Using social media to find the perfect job

In a world where competition for jobs is tough and unemployment rates remain steady, innovation is the key to success in securing employment.

Enter Twitter.

While traditional methods of job hunting should never be ignored, Twitter is evolving as another resource for both sides of the playing field: job searching and recruiting.

Author of PR and social media blog in the U.S., Sarah Evans, says there are many ways in which Twitter can be useful in finding that perfect job.

Get the most out of your page

Evans says that if you want to up your chances of finding a job on Twitter, make sure your Twitter presence is “employer-friendly”.

• Put your job pitch in your Twitter bio (which is 160 characters)
• Use a professional looking avatar
• Tweet about your job search

Evans encourages job searchers to usilise their Twitter background. “There’s lots of space you can use to promote yourself,” she says.

She also suggests that users include a link to an online CV or resume in their bio and establish themselves as an expert in their field on Twitter.

Evans says it’s important not misrepresent yourself however. “If you’re not a medical doctor, don’t play one on Twitter,” she says. “As those on Twitter become interested in your content, when employers are looking at you, you’ll have more than just your resume to back up your knowledge and experience.”

“It’s about who you know”

And it’s also about who knows you. Evans suggests that it’s not always about who you’re looking for, but some people on Twitter are actually looking for YOU.

Evans says there are a number of points to remember before contacting a recruiter via Twitter:

• Check out their bio
• Follower/Following ratio (Have they been around a while? Do they follow people back?)
• Click the link to their website
• Ask others in your network whether or not the recruiter is a credible source

This article is based on Sarah Evans’s blog post on Mashable. Content is reproduced with permission.