I have to make a confession… I didn’t always know how to use twitter. I got the account because I though twitter might be helpful in finding a much needed job. However, I didn’t have a clue about who to follow or how to find people that could help with my job search. I got the account and clicked the tab saying, “suggested users” and followed a few celebrities, some news organizations, and a few others. I also found and followed one of my friends who was also unemployed and looking for work. Sadly and surprisingly none of them -- not even my friend followed me back. I sent an email to my friend asking what’s up, after all she actually knows me. She emailed back that she had abandoned the account several weeks before because it was a waste of time. I soon abandoned my account too.
Nonetheless, I kept hearing about Twitter everyone on television was saying tweet us or follow us. Instinctively, as a research professional there were times when I wanted to tweet responses to poll questions and see what others were saying but I just did not see how it would be worth the effort. Finally, one day I gave in and started another account. However, this time I unknowingly followed a person who became my twitter evangelist. A tweeter evangelist is someone who realizes that a user is struggling, follows them back and provides the new user with tips and information on using twitter. However, even with the added help, I was still not getting the results that I wanted and I abandoned that account too.
Then one day after a miserable morning on the job boards, I decided to give twitter one more shot. I went back to my first account and made some changes. I took my name off and replaced it with @onejobhunter because I wanted people to know right off that I was looking for work. I used a mock-up of a resume as my avatar and I changed the email address allowing me to keep my twitter job search efforts separate from the traditional methods.
Well as they say, the third time was the charm. This time armed with the knowledge that I had gained from my evangelist and my knowledge of basic research, I set out with a goal to find people who could help me to find a job. Using the search function I searched for words associated with working such as careers, jobs, employment, HR, human resources, networking, seeking, recruitment, recruit and so forth. I weeded people out by reading their profile, looking at their website and reviewing past tweets to make sure that they were offering the type of information that I believed would be useful to my job search. After all, I did not want a work from home opportunity nor did I want to be a secret shopper. It was a time consuming exercise but if the person or company passed the sniff-test then I would follow them.
Pretty soon I had more information than one person could use and I wanted to share my findings with others who were looking for work. I went to back to the search function to look for other job seekers. No surprise here, I found tons of people and I started following them to share information. What was unexpected, is how it was nearly impossible to get many of them to follow me back. In some cases, I would follow their friends and their friends would follow me back and pass along the information that I was tweeting to their unemployed friend.
One of the things that was both amazing and sad to see was how many unemployed people were desperately following and tweeting to celebrities about their plight. They would have been better off yelling out of their kitchen window because no one was listening. Almost none of the celebrities were following them back.
In the meantime, I was making contact with companies who were interested in finding out more about me and my work background. I was applying for jobs. Even though I did not get my job through Twitter , the fact that I was getting results helped me to stay optimistic during my job search. I was also getting valuable advice from experienced recruiters and hiring managers that was helpful in preparing me to meet with potential employers.
I was also able to get information on networking opportunities through Twitter. I found organizations such as Pink Slip Networking in my area where I met with employers and was provided with insight on making a positive impression when meeting with potential employers. I also found out about PinkslipMixers which is pretty much based in California but has a job board that list jobs from around the country. I was also introduced to tweet-ups and Meetup which are good places to meet new people and grow your network.
Okay, I did not find my job on twitter but I do feel that twitter was instrumental to keeping me plugged into people, which helped me to keep my spirits up and kept those feelings of desperation at bay. When I finally met with my future employer, I was able to engage, converse, listen and learn instead of feeling and appearing worried out of my mind and beside myself about getting a job. I honestly believe that had I been tweeting Help Shaq, where’s my stimulus job Obama or Oprah Jobs the result would have not been the same.
I don’t know how long twitter will be around or what it will eventually morph into but I do know is that currently it can be a valuable tool for job seekers, when used correctly.
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