I’m not looking for a job, so I did some research into how folks are using Twitter for job searching, and I came up with what I think are 10 top tips. I’d love to hear your feedback after you’re done reading.

Search for job specific keywords and follow some of those people – The more specific you can make your search, the more relevant results you’ll get. The folks who use those terms (in the right context) are folks you want to know more. Follow them and you can use Twitter to get a job.

Follow industry leaders – Who do you know that’s a thought leader in the industry you are in or want to be in? Follow them to listen and learn from them.

Follow local leaders – Are there any local folks in the industry you want to get into? See if they are on Twitter, and follow them to see what they are talking about and see what you can learn from them.

Follow folks at a specific company and learn what the culture is like – Maybe you know a few folks at the company you want to work at. If they’re on Twitter, follow them. If you don’t, use Twitter search to look for them, or look on their corporate site for some names and search those out. You may not find anyone…or you just might find the one person who’s willing and able to help you find a great job!

Follow @jobangels and follow the hashtag #jobangels – Job Angels mission is simple: they ask you to simply help one person find a job! If you have a job to offer, share it by sending a direct message to them, or by tagging it with the hashtag #jobangels They will do the rest.

Share relevant links and Re-Tweet when applicable – There’s no better way to show you are on top of trends than to share what you’re learning with the folks in your network. Add in a Re-Tweet (click here to learn what a re-tweet is and how to do it right) and you’re not only sharing good information but sharing good people too.

Create your own content about your specialty and link to it – This is a bit of a combo tip, as it also requires you to write a little bit of your own content, and not just use Twitter.

Look for hashtags that talk about conferences in your specialty – If you’re follow someone you admire, and you see a #hashtag, click the link and see what they are talking about. This will help you find upcoming trends in your specialty, and find other folks who may not yet be leaders in their industry…or they may be folks that are not yet known as leaders in their industry but who are up and comers.

Ask for help connecting to the decision makers – Do you see any of your Twitter friends connected to folks you want to get in front of? Make a specific ask, best by DM (Direct Message but public may work too) for an introduction and see what happens.

Alert your network you’re looking for a job at least once a week – Throw out a Tweet now and then, at different times of the day, asking for help finding a job. I’d recommend incluing your location, your desired position, a link to your resume or LinkedIn profile, and a request to share this with others who can help. Here’s an example: “Help needed: MKE based social media guy looking for new role. Know anyone who can help? Resume at http://is.gd/10VWQ Pls RT” might be all you need to get someone’s attention and assistance. Picking different times of the day means you’ll hit different parts of your network, and different folks in your network will re-tweet to folks on their network, thus expanding your reach.

What’s YOUR best tip to searching for a job using Twitter?

Other related articles:

Related posts:

1. Twitter Strategy Made Simple I frequently get asked “What are some good resources for...
2. A Twitter Mystery A few weeks back I had a great presentation all...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

1) Ask yourself the big, tough question: What is your purpose on this planet? Now that you have a little (maybe a lot) of time to reflect, take the time to dig deep into your soul and find your deepest purpose and what you are most passionate about. This is especially important now as you may be asked to change careers. Hopefully you didn’t let yourself be identified by your position in the past. If you did, now is the time to let go and move forward.

2) What are the skills you have that you can apply to that purpose? No doubt you’ve learned a LOT over the last 5/10/20 years. Take a skills inventory of all the things you’ve learned. Include as many specific examples as you can. Folks will want specific proof that you’ve mastered these skills.

3) Do these skills readily translate to a new position? Look at the positions you’ve been applying to. Do your skills fit, or are they lacking? Perhaps you need to broaden your search, or perhaps you need to change the language you’re using.

Start to think like a human search engine: Use the words for the position you are applying for. If they say client service, and you would normally say customer service, change to client service. 

3a) If not…do you need to take some time to learn new skills (and possible take an intermediate position)? Maybe now is the time to go back to school and learn some new skills? Or maybe now is the time to take a part-time position to fill the skill and income gap between what you had and unemployment? Maybe you could even do some freelance work, or find someone to study under for an unpaid internship? Be creative and think hard about what you need and what you already know.

4) Identify which companies you want to work for. Don’t worry as much about position, think about the companies that have the values you value, or the next jump may also be short term. 

4a) Who in your network knows someone in the companies you want to work in? Use LinkedIn or Plaxo to search for folks who are directly connected to these folks. If you’re not using LinkedIn or Plaxo, I be writing more on how to use these tools soon.

4b) Ask for specific help on your search.

Example: “Phil, I see you know Yolanda at XYZ Company. Can you introduce her to me and let her know I am interested in ABC position?” if a position exists.

Or, ask for an introduction and explain WHY you are interested in the company (not just position, but think values and culture). 

Other things to do as you are looking for work, to get you back on folks radar:

• Write endorsements for folks you’ve enjoyed working with, via LinkedIn or otherwise.
• Use LinkedIn to ask for endorsements from folks you know you’ve helped with. 
• Create your own blog (http://wordpress.com is free and easy) and start writing about your values, purpose, mission. Make sure to put a link to your LinkedIn account in the sidebar. Create a nice about page with an informal picture of you, and make sure you have a nice professional email address (gmail.com is free and not full up yet) to send stuff out on behalf of. 

Write…write…write… 
Read…read…read… 

Repeat above steps until you land the job. 

What are YOUR best tips for landing a job in the recession?

Related posts:

1. LinkedIn and Facebook for Boomer Job Seekers Yesterday I gave a presentation to a group of boomer...
2. How to Brand Yourself Branding yourself can be a tough proposition, especially if you’ve...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.