Land a Job Interview Using Twitter
In the past 3 years, every job interview I have had has been one that I’ve either known the person through Twitter, or I had at least found the job opening through Twitter. The power, reach and possibilities that being able to seek information on Twitter gives any internet user is – to say the least – Amazing. When using only Twitter, I usually will tend to take two approaches, both of which are as effective. However, one is much more personal and probably better off for you in the end.
Hunt & Apply
In hunting and applying it’s a much less intimate and more of the, “Go on Monster.com and submit your résumé” approach. Here’s your opportunity to show your Search Skills.
Search.Twitter.com – depending on your industry you know what kind of job you’re hoping to get into. Hashtags like #jobs, #job, and #hiring are some of the most common, and usually lead to decent Twitter postings to a job description. By using Boolean search operators like AND or OR (they must be capitalized), you can add in multiple search terms and get rid of irrelevant posts.
For example, if you are looking for a freelance writing job your search terms might look like this: Freelance writing OR writer AND #Jobs OR #Job. This will find Tweets that have the words Freelance writing or in place of writing, writer. As well as the hashtags #jobs,or #job. The AND forces the search to include either of those hashtags.
Besides a solid Twitter search, there are many profiles which are automated aggregations of postings. One of the best ones for the D.C. area is the Washington Post Jobs. They have over 30 accounts with job opportunities listed in bulk on their Twitter feed, each feed for a different industry. See the full list. Looking for accounts like these are incredibly helpful, and you can build a list of only these feeds to keep a solid eye on them.
Build the Relationship
Thanks to Chris Penn‘s amazing email newsletter, he forwarded on this little gem of a tool.
Followerwonk.com – Similar to Twitter’s advanced search, but lets you search users’ bio’s. This is powerful. What followerwonk lets you do is target by keywords in Biographies and by location. In a job hunt this is crucial. For example, if I am looking for a marketing job in Raleigh, NC, I would try to reach out to a marketing manager or director of marketing in the area. Thus, my search terms would look like this: Manager OR Director OR VP AND Marketing, and in the Location use Raleigh, NC. Watch as the influencers/directors/managers, etc. all show up in your search results.
Tack these results into a list, and let the relationship building begin. Keep these prime users in a separate list, and engage them. Make yourself, your expertise, and the fact that you’re job hunting known. As these relationships build trust and the people begin to know you, your relationship with them gets stronger and stronger. When the time comes for you to tell them about your job hunt, you’re much more likely to be looked at more closely.
Never Overlook a Handshake
While a good Twitter search, or online relationship building never hurts, you must never overlook the power of meeting someone face-to-face. Be yourself, and be the same person you are online. Meet up for a beer, or lunch, or whatever, but being able to talk to someone in person holds its own power.
The Interview(ee?)
One thing I notice is the vast amount of articles coming around that are talking about interviews, their processes and their tips. I want to give a different perspective; try doing the same thing everyone else is from a different country. It actually makes it a lot tougher, even though you might not think so.
My Problem
If you follow my blog you realize, I’m currently studying in Alicante, Spain, my 3rd year of my international business major. As much as I am loving it, it makes apartment hunting and job hunting for the upcoming summer and school year much more difficult.
As much as I would love to send in a snail mail copy of my resumé or give a quick ring to the HR department of wherever I would like to apply, it financially isn’t that feasable. Doable, just not reasonably. The benefits of using some direct contact methods that help by being stateside:
- You usually get to talk to someone, and if you’re anything like me thats much more reasurring than sending your resumé into the black hole of the online database.
- The advantage of the company receiving a physical copy of your resumé shows not only your persistence but your will to succeed and advance in the working world
The Realization
The first step is realizing you have a problem. When you get stuck in a difficult situation, you probably already know it. So understanding that you are in this pickle is naturally the first thing you need to do. Then after that you can begin focusing on ways to rectify, and make the problem one that is almost non existent.
The Solution
Anticipation. The simple fact that you can anticipate these problems make the solution much easier. My Suggestions:
- Skype: If you haven’t found the many many benefits of Skype yet, I suggest giving it a try. Should you be called for an interview you have an economical and practical way to conduct a phone interview on the cheap, especially if YOU have to call.
- Google Voice: 2 benefits here: Recorded transcriptions and a proper phone number where you can receive a transcribed voicemail in case you get a call back.
- LinkedIn: The online resume: get connected, get out there, and get known.
Naturally, I’m still going through my application process for this summer, but as more develops and more comes my way, I’ll be more than happy to clue you in on my tips. If you have any please leave them in the comments.
Image by Ben Heine