Tweet your way to a job, better career

A colleague told Crompton that Twitter was worth a look as a useful job-search and career management tool.

“Like many people, my attitude about Twitter has gone from eye-rolling to enthusiasm. After Linked-In, it’s become our second recommended tool for job seekers. We’ve seen its power if used correctly,” said Crompton, a social media and personal branding strategist with Right Management and her own consulting company.

Unlike LinkedIn, which is more formal and requires reciprocal buy-in for people to establish relationships, there’s an easy accessibility to Twitter. Tweets are short (140 characters), to-the-point bits of data.

“You could follow someone you are interested in and learn a lot. It could start out as a one-way street and be valuable, but we’ve heard some incredible stories of how people started following thought leaders in their field and ended up engaging with them and forming relationships,” she said.

Twitter can provide inside information about companies, people and industries. It can get you past the gatekeepers to reach hiring managers, decision-makers, recruiters and influencers. It can amplify your personal brand, take your network global, give you access to cutting-edge knowledge and resources, and showcase your credibility and marketability.

Because employers are using social media to find and check out talent, it can get you into the hidden job market of positions not posted.

Sautter notes that its 24/7 real-time stream of information from a globally diverse population makes it a rich place to do business.

“Research shows that 70 to 80 percent of jobs come from networking, and we’re hearing that almost half of those come through social media now,” said Sautter. “The business landscape has changed, and you always need a network. Even if you’re not job seeking, you need it for your own development. Companies are training less and less, so you need sources of information that will help you keep your skills sharp.”

With more than 65 million tweets written every day, launching yourself into the stream can be intimidating.

“Start by listening, monitoring and observing Twitter sites that are of career or personal interest to see what a conversation is like,” said Barb Giamanco, CEO of Talent Builders Inc., sales and social media consultant and co-author of “The New Handshake: Sales Meets Social Media” (Praeger, 2010). “Before you begin responding to others or creating your own tweets, be clear about what you want to say and why. Establish your purpose and plan, and know your target audience. Know what you want to be known for.”

Giamanco tells job seekers that tweeting shouldn’t be about selling themselves. It should be about creating an impression of the value they hold for employers and colleagues. They’re showing what they bring to the table.

“Enter with a giving and receiving attitude, not a selling attitude,” she said. “Don’t put on your profile that you’re looking for that next great opportunity — it’s a cliché, and if it’s still there a year later, you’ll look desperate,” she said.

Crompton tweets about three primary themes that are part of her career brand and expertise: social media, career management and personal branding.

“Keeping it to those themes gives me a lot of range but keeps me focused when I tweet,” she said.

She advocates keeping your tweets 75 percent professional and 25 percent personal, to round out your personality online. Her book suggests that newcomers can tweet about events, conferences, industry trends, recent accomplishments, books read or helpful resources. Retweeting someone else’s words, with acknowledgment, can be a good way to get someone’s attention.

Sautter advises to be aware of key words. They can be included in the content or added with hashtags (#) to help you search for information or be found by people with like interests. As a job seeker, you can set up saved searches using key words that will bring you a steady stream of job postings and information. Aggregator sites like HootSuite or TweetDeck can help you organize and customize your tweets, which will save you time.

“Be sure your profiles on all media are in order before starting out,” said Giamanco. “Companies and potential colleagues will read them to learn more about you. In my world, a hiring manager will look to see if you really have a network or a following before offering you a sales job.”

She uses mobile devices to research companies or individuals before meetings to gather up-to-the-minute information. “If you can show you’re aware of company issues or breaking news, you’ll increase your credibility in a job interview and put yourself way ahead of others in line,” she added.

Giamanco credits social media with vastly enlarging her network of business colleagues and friends and improving her life. She knows that the learning curve can be steep and time-consuming. “Be patient. Invest the time. Weigh in with good questions, make introductions and build connections. It will pay off.”