The Jobs Free Forum

Everywhere you turn, you hear about it – the little bird known as Twitter. The micro-blogging site continues to grow at a staggering rate with new people exploring the Twitterverse on a daily basis. More companies are jumping on the bandwagon and using Twitter as their corporate collective consciousness and it is quckly becoming the most popular way to engage and build relationships with customers. The recruiting industry and corporate HR departments are leveraging this tool too - building corporate culture, seeking candidates for fit, and promoting sometimes unadvertised new job openings on Twitter first.

So what is a jobseeker to do in this 2.0 world of Tweets?

1. Search for Jobs
A quick search on the Twitter search bar for “jobs” or “#jobs” will return hundreds if not thousands of opportunities. Add a regional tag like “#hawaii” or industry tag like “#nursing” to the search and you can refine to exactly the types of opportunities you’re seeking.

 2. Learn the in’s & out’s of an industry
Use search and directory tools like WeFollow or Twellow to find companies in an industry you’d like to learn more about.  Follow a few for fresh industry information, to network with, and build relationships.

3. Post your skills, qualifications and unique attributes
Your Tweets can tell more about you than just what you ate for lunch.  Utilize your Tweets to talk about your unique skills and experiences.  Link back to a blog for longer entries or just keep it Twitterific 140 characters at a time. Share links to your CV or LinkedIn profiles.

 4. Find a Mentor
The Twitterverse is full of citizens who genuinely want to help.  Find someone in the position you want and engage in conversation with them. Even be so bold as to let them know you think of them as a mentor (flattery gets you places). At a minimum, you can follow someone like @tonyrobbins for great motivation.

5. Clean it up
Remember every Tweet creates a first impression to someone in the Twitterverse.  So if you’re in the market to market yourself – think twice before you Tweet.  A Tweet like “I’m for hire” or Tweeting “just got laid off, looking for a job in advertising” just might get the attention you need.  Recruiters are searching and you could get a DM (direct message) from a potential new employer who wants to learn more.

6. “Employer-Friendly” Profile
Is your job pitch in your bio.? Have you got a link to your CV or blog for the website? Are you using a professional avatar?

The job market is tight with 47,000 unemployed in Hawaii alone.  Staffing agencies say there are 100 applicants to every one job.  So you need to standout, stay fresh and smell Tweet to a recruiter.