Using Twitter in Your Job Search

Social networking is quickly becoming a great way to build your professional network and find a new job. And out of all of the social networking sites, Twitter is gaining traction fast. In fact, according to the official Twitter blog, the number of people who are using Twitter with their mobile phones has grown over 60% since April. The Twitter CEO Ev Williams said that the microblogging service has 145 million registered users, up almost 40 percent from the number it had four months ago.

Using Twitter in your job search is easy. If you are new to the service, there are a few things that you can do to get familiar with it and build up your network. Here are a few tips that can help you on your way to tweeting for job openings:

• Follow people- Following others, responding to their tweets, retweeting them and mentioning them in your tweets is a way to keep in touch, make yourself known to people you know and increase your professional network. Start by following your friends, then pay attention when they retweet a post from one of their friends. Check out that person and see if they are someone you want to follow as well. Unlike sending a friend invitation on Facebook, following someone you don't know or someone who doesn't know you, isn't off putting. It is what you do on Twitter. So don't be afraid to follow anyone who you think would be interesting. You can search for people in your career field by using a Twitter directory service like Twellow or WeFollow.

• Optimize your Twitter Profile- Consider using your Twitter profile as a virtual resume. Of course, you should remove any private information like you address and phone number and the contact information for your references and previous employers. Be sure to use keywords that are specific to the type of job you are looking for. That will make it easier for hiring managers to find your profile when they are looking for applicants via Twitter. (and trust me they do). Be sure to include links to any blogs or websites that you have, along with links to your other social networking sites.

• Search Hashtags- Twitter uses hashtags to references subjects. So searching for #jobs, #retailjobs, #salesjobs, #jobsearch, for example, will yield search results about anyone who has been tweeting about these topics. This can be a great way to find people in your industry who are also hiring or looking for a job. Networking with these people can help you find out more about possible job leads.

• Look for recruiters- You can take a more active role in your job search by looking for recruiters in your area. You can use directories like FollowerWonk and TwitterSearch to search for key terms in a profile. Searching for recruiters in your town or zip code can give you some leads as well.

Twitter and other social networking sites help to build relationships. Building a professional relationship with others in your field can be an invaluable resource, both in finding a new job and in your career. Invest the time to make social media work for you.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.