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10 Twitter Basic Tips for Job Seekers

Julie Walraven — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:59:50 +0000

Everyone is telling you to use Twitter for job search. Everyone is telling you to use LinkedIn for job search. Everyone is telling you to use Facebook for job search. But once you jump into the water, you stall. You don’t know how to move forward. You don’t know how to use Twitter in your job search.

Let’s just get some basics out of the way. Easy steps to make you build confidence in this brave new world. And while we are at it, let’s blow out some misconceptions about Twitter. Many of these tips will also work on other platforms.

#1 → Do you have a profile pic? And what does it say about you? I have used professional photographers for most of my head shots but my latest one on Twitter and Facebook was taken with my web cam. I liked using the web cam because I could keep shooting and see it instantaneously. The cameras in phones are so reliable now that you could easily get a good shot but let someone else take the picture.

#2 →What does the bio say about you? This is the opportunity for a 160 characters of value. Write this carefully. Sell your brand but don’t sound needy. Here’s my latest bio statement on Twitter:

Today’s economy is challenging. As a professional resume writer, I help job seekers end their search using career marketing & networking strategies.

#3 → Do you have a link? Your LinkedIn profile is a fine place to let your readers learn more about you than they can in 160 characters of your bio or your tweets.
#4 → Don’t forget to tweet. When I see someone who is following people but has said nothing, I wonder why they are on Twitter. As odd as it might feel to just put something out there, something is better than nothing.
#5 → Associate with mainly real people. Following brands is fine but to be effective on Twitter, you need to build a network. If you simply follow brands or company sites, you will get little interaction. Value on Twitter comes from building relationships.
#6 → Don’t turn on the privacy option or use Protected Tweets. I covered this in detail here. You have a reason to be on Twitter and if you make it tough for people to connect with you, they won’t.
#7 → Use direct messages (DMs) sparingly. I don’t want to hear a thank you for connecting with you via DM. Talk to me in the stream. Save DMs for things like sharing your e-mail or phone number with someone who you know can help you in the job search.
#8 → Retweet sparingly. While as a blogger, I like you sharing my posts if they resonate with you, I don’t want that to be the only thing in your stream. Retweet what you really love and space it out with conversation.
#9 → Don’t be afraid to make basic comments. The weather can often spark a conversation.
#10 → Keep it positive. You want to make a good first impression. Save whining for private times.

These are basic starter steps for those who are either just finding the Twitter platform or those who failed to get it right when they started.

Stuck in your job search or just ready to move on or up from your existing position? Julie Walraven, a professional resume writer and career marketing strategist, can help you write your resume and teach you how to find a new job. To find out how, Click here!

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Don’t stand on the shore! Jump into social media with both feet!

Julie Walraven — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:40:46 +0000

Some people isolate their social media platforms. LinkedIn is for their business contacts, Facebook is for only close friends and family, and Twitter, well, for many people, Twitter scares them. If they even heard of Google+, they aren’t there because it would be one more thing and their friends aren’t there.

As with most questions on strategy today, it depends. You need to craft your social media strategy according to your goals and comfort zone. However, if you are seeking to build community, you shouldn’t shut the door to people who might be assets.

Building Community on Twitter

I have never been a numbers-hunter. The more followers on Twitter… I instead ask people to join me on Twitter. Let’s have conversation not try to reach the highest number.

Growing your LinkedIn Connections

On LinkedIn, I don’t limit my connections to only those I know because there are people who would like to connect to get to know me better and use me as a potential service to help them with their job search or LinkedIn profile optimization or LinkedIn profile writing. Coaching people on better use of LinkedIn is fun for me and my clients seem to enjoy the process.

Making friends on Facebook

Facebook is many different things to me. I learn more about friends and acquaintances and build community. I have some very special people that I would not know without Facebook and I have taken many of those relationships to the next level through a phone call or Skype appointment and sometimes a real life lunch or meeting. I don’t limit who I connect with on Facebook most of the time. I do prefer to connect with people who have real photos of themselves.

Connecting on Google+

Google+ is relatively new to me, to everyone I guess but I like it. The ability to connect with people outside your normal network is easy on Google+. I think the potential is great and the door has opened to talk to some of my connections from other social media in different ways.

What about Pinterest?

One of the newest platforms in Pinterest and I totally enjoy the potential Pinterest has for both social and business use. In the future, I will discuss Pinterest in more detail but for now I will just say that as a sharing site, I think it lets you learn interesting things and depending on how someone uses it, may offer a glimpse into their personality.

I don’t believe in limiting connections but I never allow spammers to take over my networks. I disconnect or block when needed.

How about you? Do you think connections should be limited? My strategy is to jump in with both feet and test the water!

Stuck in your job search or just ready to move on or up from your existing position? Julie Walraven, a Wausau, Wisconsin-based professional resume writer and career marketing strategist, can help you get ready for your next role! To find out how, Click here!

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Why job seekers should join instead of follow on Twitter

Julie Walraven — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:33:06 +0000

Notice I said join, not follow. This is another lesson that Jim Connolly taught me. You want people to JOIN you on Twitter not follow you. Follow sounds like you are setting yourself up as a magnet. Join suggests that you are open to conversation and relationship building on Twitter.

What’s the goal of a job seeker on Twitter?

Your goal should be to build beneficial and productive relationships on Twitter. Hence the word join instead of follow.

Dictionary.com defines follow as:

to accept as a guide or leader; accept the authority of or give allegiance to: Many Germans followed Hitler.
to conform to, comply with, or act in accordance with; obey: to follow orders; to follow advice.
to imitate or copy; use as an exemplar: They follow the latest fads.

I don’t know about you but I don’t like that idea. Let’s look at the definition of join:

to bring in contact, connect, or bring or put together.
to take part with others (often followed by in ): Let’s all join in.

I like that better. I want to connect with others, to share ideas, and find common ground.

How do you join or connect with others on Twitter?

You look for common ground. If I want to find people who like dogs or in my case, German Shepherds, I could search for German Shepherds using the search button on Twitter. I might get results that look like this: https://twitter.com/#!/search/german%20shepherds It constantly changes and then I might look further to find someone giving me useful information about German Shepherds or talking about their German Shepherd. This might encourage me to join them. Before I join someone, though, I expand their stream beyond one tweet and look at what they are saying. Then I join them and ideally, I initiate conversation.

What about job search on Twitter?

You can use this example with anything else, including job search on Twitter. You can search for a company or a field and then analyze the stream to see who is really conversing as opposed to blasting and then you check if they are conversing about things you want to learn or if you want to get to know them. Then join them on Twitter.

You can also learn the latest in job search strategy by following career professionals. I have gotten to know many of my colleagues much better because of Twitter and have formed offline friendships by calling or chatting on Skype with those career professionals separated from me by many miles.

What about brands on Twitter?

Some brands blast and some brands are people. I prefer people. Eastbay Careers is a good example of a brand who is represented by a person. The bio says:

Tweets brought 2 you by Jessica Fane, Employment Coordinator for Eastbay! I am a 5-10K runner and lover of coffee!

Best part, Jessica talks to you. Her stream is friendly and she responds to you. But she is serious about answering job seeker questions that are pertinent to Eastbay careers.

Someone who is a brand but represents like Jessica does instead of just blasting positions or a steady stream of company retweets makes it easier to talk to a company. You can see the representative of other companies doing this with customer service.

Benefits of joining people on Twitter

If you focus on joining people on Twitter and join in the conversation, I believe you will build the connections you want. How do you join me on Twitter? You talk to me. I have so many people “following” me that unless they start the conversation, I won’t know they want to connect.

What do you think? See possibilities for job search on Twitter?

Stuck in your job search or just ready to move on from your existing position? Julie Walraven can help you find a new career! To find out how, Click here!

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The secret to using Twitter in your job search

Julie Walraven — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:48:41 +0000

Using social media in your job search has been a hot topic for a long time but many times job seekers use it ineffectively and even create the wrong impression. Let’s talk specifically about Twitter.

How should you use Twitter for your job search?

Frequent readers of this blog and the Marketing Results blog will remember that I really emphasize building relationships as the successful way to communicate on any social media platform and in real life. When I work with sales representatives or sales managers as clients one of the key words in the job descriptions they share is relationship building. This has become so key that it is the primary sales strategy for many companies. You need to use it on Twitter too. Build relationships with people you want to follow.
Analyze the Twitter stream of those you want to follow. If they seem like relationship builders (see number 1) follow them.
Use the profile to explain your value. You have 160 characters to describe your value. Link to your LinkedIn profile or your own blog site so those wanting to know more have some place to go.
If you are wanting to let people know you are looking for a new career or job, use HireFriday’s stream and model your tweet after their best examples. (Hint: see #1 below)
As Tim’s Strategy reminds us: Key to success on Twitter is using your own name and a photo. To build relationships you need to be personable and people like photos and real names.

Job Search Strategies that will backfire on Twitter

Using hashtags (# sign) for every word in a tweet, only hashtag your key industry or title. Overuse of hashtags will be ignored by many readers.
Repeating the same message over and over. Periodically look critically at your own stream. If you look boring to you, change your strategy and become more conversational.
Cursing or swearing. Despite what happens on TV, you don’t win friends by sounding like a potty mouth on social media. Just like on Facebook, make sure you make a good impression.
Criticizing your former employer. Keep your rants to yourself or friends you can trust in a private space. You never know who is reading and your next employer will not be impressed.
Chasing someone and telling them you want to work for them. This is going to look and feel like stalking. You can look for information without sounding pushy.

Overall, the secret to success using Twitter for job search or anytime you are trying to promote a business, idea, event, or yourself is not to sound like you are promoting, selling, or yelling. Key concept: build relationships!

Stuck in your job search or just ready to move on from your existing position? Julie Walraven can help you find a new career! To find out how, Click here!

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