Of course, if you are in the market (actively or passively) for a new HR or payroll position, LinkedIn is surely your first thought when it comes to social media. But have you given Twitter the rightful opportunity to help you. As Twitter has nearly 300 million users, it is obviously another popular choice. Whether you’ve plunged headfirst into Twitter, your icon is still that “egg” or you have not signed up yet – you should know the ways it can help your job search.
Establish Your Brand
Whether you know it or want it, you have a digital footprint. It is your own personal online brand – and Twitter can help you enhance (or detract) from it quickly. Use your profile (with a photo your mother would be proud of) to share your insights and industry related content. Interact by tweeting to and retweeting material from thought leaders in HR and payroll. Your profile should include your job title, location and career goals.
Find Openings
Do a quick Twitter search on “HR jobs, “Payroll Jobs,” or “Company X Jobs” and you will find company Twitter accounts dedicated to sharing job openings. Another way to track leads is by monitoring hashtags like #JobOpening, #TweetMyJobs, or our favorite #WilloryJobs. You can see some of the more poplar ones at U.S. News & World Report.
Advice in 140 Characters
Follow Willory or other HR and payroll information sources for job-search advice.
We love the information we gather from HR and payroll experts on Twitter. If you want to see some of our favorites, check out our lists at https://twitter.com/willory1/lists.
Treating your job search like a full-time job = the right way to do things. Take notes and keep a schedule! http://t.co/dLFfWuufkY
— CareerBuilder (@CareerBuilder) May 27, 2015
Try this advice from career experts to improve your #jobsearch. http://t.co/ComB0hCDqz — SUCCESS magazine (@successmagazine) May 26, 2015
Tim Sackett Project: The 5 New Rules of Work http://t.co/b6xtXk5HTf
— Tim Sackett SCP,SPHR (@TimSackett) May 27, 2015
Research
What’s important to a potential employer? Whatever it is, you can bet you will find it on their Twitter feed. This helps with interview preparation. And before you land an interview, you will want to search Twitter to research “payroll job” and “HR job,” etc.
Private Messages
Tread lightly. Twitter is not meant for you to simply send a message to someone. In fact, in most cases you cannot directly message someone who is not following you. First follow and re-tweet your identified target. If the target is receptive to interacting, he/she should follow you back. If you have developed this connection, approach with care and share your interest!
Follow Your Target Companies
Yeah, you may just be following the marketing department – but a good HR resume screener will look to see if you are following a company if you claim you have always wanted to work at X in a cover letter. Plus, it’s a great way to stay up to date after you’ve done your research.
And of course – follow Willory! @Willory1
