Twitter Job Search Strategies September 18, 2012 Christy Schutz
Agenda • • • • • •
What is Twitter? Twitter as an Information Network How to Get Started/The Basics Twitter as a Search Engine Remembering the Goal of Twitter Q&A
My Background •
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Advertising, Marketing and Communications Professional for past 15+years Last 12 years with the recruitment communications firm, Bernard Hodes Group Co-published book on Women-Owned Businesses in the Tampa Bay Area called CRAVE Tampa Bay Author on career management, telecommuting, women in the workplace, and more On Twitter: @ChristyKSchutz
What is Twitter? Microblogging website and one of the fastest growing networks on the planet. “Twitter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest stories, ideas, opinions and news about what you find interesting. Simply find the accounts you find most compelling and follow the conversations.”
What is Twitter? •
Noise
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Celebrities
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What people had for lunch
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Meaningless
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Overwhelming
All of the above!
Focus on Twitter as: •
An Information Network
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A Search Engine
Twitter Basics At the heart of Twitter are small bursts of information called Tweets. Each Tweet is 140 characters long. Tweets can contain photos, videos and conversations – all in a glance.
Getting Started
Create a Profile • Include a picture • Professional, searchable, and impactful • Link to your own website or your LinkedIn profile
Find Your Friends • Start “following” your friends • @HandleName is how you refer to others on Twitter (@ChristyKSchutz) • Use Twitter’s people search or Twitter directories to start following people in your industry, companies you are interested in working for, etc. • Grow slowly to avoid looking “spammy” • When you follow them, you will see their posts, but they won’t necessarily see yours (unless they follow you back)
Spammy? People who use Twitter as a place to send spam typically: Have no or vague profile Are following hundreds (or thousands) of people but have no followers Have very few tweets Are often linking out to another site (marketing site, virus, etc.)
Twitter etiquette says a new user with no tweets, no profile, and no followers = no reason to follow back and make the connection
Learn the Lingo: Twitter Terminology • • •
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Retweet: When you repost another Twitter user’s Tweet Reply: when you respond publically to a specific user Direct Message: when you correspond privately with a specific user (both have to be following each other) #: hash tags are words or acronyms used to make your content more searchable #FollowFriday: When you recommend to your Twitter followers cool Tweeps you have enjoyed following (akin to saying “you should get to know this person”) URL Shorteners: bit.ly, tinyurl, ht.ly, etc.
Start Tweeting!
What to Tweet? •
Take a multi-channel approach that blends industry content (news, subject matter expertise) along with inspirational quotes, point-of-view comments, conversational dialogue, and a taste of your personality.
What NOT to Tweet? •
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Sex, politics, religion, jokes or disparaging remarks about race, ethnicity, or geographic location Trash talking your employer or colleagues Other things that are going to position you negatively during your job search (be cognitive of your personal brand)
Managing Your Time •
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Know what you want to accomplish and track your progress (@replies, DM and follows offer instant feedback) Set limits by establishing amount of time/frequency Decide when you are going to Tweet (or when to schedule your tweets). Find out when your desired audience is online at www.tweetoclock.com Utilize social media management tools like Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, Socialoomph, etc. Set filters up front that will help you later (e.g. lists, searches)
Focus on Twitter as: •
An Information Network
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A Search Engine
How does Twitter help me in my job search? • •
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Powerful personal branding tool Real-time exposure to and the ability to build relationships with Industry Experts, Recruiters, Organizations, and Peers Twitter culture makes it acceptable to “follow” these people you don’t personally know Forces you to be brilliant and brief
What about Twitter as a Search Engine?
Example Search: Buyer
Advanced Search Features
Focus on Twitter as: •
An Information Network
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A Search Engine
How does Twitter help me in my job search? • •
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Unlike Google, results are often more timely Get a leg up on the competition by finding jobs before they are stumbled upon on the job boards or company websites See “who” is broadcasting the tweet, and consider them as a potential “friend” for your network
What’s the goal?
Take it Off-Line •
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Establish contact, build a relationship, then take it offline Be bold enough to suggest meeting for coffee or trading ideas on a quick conference call Attend Meetups, tweet n’ meets at industry conferences, etc Don’t lose site of the fact that the end goal in all of this is to develop relationships that will transcend the computer screen
Q&A
Ways to connect with me: • • •
Twitter: @ChristyKSchutz LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/christyvalienteschutz Facebook: www.facebook.com/christy.schutz
