twitter for job seekers

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Twitter for Job SeekersKelli StaleyDigital Librarian

Lansing Public Library

170-80% of jobs are not published

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/08/133474431/a-successful-job-search-its-all-about-networking

Have any questions after todays session? Welcome to contact me via Twitter/email

2IntroductionPresentation available at: http://www.lansingpl.org

Contact:Twitter: @kellistaleyEmail: [email protected]

Have any questions after todays session? Welcome to contact me via Twitter/email

3IntroductionPresentation assumes participants have basic working knowledge of Twitter.

Need an introduction to Twitter? Try these books:The Twitter Book by Tim OReilly and Sarah MilsteinTwitter: Tips, tricks and tweets by Paul McFedries

4IntroductionWhy Twitter?

Thousands of jobs posted there daily

Job seekers dont have to register or post a resume first

Good venue for casual, informal networking

Offers immediate access to important people in your field

One thing you might be wondering as we begin this presentation: Why Twitter? Why should a job seeker turn to Twitter?

1. Thousands of jobs posted there daily, which well see in a bit.

2. Job seekers dont have to register or post a resume first. They can jump in and start looking for a job.

3. Casual, informal atmosphere great for connecting with people and networking.

4. Most importantly? Twitters true power for job seekers: Immediate access to important people in your field (and outside it). - Lots of celebrities and experts on there, and willing to interact (Mythbusters, Andrew Zimmern, Neil Gaiman, etc.)

5IntroductionPresentation split in two parts: Active vs. passive approachActive approach you have an account on Twitter, which you use to network and talk to people

Passive approach you might have an account, but you dont use it to talk. Instead you follow people and look for job postings.

The two approaches are not mutually exclusive! You can do both.

Note about todays presentation: split into active vs. passive approach. 6The Passive ApproachThat said, lets jump in and talk about the passive approach7Searching for Jobs

8Searching for JobsPopular hashtags for job-related tweets:

#job#jobs#career#careers

4 most popular job-related hashtags.

9Searching for Jobs

10If you do a search for one of these hashtags, for example - #jobs the results will be too broad.

Youll get stuff that has to do with the concept of jobs, but not necessarily job postings.Searching for JobsSearch by field of interest:

#clerical#construction#healthcare#insurance#IT#librarian#marketing#sales

See link for more: http://goo.gl/SBHqV

Another way to search for jobs is by hashtag for your field of interest.

Like IT, or construction, or librarian

More available than I could fit on screen, see list for more

So you can try searching for jobs by career field hashtags like these or

11Searching for JobsTip: Double up on hashtags to narrow down search results:

#job #healthcare#jobs #clerical#career #engineering#careers #IT

Most effective search approach is to double-up on a job hashtag and one relevant to your field.

So #job AND #healthcare

Or #jobs AND #clerical

Or #careers AND #IT

And so on12

This is an example search for the hashtags #jobs #healthcare together.

Results are relevant, and very up to date (ones on screen within last two hours of search)13Searching for JobsPotential problem:

Job postings are from every geographic location.

What if job seeker doesnt want to move?

One potential problem:

Job postings come from everywhere.

What if you dont want to move?14Searching for JobsSolution:

Use Twitters advanced search engine

http://search.twitter.com

Searches can be narrowed by zip code (and nearby range)

Solution:

Use Twitters advanced search engine to look for jobs in specific areas.

http://search.twitter.com.

Through the adv search, searches can be narrowed by zip code, or range around a zip

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This is what Twitters search page looks like.

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Click advanced search to access advanced options.17

These are advanced search options. Note that you dont use special characters in People fields or hashtag field. System will fill in.18

Sample search for sales, hashtag job, within 25 mi range of 60438 (Lansing).19

Results achieved - All very accurate.

Note: can save search so its there when you return. Click on the gear icon, for options.20Third-Party WebsitesSo thats how you can search for jobs directly on Twitters website.

Now going to talk about third-party websites you can also use to find jobs on Twitter.

21Third-party WebsitesTweetMyJobs

First TweetMyJobs.com.

Most robust third-party jobs site for Twitter out there.

Many big corporations (like Starbucks, Discover, Allstate, etc.) pay TMJ to post jobs on Twitter for them.

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Searching for jobs on TMJ is very easy. Just fill in the boxes in the center of the screen.

You search by job title, industry, or location.24

As you type, the site will auto-suggest entries for you, which helps match you with the job youre looking for.25

After entering your search options, you can opt to have the results sent to you by email, text, or subscribe specialized Twitter feeds (called Channels)

Or26

you can click search now and view your results immediately.27

In this case, I did a search for Admin Assist jobs in Lansing, which returned 288 job postings in the Chicagoland area.

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After searching, you can refine results by selecting Position type field in the lower left corner (that allows you to narrow by full-time, part-time, contract, temporary, etc.).

Thats the main site for TMJ29http://veterans.tweetmyjobs.com

Also worth noting, they offer a special site for veterans.

Helps put vets in touch with employers that are interested in hiring them.

Also allows those employers to post their jobs for free (instead of charging a fee).

So thats TMJ in a nutshell30Third-party WebsitesJobTweet.me

This is Jobtweet.me.

Very basic site, which aggregates jobs posted on Twitter. Users can search by two things: job title and location.

While basic, the site does offers ability for users to search in German, English, Russian and French.

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Heres a sample search from the site:

Search results for administrative assistant chicago.

Returned 144 results.

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Click on tweets, in gray, takes you to full job posting on WEB.

Can also share job posts on other social media sites.

33Third-party WebsitesTwitJobSearch

Another site that aggregates jobs posted on Twitter is TwitJobSearch (or TwitterJobSearch).

Like the TMJ website, tweets jobs for vendors for a fee (they list KFC, Quest and other companies as clients).

Users can search for jobs by title and location.

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Sample results for administrative assistant chicago.

It found 420 results.

One neat thing about this site is that it offers facets, so users can filter their search results by things like salary range, part-time/full-time or other features.

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One thing worth noting:

Search algorithm needs a little work. This was search for administrative assistant, some postings not relevant.

This does happen on occasion.

Results are generally good, just not perfect.

36Third-party WebsitesTweetBeep

Another site job seekers might find helpful is TweetBeep.

Will need to sign up for account to use it.

Self-described Like Google Alerts for Twitter.

Once registered, users can set up alerts that search Twitter for certain keywords/phrases/hashtags or posts by a specific person.

Once alert is set up, it will email you daily when new tweets are posted that meet your criteria.

Job seekers could set up alerts for job postings.

37Smartphone Apps for Job Seekers

Now going to talk about smartphone apps that can help you find jobs on Twitter

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Smartphone AppsSmartphone apps that aggregate jobs posted on Twitter:

Jobtweet.des Jobsearch(iPhone only)Twittcareers(iPhone only)TwitterJobSearch(iPhone or Android)RealTweets Job Networking(Android only)

Know of 4 apps that aggregate jobs from Twitter. The first two are only available on iPhone. The third (TwitterJobSearch) is available on iPhone and Android phones. The last is Android-only.

39Smartphone AppsTwitterJobSearch

Start with TwitterJobSearchs app.

This is the app for the website we looked at earlier the one with the search algorithm that isnt perfect.

Of all the apps, its the most robust

40Smartphone AppsTwitterJobSearch

Can search by job or location

Search for jobs by location or title.

41Smartphone AppsTwitterJobSearchs truncated job description

This is what the job description looks like inside the app its a shortened version of the description.42Smartphone AppsTwitterJobSearch

Features available viatruncated description:

QuickPitch Email the jobView the full job description

App has three options, when you find a job you like:

QuickPitch respond by tweeting your resume through Twitter.

Email me - sends job post via email.

View full job Spec goes to full job description out on the web (so you learn more about it)

43Smartphone AppsJobtweet.des Jobsearch

Another app - jobtweet.de.

This is the app for one of the other websites we looked at44Smartphone AppsJobtweet.des Jobsearch

Search in English, German, French or Russian

Job seekers can search for jobs

Employers can search for candidates

Like the website, the app can search in English, German, French or Russian.

App does 2 things

It allows employers to search for candidates and job seekers can search for jobs

45Smartphone AppsJobtweet.des Jobsearch

What results look like for job search

Ex: librarian

What it looks like to search for a job in the app.

Did search for librarian.

Results are very accurate, found 187 jobs.

Can save jobs and email those lists of job postings to yourself46Smartphone AppsJobtweet.des Jobsearch

Saves yoursearch history

The app saves your search history.

Handy if youre doing the same searches over and over.

47Smartphone AppsTwittCareers

Last app: TwittCareers.

A pretty minimalist app, but does what it does well.


Upon launch, displays jobs most recently posted to Twitter

When launched, displays most recent jobs posted on Twitter.


Can search inEnglish, Frenchand Spanish

Can search in English, French and Spanish


Example search:Librarian

Example search for Librarian.

Very good, relevant results


Can email jobs to self (have to click link in tweet)

This is what it looks like if you click one of the jobs shows you the tweet in a larger window.

If you click the link in a tweet, it will take you to the full job description on the web.

At that point, will also give you the option to email the job posting to yourself.

52The Active Approach

That concludes section on the passive approach to job seeking on Twitter.

In this next section, Im going to share tips for those considering the active approach to job seeking on Twitter.

This section is for people who are interested in jumping in, tweeting, and making personal connections with other people.

In this section, Im going to offer tips that Ive learned from being on Twitter, compiled with tips that employment experts recommend.53Tip #1: Plan AheadFirst tip: Plan ahead!54Tip #1: Plan AheadTwitter is very public.

Its also archived by the Library of Congress

Come up with a game plan:How do you want to portray yourself?What do you want to tweet about?What professional topics do you want to have public conversations about?

Before jumping in, think strategically about how you want to portray yourself.

Twitter is very public -

its also archived by the Library of Congress. Anything you say on there can come back to haunt you.

Good to have a game plan before jumping in.

How do you want to portray yourself?

What do you want to tweet about?

What professional topics youre passionate about that you want to have public conversations about?

As we go through this section, my hope is that you get some ideas that will help you develop your game plan to address these questions.55Tip #2: Account ManagementNext well talk about is account management.

Will cover what to do with your account if youre brand new to Twitter,

and what options you have if you already have an account.56Tip #2: Account ManagementNew to Twitter?

You get to start from scratch!

However, before you follow anyone else on Twitter:

Fill out your profile!Send a tweet or two about: who you are what you plan to tweet about

Most people who are new to Twitter look like this

New to Twitter? Congrats, you get to start from scratch!

BUT before you follow anyone else

the first thing you should do is fill out your profile and send some introductory tweets. Recommend that you say something about who you are, what you plan to tweet about.

Its important to define yourself BEFORE following others, because if you dont your account will look like this:57

58This is someone, who is new to Twitter, who followed my work account. He has no profile, no tweets I dont know anything about him.

If I were a recruiter or employer, what would I think about this person? Nothing. I dont know anything about him.

This is a really common sight on Twitter. A lot of people sign up and start following people, but give no clue about who they are.

Here are some other common examples:

59Theres the guy who says hello (thankfully politely), but nothing else.

60Then theres the guy that is unsure of Twitter, but is figuring it out.

If I were a recruiter, Id look at all these profiles and say All right. Theyre new to Twitter. Not much else.

Contrast all those examples with this guyCompare them with this guy

61This is much better! This guy is new to Twitter, but hes selling himself right off the bat. What he did right:

One we know who he is. He gives his name.

Two we know his general location.

Three we know hes a job seeker! He says this up front in his profile.

Four he links to his resume. This is so critical.

Five he tells us what kind of work he wants to do!

Six he has a decent picture of himself

Seven He even did a nice introductory tweet!

If I were a recruiter, Id be more likely look at this account and say All right, I know what kind of job this guy wants. What do I have that he might fit?Tip #2: Account ManagementAlready on Twitter?

Option #1:

Keep your current accountOverhaul account (bio and picture) to make it professionalLink to your resumeDelete unprofessional tweetsLet your friends know

OR

So those are tips for those that are new to Twitter.

But what if youre already on Twitter?

You have a couple options!

Option #1

You can keep your current account, but overhaul it so that it reflects your professional side.

Be sure to update your bio and picture,

link to your resume,

delete any unprofessional tweets.

You may also want to let your friends know (offline) that youre shifting your account to be professional.

So thats one option62Tip #2: Account ManagementAlready on Twitter?

Option #2:

Make your current account privateHide your current account by removing your name from itSet up a second account that is just for professional networking

Other option, if you dont want to delete any tweets or if you want to keep talking to your friends like you normally would:

Lock your current account so that only authorized followers can see your tweets.

Hide your current account by removing your name (to avoid any awkward future interactions with co-workers).

Set up a new second account for public, professional networking.

Which option you go with is up to you and your comfort level neither is necessarily better than the other. I have friends who have done both.

63Tip #3: Create a Professional ProfileSo in the last section I mentioned creating a professional profile, and in this section Im going to talk about that in more depth.64Tip #3: Create a Professional ProfileWhat can you do to create a professional looking profile?

Use your real name

What can you do to look professional?

Use your real name! You want people to be able to find you.

(Hey, its me! Im taking my own advice!)

65Tip #3: Create a Professional ProfileWhat can you do to create a professional looking profile?

Use your real nameScreenname that reflects you or your professional persona

Also, pick a good screenname.

Your screenname is separate, but not necessarily different, from your real name.

For your screenname, try to use your real name if you can. This will help people connect with you when reading tweets youre mentioned in.

In my case, my screenname is broegge, which is a shortened version of my name.

If your real name isnt unique enough, or if you just want to have a professional nickname, then you can create a clever screenname.

Lets look at a couple examples.66

67This is the profile for Simon Canick, director of the William Mitchell College of Law library. His screenname is Simoncan, a shortened version of Simon Canick.

I like this name a lot clever use of a real name with a positive ring. Who can? Simon can!Tip #3: Create a Professional ProfileWhat can you do to create a professional looking profile?

Create a professional bio

Create a professional bio be sure to note that youre a job seeker, what kind of work you want, list your resume, etc.

This earlier example is good because he does all those things.

One suggestion: could omit the first sentence in favor of keywords that will come up in those app searches we saw earlier.


Create a professional bioUse a professional photo

Put up a professional profile picture (headshots are usually good).

Cartoon representations are also popular (like with Simon, in the last example).


Add a background with links to resume or other social sites

Another thing you can do

If you have good graphic design skills, or know someone who does, create a nice background. Include links to your resume, social network sites, website, etc. in it.

Lets look at some examples70

71Aaron Millers profile. Hes a professional illustrator.

Good use of background space. Cute and gives links to social network accounts, contact info.

Tip #4: Build Your NetworkThose are things you can do to look professional on Twitter

Now well talk a bit about ways to build your network72Tip #4: Build Your NetworkBuild a relevant network by following: Current and former co-workers Friends in your field Professors Industry leaders and expertsProfessional organizationsRecruiters Companies that youd like to work for

Start building a relevant network by following:

-Current and former co-workers

Friends in your field

Professors

-Industry leaders

- Professional organizations

-Recruiters

-Companies that youd like to work for

73Tip #5: Strategic TweetingNow well talk a bit about what to actually tweet!

This section is important, because your tweets are the bulk of what people will see.

Twitter is, at its heart, a conversational tool.

So this section will talk about how you can take advantage of that when job hunting.74Tip #5: Strategic TweetingReminder: Think strategically about how you want to portray yourself online.

Tweet like an expertShare links and info that is relevant to your professionTweet current articles and issues, add your thoughtsRT other people, add your thoughtsConverse with people in your field

Remember Plan ahead. Be strategic with your tweets and how you portray yourself.

Ask yourself, before tweeting, if you would say it to a co-worker you hardly know. This will be a constant thing you have to pay attention to. What are you saying and how are you portraying yourself?

Keep in mind that just like real life - everything you say online contributes to, or takes away from, your professional persona.

To be a strategic tweeter, it is often recommended that you try to tweet like an expert.

What does that mean?

Share information that is relevant to your profession,

Add thoughts to current articles and issues.

Share upcoming events in your field.

RT other people sharing good info.

Its always good to add your thoughts shows you are a critical thinker, not just regurgitating news,

And employers love this kind of stuff.

It shows you are active participant in your field, that you know what is going on and you stay up to date.

75Tip #5: Strategic Tweeting2. Post regularly (once a day)

3. Criticism of things is okay, so long as its constructive

Beware of the viral RT

Other tips for strategic tweeting:

Post regularly (once a day?).

Criticism of topics/ideas is fine but be constructive! Avoid tweeting when angry.

Be aware that on Twitter, anything can go viral. Your 15 minutes of global fame could be born out of a 15 minute temper tantrum.

Conversely, your 15 mins could even be born from a bit of information that seems really mundane at the time.

The screencap in the corner is one example of that. This guy lived within a few kilometers of Osama Bin Laden (but didnt know it). Hes just an IT consultant who lives in Pakistan. While he was working one day, he noticed some helicopters flying overhead and tweeted about how the noise was annoying him. He also mentioned later that something exploded not too far away from him. He lives in Pakistan, so he was a little used to this stuff he seemed to find it more of an annoyance than anything and didnt really think too much about it. Until hours later, after the press began reporting about Bin Ladens death, he put it all together and realized exactly what those helicopters and that explosion had been. He tweeted this in reaction (Uh oh, now Im the guy.)which set off a literal firestorm of attention, all focused on him.

So keep these kinds of examples in mind Twitter is a powerful medium, and anything you say can make you known around the world in less than 24 hours.76Tip #5: Strategic Tweeting5. Use screennames when referencing someone else

On that notes Another tip for strategic tweeting

Use screennames when referencing someone else in a tweet. This helps others (your followers) make a connection to that person, but it also helps that person connect to you.

In this example, Brooke referred to professor and Library Journal columnist Michael Stephens in response to a question. I said that I thought he was a good example of a teacher using Twitter to engage with students. Since I used his screenname, he saw the tweet, responded and thanked me. I didnt take the conversation further, but possibly could have. This is an example of the immediate access that Twitter provides, which you can use to build connections with leaders in your field.

77Tip #5: Strategic Tweeting6. Dont over abbreviate, use correct grammar and spelling

7. Find and use #hashtags relevant to your professionConferencesProfessional chats

8. Participate in #HireFriday

Other quick tips for strategic tweeting:

Dont over abbreviate.

Dont neglect correct grammar and spelling.

Find/use hashtags that are relevant to your profession. Popular uses are:

Conferences: use them to talk with other participants or follow sessions you arent at

You can also use them to follow conferences you cant attend

Use them to participate in chats related to your profession (be mindful of spamming your followers when doing this)

Participate in #HireFriday. Tweet that youre looking for a job, use this hashtag. People will pick up #HireFriday tweets and RT them helping magnify your voice.

78Tip #6: Use Your NetworkLets talk about building a network now79Tip #6: Use Your NetworkEngage with your network:Strike up conversationsIf someone asks you for advice, respond.Offer help to those requesting itAsk others for help with your job search

any of these things could result in a job lead!

Engage with the people you connect with

Strike up conversations every now and then.

If someone asks your advice, be sure to respond! This helps build your reputation.

Also, offer help to those requesting it.

Ask others to help you! If youre looking for a job, be sure to say that. As you network with more and more people, every now and then tweet and say that youre job hunting. Say what kind of job youre looking for ask if anyone knows of any openings.

80Tip #6: Use Your NetworkAn example of someonewho asked for help with a job search:

He got multiple responses and RTs

Twitter marked it as a Top Tweet

This is an example of someone who asked for help. He tweeted that he was looking for a job.

He got multiple responses and RTs.

Twitter even marked it as a Top Tweet, which means that it was sent to the top of the list when people searched for phrases that matched it.

Through this example, you can see how a good network can help you out. People in your network help you magnify your voice and get you noticed by employers.81Tip #7: Dont Neglect the Real WorldLast tip: Dont neglect the real world!82Tip #7: Dont Neglect the Real WorldDont make Twitter your only source for finding a job

Take it offline, go get coffee with people

Keep balance of online/offline

Dont make Twitter only source. It should compliment other existing sources.

Go offline, get coffee with people.

Be sure to keep a good balance of online and offline interactions.83Thats it!

Questions?

84Credits and ReferencesImage from Third-Party Website intro slide (Twitter on laptop):http://pr-media-blog.co.uk/cut-the-bulltwit/

Image from Smartphone Apps for Job Seekers intro slide (dual iPhones with headphones):http://twitnine.com/tag/twitter-apps/

Image of Twitter Job Search Guide:http://www.careercoachacademy.com/twittercertification_self-paced.html Special thanks to Brenda Roegge for content http://goo.gl/WDTMH

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twitter for job seekers

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