to you, and to be consistent in doing so.
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