Using twitter to mingle with your heroes

What New Grads Looking to Land a Gig Must Know

By Allison Janney
Published: June 29, 2010

Hey, new grads, looking for a job? If so, be sure to round out your resume-sending routine with some Twitter outreach. More than a micro-blogging outlet or hub for Justin Bieber groupies, it can help you reach potential employers faster and more directly, plus give you a bit of an edge over the mass of new grads entering the market.

How to Find a Job on Twitter http://adage.com/article?article_id=144714

I’ve been gaining valuable work experience in my last two positions, both which I landed by actively following, listening to and presenting myself to employers on Twitter. I learned about my last post at a Minneapolis television station via reporter Jason DeRusha when he tweeted about his intern search. I tweeted back my interest and was able to secure an interview. After difficulty finding e-mail addresses for the right people at Exponent PR, where I am currently an intern, I researched their Tweeps list. Since they are all active on Twitter, I began engaging with the staff to eventually score an informational interview.

Here are the three key steps I used for finding a job on Twitter.

Step 1: Know who to follow
Strategically follow professionals at every level are on Twitter, especially in the PR and marketing industry. Use this to your advantage and find Tweeps who work at companies that interest you. Twitter’s “List” feature is one of the best ways to identify folks at specific organizations.

Step 2: Engage politely
Always remember that professionals are busy. You want to appear persistent without being annoying. The key to this concept is reaching out without asking something of them. Retweeting or commenting on a professional’s tweet is a natural way to get attention without making them uncomfortable.

Step 3: Time your outreach
Networking on Twitter takes patience. Practice regularly monitoring your leads in order to present yourself at an appropriate time. They may tweet about job openings or announce a new client. This information will ensure you are aware of potential opportunities that are not posted on their website.

As a disclaimer, if you are already in a position, it can be tricky. Keep in mind your tweets are read by everyone, and that includes your current employers. Make use of direct messages if you wish to keep your interactions private.

Most importantly, remember that Twitter can supplement traditional face-to-face networking. However, a job contract or attractive benefit package is not guaranteed from brilliant tweets. But I can attest to the fact that Twitter is an important tool to connect with professionals who are in a position to hire you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Allison Janney is an intern at Exponent PR. You can follow her at @allisonjanney.

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